About US
Philosophy
Education Explorers believes children thrive most in an environment that is diverse and inclusive, promotes creativity and open-ended play, and filled with love and care. We strive to provide a safe space for African/African American students to thrive in an culturally responsive environment. However, we are open to all children aged two months to twelve years, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, or sexual orientation.
We pride ourselves in providing a high-quality program that ensures that all children not only have access to a safe and nurturing environment, but are also taught with developmentally appropriate curriculum that simulates social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth.
Our Curriculum Philosophy
1. Children learn through play in both their learning experiences and their environment.
2. Children develop every day in five main areas of development: health and physical development, social and emotional development, language development and communication, approaches to learning, and cognition and general knowledge.
3. Literacy and language development are encouraged daily in the classroom.
4. Opportunities for exploration and discovery encourage children to love learning.
5. A strong classroom community—learning environment enables children to develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong critical thinking skills.
6. The schedule and space is structured to allow children to pace themselves and select activities based on their individual needs.
7. Teaching staff is selected based on their teaching beliefs aligning with our philosophy, personality, experience, and education.
8. Teaching staff participate in ongoing training, workshops, and conferences to ensure we are providing the most up to date care techniques known.
9. The teaching staff use developmentally appropriate practices in the classroom and take advantage of teachable moments.
10. The teaching staff makes adjustments in their teaching to meet the strengths, needs and interests of individual children.
11. Positive reinforcement and guidance is necessary for building relationships with children.
12. Building parent partnerships through open communication, conferences, and family activities are a key ingredient to child care/school success.
Goals
At Education Explorers, our goal is to create an enriching atmosphere of love, respect, trust, inclusion and safety where children will strive to achieve their maximum potential. We aim to grow the “total” child. This focuses on all the areas of development including: mental, intellectual, physical, social, and emotional. All areas are equally important and is incorporated throughout the entire curriculum.
Our program encourages adults to interact with students in ways that support children’s social emotional needs while promoting their learning, language, and concept development. We stride to enhance and promote critical thinking skills, imagination, and frequent back and forth conversation exchanges by asking open-ended questions, as well as, being in close proximity to be able to actively participate during play. We also use positive comments and encouragement with children, to acknowledge and validate children’s emotions, and to focus interactions on the activities and interests of the children. We provide feedback on the children’s ideas, comments, and work. We also use repetition and extension, self-talk, parallel talk, and scaffolding to help children understand concepts, answer questions, or complete activities.
Developmental screenings, Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social Emotional (ASQ:SE) will be completed on all children twice a year (within 90 days of enrollment and six months later), or as needed. If a child is identified as having a developmental delay, a referral to the appropriate service will be sent. It is the parent’s responsibility to follow up with services, if desired. Individual lesson plans are developed based off approaching developmental milestones or identified developmental delay. We strive to have all children Kindergarten ready in all developmental areas, upon entering Kindergarten.
Curriculum
Education Explorers curriculum is based on the belief that children learn through play. Play is their work. It is through play, art, music, and our hands-on approach that language arts, math, and science are introduced. Our developmentally appropriate curriculum is customized to meet each child’s individual needs: socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively. Our daily practices provide consistency while incorporating an emergent curriculum that stimulates each child’s unique interests, curiosity, and sense of discovery.
We use Highscope, Learning Without Tears, and Second Steps, as well as:
• Discovery learning schools
• Art, science, home, building, pretend play, writing, and music schools
• Simple math and phonics skills
• Large and fine motor skills and manipulative development
• Interactive play and movement
• Behavior and manners teaching
• Letters, shapes, colors, numbers and opposites
• Kindness and love
• Self-regulations
Supervised playground time is provided both in the morning and in the afternoon, weather permitting. Outdoor play promotes healthy growth and development and creative social interaction. Newsletters will be sent home monthly
What Is Asked of Children?
• Be a good listener
• Be kind
• Help Clean up
• Walk inside
• Be a friend and good citizen of our community
• Laugh, smile, play, and be happy.
• Explore, create, and innovate