Classroom of Discovery, Sterling

As an educator myself, I conducted a year-long search for a preschool program that would best meet our needs and prepare our son for elementary school. After reading about the options in our area, I narrowed the list to seven schools to visit. I knew that the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) had a rigorous process, and Classroom of Discovery was one of the only NAEYC accredited schools in our area. Through our visits, we found that most of the schools had very caring teachers and engaging activities, but very few provided professional development for their teachers or employed consistent approaches to managing behavior. Classroom of Discovery uses the highly effective Conscious Discipline approach, and all teachers have regular opportunities to learn about it through workshops and book studies. My son learned about his own behavior and how his choices impact his relationships through the teachers’ consistent use of this approach. The balance of play-based learning and small group instruction was ideal for him, as well. Another distinguishing point for Classroom of Discovery is the small class size with 10 students and two teachers – a teacher to student ratio that is rarely found in our area. He attended the two-day program for one year and the three-day program the following year. We could not have been happier.