Discovery of Learning provides all learning materials for each child.  Our classrooms are stocked with all the basic writing and art materials, such as pencils, variety of paper, markers, crayons, pastels, paints, etc.  We also fill each room with enriching books, games and manipulatives.  Each child in our Core Programs is provided with Math and Writing Journals, Personal Dictionaries, and Portfolios.  All work stays on campus and children pick up each day where they left off, so a backpack is not necessary.  However, younger children may want to pack extra clothing in a backpack, just in case, and many children just enjoy carrying one.

Yes. The children are able to enjoy a snack during their morning work time and eat lunch together from 12pm – 1pm. Please provide your child with peanut free items for the safety of friends with peanut allergies.

We also ask that you provide your child with a water bottle daily.  Each campus has bottled water available to refill bottles as needed.

As an Enrichment Center a credential is not a requirement, however, our teachers…

• Come from a variety of backgrounds and may be in different stopping points along their career path.
• We have many who are credentialed, seeking an alternative to the traditional classroom or have decided to homeschool their own children and set them on this path.
• We have some teachers who are currently in school or have varying degrees from AA to Masters in education, child development, psychology, etc.
• We even have teachers who work for us part time and also serve the community as licensed therapists, educational coaches, college teachers, historians, even authors and artists!

We absolutely love and look for teachers with a zest for education, an open mind to family choice, and an exceptional background in working with children, families and as an advocate for alternative education.  Becoming a DOL teacher is a lengthy process that we pride ourselves on.  We do not simply look to fill a position, rather we look for an educator who is aligned with our philosophy, is open to reflection and feedback regarding teaching strategies and educational approaches.  Our teachers are provided a multitude of training methods to ensure they understand the DOL way and so parents know that each campus and classroom is run in the same caring and nurturing way.

Yes, all the teachers in our programs are fingerprinted.

No.  We believe children need to participate in the learning process.  At DOL that process includes working/creating, sharing/reviewing with the teacher, and an opportunity to make edits to the work and learn through the process along side their caring teacher.  When work is sent home, the process may be interrupted or returning work may be forgotten.  We believe a child’s most important work at home, is to enjoy time with their family, experience real life as you go through your daily routine, and to learn from your homeschool journey, if it’s a trip to the library, a fieldtrip, or snuggling up for a great story.  At DOL, children simply pick up with their work right where they left off each class.  For this reason, we do not produce as much work as you might expect in a traditional school setting.  However, we believe the quality of the work and learning process is far more important.  DOL’s High School Program does require students to set weekly goals with their assignments which my be done at DOL and/or home. We support the student in managing their workload and work time.

By partnering with families in your educational journey, we want to support your homeschooling methods.  Some families follow a set curriculum and want their child to continue that work on campus.  Some families want to know what their child is working on in class and continue the ideas at home, so we provide a weekly newsletter for each classroom and make ourselves available during drop off and pick up times to maintain that open communication. Other families take make on more of a child-led homeschool style and our daily structure is as much structures learning as they want.  We also work with High School students who have may have a full load of classes each semester.  In this situation, it is essential that the student work toward their weekly goals on campus and at home.  We truly believe every family’s style is just right for them and support everyone the best we can, free of judgment. For those families unsure of what their homeschool style is at home, we encourage you to chat with us, attend our parent support meetings, and visit our recommended reading list. Also join our social media groups, where you can feel supported by like minded families.

Here’s a simple quiz to take to help you identify your style, please know this is not an official diagnostic tool.

The goal of the Discovery of learning is to partner with the homeschool family and compliment and supplement what the parent is doing at home, NOT completely replace it. Although DOL intentionally plans activities in all the core subjects and helps high school students set goals in each assigned subject, Discovery of Learning’s Core Programs and Elective Classes are enrichment classes; they are meant to provide the balance for the homeschooling family and support the parent, who remains the child(ren)’s primary teacher.

We are an approved vendor for most charters. Check with your Discovery of Learning campus to find out which charters serve your county, and the benefits of each charter to your family’s time at Discovery of Learning.