York Academy of Discovery, Inc.

🇺🇸 June 14 is Flag Day. A day that honors the adoption of the American flag in 1777 and invites us to reflect on the values it represents: freedom, responsibility, and the ongoing pursuit of justice.

Flag Day is not simply about symbolism; it is about the work of citizenship. It asks us to consider what it means to stand for liberty, equality, and dignity for all people.

Dr. Maya Angelou often reminded us that patriotism is not passive; it requires courage, truth, and accountability. “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”

To love a country is also to challenge it, to believe it can be better, fairer, and more just.

Today, we honor not only a flag, but the responsibility we share to uphold humanity, justice, and hope.

How do you practice citizenship in your daily life? ✨

Do you take field trips?
Yes, York Academy of Discovery takes a field trip approximately once a month.
Field trips offer unique opportunities that go beyond the classroom:
1. Community Connection: Students learn firsthand about their local community and how it functions.
2. Real-Life Experience: They provide practical, real-world applications of classroom lessons.
3. Career Exposure: Students have the chance to learn about and observe different professions in action.
4. Joy and Fun: These trips bring a sense of excitement and joy to the learning process.
5. Social Skills: The field trip experience helps students develop and practice important social skills.
6. Exploration: Field trips encourage a natural sense of curiosity and exploration.
7. Background Knowledge: They help build the foundational knowledge necessary for better reading comprehension.
8. Sensory Learning: Trips provide a multi-sensory learning experience.
We believe these experiences are vital for a well-rounded education.
*Parents do not pay for these field trips. Field trip costs are covered by York Academy of Discovery, Inc.

York offers 2-days per week, 3 days, or 4 days – full days.
Families can qualify for our program at no cost.
Questions or interests about our program, message us on this page.

What kind of art experiences does York Academy of Discovery, Inc. provide?
We strive to provide a daily art experience that is process focused.

What is process art?
Process art is child-led and focuses on the creative journey rather than the end product.
It is open-ended, offering no specific instructions on what to create.
Various materials are provided for children to explore, including paint, watercolors, clay, scissors, glue, tape, colored pencils, crayons, markers, and a variety of paper products, etc.

Do you also provide product art experiences?
While we emphasize the creative process, we use a balanced approach that also includes product art experiences.
Product art is teacher-directed and focuses on a specific end result.
This type of art is beneficial for developing fine motor skills, practicing listening skills, and understanding sequencing and the steps in a process.
We strive to build creativity into the product art experiences so that the final results remain unique to each child.

York offers 2-days per week, 3 days, or 4 days – full days.
Families can qualify for our program at no cost.
Questions or interests about our program, message us on this page. See less

York Academy of Discovery, Inc. offers our program at no cost for those that qualify. Here are the qualifications to receive the program at no cost:
Persons in family/household with incomes
1 person in family $47,880
2 people in family $64,920
3 people in family $81,960
4 people in family $99,000
5 people in family $116,040
6 people in family $133,080
7 people in family $150,120
8 people in family $167,160
If you don't qualify message us on this page about enrollment options.

York implements play-based learning or structured play. What is structured play?
Structured play is focused on skill/academic development.
It is goal oriented.
The teacher guides the learning.
The teacher enhances play with questions.
Worksheets are not needed to develop academic skills.
Structured play includes literacy, numeracy, listening skills, coordination development…
The teacher guides instruction in letter recognition, phonics, vocabulary, math development…
Story time involves discussion, vocabulary development…
Large/gross motor development and small/fine motor development activities are also included.
Examples of structured play items: puzzles, alphabet/phonics and math games/manipulatives, board games, stringing beads, sensory experiences – writing with finger in shaving cream, balls, …
York uses hands-on instruction.
Both structured and unstructured play are important in the preschool classroom.
York students are well prepared for the kindergarten experience.

York provides 2 day, 3 day, or 4 day opportunities – full days.
Questions or interests about our program, message us on this page.

These boys are ready for kindergarten!

Why do you provide blocks of time for unstructured play?
We provide both indoor and outdoor unstructured free play.
Preschool children need both structured and unstructured play.
This kind of play is open ended.
Unstructured play is child-led and child directed.
Children can develop their own ideas.
This type of play builds imagination, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving.
Vocabulary and communication skills are developed as children interact with each other.
As the children work through their ideas they build social emotional skills.
During this play, children make their own rules and solve their own problems.
It provides opportunities for cooperation, teamwork, sharing, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
Children interact with open ended materials such as blocks, clay, dolls… For example, the children turn the classroom environment into a bus, a train, forts… The teacher does not make the bus or the train or the forts. The children decide – “Let’s make a bus.” Then they decide to use chairs or other items from the classroom environment to create the bus. I have been amazed at what the kids create using classroom items.
Our outdoor unstructured play involves nature exploration.
Unstructured free play is very important in letting kids be kids and in their “school” learning.

York provides 2 day, 3 day, or 4 day opportunities – full days.
Questions or interests about our program, message us on this page.

You use very few worksheets. Why don’t you value worksheets for young children?
We value creativity and critical thinking.
Children need to manipulate and explore.
We believe hands-on experiences are superior to worksheet completion.
We focus on problem solving.
Children need interactions with peers and with the environment.
We look at individual needs and strengths to guide individual instruction.
Children need learning that involves physical activity.
We value sensory play experiences.
We do not do color sheets.

Questions or interests about our program, message us on this page.