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Lake Area
Discovery Center
3770
Bellaire Avenue
White Bear
Lake, MN 55110 |
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Office: 651•762•7884
Email: lisaswenson@ladcfamilies.org |
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Classroom Tour at Lake Area Discovery Center
The LADC classroom is designed in the "center approach" to learning. Children
move at their own pace to a variety of different centers set up with activities
and experiences webbed around a central theme. This
hands-on classroom
experience is designed for the teachers to meet the children's individual needs
and learning styles. All curriculum webs from the Unit Theme throughout interest
areas such as: music, art, science, reading and dramatic play. In addition to
basing the curriculum on theme-based units, LADC also incorporates a "Letter of
the Week" into the Discovery and Kinderstart classes' daily schedules. |
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The LADC Classroom |
| The classroom environment is set up in centers, so children may
choose a wide variety of experiences each day. |
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| There is a sense of order to the LADC classrooms. All shelves and
bins are labeled for children. Teacher made materials and games are
widely used because they meet children's individual needs. |
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| The Dramatic Play area provides children with the opportunity for
creative, imaginary play. They can take on roles and practice for the
future. |
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("Noah's Ark Zoo" Dramatic Play for Unit Theme "Bible Stories" |
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| In the Dramatic Play, children can also learn how to solve social problems through
negotiation with friends. They develop creativity, imagination and the ability
to fantasize. |
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(An inside view of the "Noah's Ark Zoo". Includes the Sensory Table, a
feature always used somewhere in the classroom) |
Children gather for Circle Time on our large area rug for songs, stories and the
daily puppet, who introduces the day's activities!
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(After circle time, the curtains open to real many cooperative play/imaginative
play toys. When the curtains are up, children learn that toys are "closed".) |
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| The Listening Center is a favorite place for children to
follow along and share stories together, all on their own! |
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| The Low Table features a cooperative play activity or toy that extends
the weekly unit theme. |
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| Table Toys continue the weekly theme while helping children learn
one-to-one correspondence, making patterns, eye-hand coordination, numbers,
shapes and colors and so much more! |
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| Our daily Large Muscle time includes experiences with the
parachute, obstacle courses, cooperative play games & more! When children
participate in motor activities, they gain self-confidence in developing new
skills, physical strength, coordination and balance. They also learn how to
cooperate with others and to solve problems. |
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| The "Creation Station" is a child-directed art experience. It can
include play-dough play, collage creations and journaling activities. |
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Computers are a part of our world. They help children learn more about shapes,
colors, numbers and letters.
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| Art & Science are one of the most important and valuable areas. Children
have the opportunity for self-expression, creativity, perceptual awareness,
spatial awareness, the use of small muscles, learning names, colors, shapes,
sizes, relationships and can serve as an emotional outlet. Our goal is not
concerned with the finished product, but rather with the process by which
the child receives the joy of creative expression. |
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| The Writing Table is an area always available to help
encourage children to scribble and draw, they learn to hold a pencil, eye-hand
coordination and to exercise their own creativity and imagination. |
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| LADC provides a Snack Time with milk for children everyday. Children learn
about nutrition, food groups, and math concepts of volume and measuring
through "Individualized Cooking" opportunities. They also learn about their
own culture and other cultures of the world through food. |
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