What does my four-year-old do all day here?
Discovery Academy teaches the foundations Grade 1 assumes your child already has — phonics, memory, fine motor, focus.
- 7:1 ratio
- 20 years
- Richmond Hill
Grade 1 has expectations. Most JK/SK programs don’t meet them.
Your child isn’t lazy. They never were.
“Doesn’t focus.” “Isn’t ready.” “Needs to try harder.” These aren’t answers — they’re labels. A four-year-old hasn’t lost focus. It was never trained.
When learning feels too hard, children stop trying.
It’s not laziness. It’s protection. Children who succeed early want to come back the next day. We make sure your child does.
Grade 1 assumes a foundation. Public JK/SK doesn’t always build it.
Letter recognition. Number sense. The attention to listen for five minutes. One teacher, twenty-six children, no time. At a 7:1 ratio, we teach the foundation directly — by name, every day.
It looks like play. It builds the foundation Grade 1 assumes.
Public JK and SK assume your child arrives able to sit with a task, notice details, manage frustration, and recognize patterns. If they can’t, there’s no catch-up.
At Discovery Academy we build it through games, stories, and play — attention to detail, patience, pattern recognition, emotional intelligence — from day one. Daily, by name, at a 7:1 ratio.
Dr. Marina Blumin
She founded Discovery Academy in 2006 — 2026 marks DA’s 20th year. Every teacher on staff is interviewed and selected by her. Every student’s progress is her concern.
See a real classroom today.
If you’d simply like to learn more about our school, please fill out the form, and our representative will briefly explain our prices, schedule, and advantages. There’s no obligation and no upfront payment. You can also book a school tour. A tour runs 30–45 minutes. You’ll watch a real JK/SK classroom and meet the teacher who would be your child’s.
Book a school tour
JK / SK · Richmond Hill
We reply within one business day. No mailing list.
What you should know before you tour.
Depending on program. Payment plans available.
Drop-off from 8:30 AM.
Hot lunch included.
Typically 10–14 children with a teacher and assistant.
Founded in 2006 in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Things parents ask before they tour.
Don’t see your question? Ask it on the tour — that’s what it’s for.
How small are the classes, really?
We run a 7:1 ratio. Classes are typically 10–14 children with a teacher and assistant. Every child is known by name.
What if my child has never been in school before?
Most haven’t. We expect first days to feel big, and we plan for them. Children settle in within the first two weeks — usually sooner.
Do you give homework in JK/SK?
A small amount — a book to read together, a sound to practice. Five to ten minutes. The point is the habit, not the volume.
What happens after JK/SK?
Most of our families continue with us through Grade 8. Children who go on to other schools arrive ahead of their peers.
What does a tour actually look like?
30–45 minutes. You’ll watch a real morning, meet the JK/SK teacher, and ask anything you want. No script, no pressure.
Come see a real morning.
If you’d simply like to learn more about our school, please fill out the form, and our representative will briefly explain our prices, schedule, and advantages. There’s no obligation and no upfront payment. You can also book a school tour. A tour runs 30–45 minutes. You’ll watch a real JK/SK classroom and meet the teacher who would be your child’s.
Book a school tour
JK / SK · Richmond Hill
We reply within one business day. No mailing list.