Play2Learn Academy's Curriculum & Learning Approach
Learning through play, discovery, relationships, and developmentally appropriate experiences
At Play2Learn Academy, we believe young children learn best when they can explore, ask questions, move, create, interact with others, and take an active role in their day. Our curriculum gives children structure without taking away the curiosity and play that make early learning meaningful.
Play2Learn Academy uses a developmentally appropriate curriculum from Learning Beyond Paper. Teachers combine that framework with daily reading, hands-on math and science, art, music, dramatic play, social interaction, outdoor activity, and other experiences that help children learn in ways that make sense for their age and stage of development.
The goal is not to rush children through academic skills. It is to help them build confidence, independence, communication, curiosity, and the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical skills that support future learning.
Families are welcome to ask questions about the curriculum and may view the Learning Beyond Paper program at the center upon request.
Learning Through Play and Discovery
Play is an important part of how young children understand the world. A child building with blocks may be experimenting with balance, shape, and problem solving. Pretend play can strengthen language and social skills. Art gives children a way to make choices and express ideas. Outdoor play supports movement, coordination, and interaction with other children.
Our classrooms include both teacher-guided experiences and opportunities for children to explore. Teachers adapt the daily schedule to the needs and interests of their class, giving children structure while leaving room to respond to what is happening in the classroom.
At Play2Learn Academy we recognize that learning is something that happens through love of play and discovery. What does this means for your child? There is a plan for the day, but learning does not have to feel rigid.
A Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum
Learning Beyond Paper gives our teachers a developmentally appropriate framework for classroom learning. Teachers bring that framework to life through stories and conversation, hands-on math and science, art and creative projects, music and movement, dramatic play, outdoor activity, and everyday interaction with other children.
A developmentally appropriate approach recognizes that a toddler should not be expected to learn in the same way as a preschooler, and a preschooler should not be treated like an elementary-age child.
Children also grow at different rates.
Our teachers use the curriculum as a guide while responding to the children in front of them. The result is a learning environment with meaningful structure without expecting every child to learn in exactly the same way or on exactly the same timetable.
Language, Literacy, and Communication
Language develops throughout the day. Teachers read to children daily, giving them repeated exposure to stories, vocabulary, conversation, and spoken language.
Reading also creates opportunities to ask questions, talk about characters, make predictions, and connect stories to children’s own experiences. Children continue building communication skills during play, group activities, meals, transitions, and conversations with teachers and peers.
We also recognize that some children are learning English while speaking another language at home. Classroom support can include bilingual labels, books in more than one language, and language assistance when available. Members of our staff and Play2Learn community may also be able to assist families in Spanish and Russian.
What this means for your child is that communication is not limited to one lesson. It is part of the entire day.
Hands-On Math and Science
Young children often understand math and science best when they can touch, move, compare, sort, build, test, and observe. Play2Learn’s teachers encourage the development of math and science concepts through hands-on materials every day.
These experiences can help children begin exploring ideas such as size, shape, patterns, sequence, quantity, cause and effect, and how objects behave.
The focus is on active discovery. Rather than only being told an answer, children have opportunities to try something, see what happens, and talk about what they notice.
Creativity, Art, Music, and Dramatic Play
Creativity is one of Play2Learn Academy’s core values, and it has a natural place in the classroom. Art, dramatic play, and music are integral parts of our learning environment. We also embrace messy activities as opportunities for children to experience new things, experiment, and grow through hands-on learning.
Creative experiences give children room to express themselves and experiment with ideas. Dramatic play can support imagination, communication, and social interaction. Music introduces rhythm, movement, listening, and participation. Art gives children opportunities to choose materials, work with color and shape, and create something of their own.
What does this means for your child? At Play2Learn Academy, learning is joyful, active, and creative—not just academic.
Social and Emotional Learning Happens Throughout the Day
Some of the most important early learning happens in ordinary moments. Children are learning how to join a group, wait, share, ask for help, communicate frustration, recover from disappointment, and solve problems with other children.
Play2Learn staff use Positive Guidance techniques such as modeling appropriate behavior, redirection, helping children express feelings with words, and positive reinforcement.
That means social and emotional development is not treated as a separate subject. It is part of everyday classroom life. Teachers help children practice these skills while maintaining clear expectations for safety and behavior.
Movement and Outdoor Time Matter Too
Young children need opportunities to move. Kids at Play2Learn are scheduled for morning and afternoon outdoor periods totaling at least 60 minutes, with outdoor time adjusted for temperature, weather conditions, and air quality.
Outdoor time gives children room to run, practice coordination, interact with peers, and experience a different kind of learning environment.
Movement also creates balance in the day. Children are not expected to spend long periods sitting still in order to learn.
A Daily Rhythm Children Can Understand
Children often feel more comfortable when they know what comes next. A typical Play2Learn day includes free-choice time, meals and snacks, structured curriculum activities, outdoor play, rest or quiet activities, and additional opportunities for choice and interaction.
There is structure, but there is also flexibility. Teachers can adjust the schedule to the needs and interests of their class.
That balance helps children move through the day with a sense of predictability while giving teachers room to respond to the group.
A typical day is not one long lesson. It is a series of experiences… learning, playing, eating, moving, resting, talking, creating, and spending time with others.
Rest and Quiet Time Are Part of a Balanced Day
Children need different amounts of rest.
Play2Learn includes quiet time after lunch. Children are not forced to sleep. After an initial period of quiet rest, children who remain awake may choose quiet activities such as coloring, reading, or manipulatives while other children continue sleeping.
That is part of supporting the whole child. A balanced childcare day should include active learning and movement, but also opportunities to slow down and recharge.
Teachers Bring the Curriculum to Life
A curriculum is only a framework. Teachers are the people who make it meaningful. Play2Learn staff complete at least 40 hours of training each year. Training includes child development, Positive Guidance, age-appropriate activities, nutrition, sanitation, illness recognition, medication procedures, and injury prevention. Staff also maintain current CPR/First Aid and Food Handler certifications.
Our teachers use that preparation as they guide children through activities, transitions, relationships, and everyday challenges. They observe children, provide encouragement, help them communicate, maintain structure, and adjust activities when the needs of the group call for it.
Learning Changes as Children Grow
Play2Learn Academy serves children through Infant Care, Toddler Care, Preschool, Pre-K, After-School Care, and Summer Programs. The experience naturally changes as children grow.
- Infants need responsive care, comfort, and opportunities to explore safely.
- Toddlers are developing language, movement, independence, and social awareness.
- Preschool children are ready for increasingly complex play, communication, early academic concepts, and group experiences.
- Pre-K children continue developing the skills and confidence that help prepare them for kindergarten.
- School-age children need a different balance of structure, independence, social activity, and downtime.
The programs are different, but the philosophy remains consistent: children benefit from caring relationships, predictable routines, developmentally appropriate expectations, and opportunities to learn through active experience.
Parents Are Part of the Learning Partnership
Parents should be able to understand how their child is learning. Families may view the Learning Beyond Paper curriculum at the center upon request, and we encourage parents to communicate with caregivers and center leadership when they have questions.
- What is my child working on?
- How does this activity support development?
- How is my child doing socially?
- What is happening in the classroom right now?
A curriculum should not feel hidden behind the classroom door.
Learning at Our Bountiful, Clearfield, and Layton Centers
Play2Learn Academy provides childcare and early-learning programs at three Davis County locations in Bountiful, Clearfield, and Layton.
Each center serves its own community, but all three share the same broader approach: learning should be developmentally appropriate, children should be treated with patience and compassion, and families should feel respected and included.
Families are invited to visit the center nearest them, meet the local team, see the environment, and ask questions about the curriculum and daily routine.
Come See Learning in Action at Play2Learn
The best way to understand a childcare curriculum is to see how it feels in a real classroom. We invite you to visit Play2Learn Academy, meet our team, learn more about Learning Beyond Paper, and see how play, structure, creativity, relationships, and daily routines come together throughout the day.
