The Pioneer class introduces and exposes students to new skills in a group setting, while acquisition occurs in centers and one-to-one instruction.
The Pioneer class receives up to 2.5 hours of group instruction daily, with the remainder of their day in small group and/or one-to-one instruction.
Child/Staff Ratio
- Class taught by a bachelor or master’s level special educator
- Up to 6 students in a class
- One-on-one adult support for all students
Programs/Curriculums That May Be Utilized
- Maryland Common Core Standards
- VB-MAPP
- Early Literacy Skills Builder
- Equals Math Curriculum
- STAR Curriculum
The following are examples of things our students may work on within each subject area:
| ELA | Students immerse themselves in reading and shared text experiences to build foundational literacy and comprehension. Early skills include recognizing letters, identifying the main idea in texts, and participating in shared reading. |
| Math | Through hands-on activities and guided exploration, students develop core numeracy and mathematical thinking. Key skills include demonstrating one-to-one correspondence, identifying and sorting shapes, and creating number sets to represent quantities. |
| Science | Students investigate the natural world through inquiry and observation. Learning focuses on identifying patterns in nature, exploring types of weather, and recognizing the sun and moon as part of our environment. |
| Social Studies | Students build awareness of self and society by examining rules, cultural differences, holidays, and locations around the world. They also begin to understand basic concepts of wants versus needs in everyday life. |
| Health | Students will explore and practice differentiated skills across key areas including personal safety, healthy relationships, hygiene and physical well-being, self and social awareness, and understanding their bodies. |
| PE | Students participate in differentiated physical activities that promote motor skill development, collaboration, and physical fitness. Through games, sports, and movement routines, they grow confidence and joy in active play. |
| Art | Students explore and create original artwork by using key elements of art such as line, color, shape, and texture using differentiated instruction. Building on these foundations, they begin to investigate principles of design like balance, movement, and space. Students experiment with a variety of materials and techniques—including weaving with yarn and shading with colored pencils—to express their ideas and develop creative confidence. |