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Read-a-thon
“The anxiety children feel at constantly being tested, their fear of failure, punishment, and disgrace, severely reduces their ability both to perceive and to remember, and drives them away from the material being studied into strategies for fooling teachers into thinking they know what they really don’t know.”
– John Holt
The Sunlit Glean
The Age of Imagination:
As the mists recede, emerging light reveals a landscape full of potential. Stepping into a sunlit clearing of the enchanted forest, the child’s world expands. As children step into a brighter, more playful space, they begin to actively create and explore ideas. This phase nurtures creative thinking and the early formation of personal expression.
Creating a Love of Learning:
In the lower grades (~1st-3rd) there are no tests, grades or traditional report cards (for more inform see "No Grades"). These students also do not have homework, or student textbooks. Evaluations of students’ skills are purposefully not recorded nor compared to public or traditional school standards, in an effort to value each child’s natural development and trust in children's natural love for learning. Each child is acknowledged for what they are developing, as well as given confidence that it is only a matter of time, effort, and a personalized approach before other areas become developed.
Academic Mastery in Groups 2
Academics are addressed within our thematic classes along with teachable moments on the playground and other activities. Students are introduced and become familiar with literacy through our holistic-whole language approach while being read to in classes such as Stories & Crafts or Bookmaking or by playing language games. Number Sense and quantitative skills are learned while participating in activities in classes like Cooking & Measure or Math Games along with teachable moments on the playground and in all classes. But "formal" instruction and algorithmic math is not yet taught.
Developing Integrity and Internal Strength in Group 2
Ethics is taught through global children's literature, historical fiction, and interaction in class using games and role-playing. Students reserve direct instruction on social and emotional skills in classes like Monsters and Me and are encouraged to practice those skills throughout the day.
Global Perspective in Groups 2
In classes like Fairness & Togetherness and People & Places our youngest students begin to develop positive social identities, and cultural knowledge while recognizing and valuing others identities.
Steps toward Independence in Group 2
When academics are taught in context, like cooking, gardening or building, students gain valuable life skills. Communication and self regulation skills are both taught within engaging thematic classes along with direct instruction in our social emotional classes. Students are reminded and encouraged to practice these skills in our interactions on the playground. Fine motor skills are taught via arts, cooking and crafts. Besides our weekly swimming at the local community pool for Group 2 students take movement classes and gross motor exercise is encouraged at school during playground games.
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