Our Learning Program
We believe that children thrive in an environment that provides ample opportunities to discover and ask questions. Our unique learner centered approach enables children to take a lead role in their learning process to develop fundamental skills as well as to discover and nurture their talents. At Marigold Community, social emotional development is core to our learning and children are provided with tools and ideas to help them self regulate, navigate conflict, and work as a community to solve problems.
Approach to Learning
We encompass the best of alternative school techniques along with standards based academic guidelines. We enable a child-led environment, listening to the children's inquiry followed by hands on learning and outdoor activities. Based on the children's interests, we select a theme that is interwoven into each topic to create an interdisciplinary thread of learning.
We are currently using the Cambridge curriculum as a guideline. However, not all kids have to be at a certain level by a certain age. We let the children learn at a pace and style that suits them. For academic subjects (reading, writing, and maths), we divide the children into ability groups. In this way, the more academic kids can thrive and kinesthetic kids can do more hands on activities, having a bit more time to master each subject.
Learner Centered
Our learner centered approach provides a collaborative classroom where the children are active participants in everything from themes of study to classroom agreements. We provide children the opportunity for self discovery of talents and interests with our activity centers - subject based corners that allow a child to go deeply into one topic such as art, sewing, reading, games, and science. We recognize how much happiness is derived from nature and the children actively participate in gardening activities and nature exploration. Children work as a group across ages providing them with the skills for collaboration as well as within smaller ability groups, providing them with one-on-one time and attention with our educators.
One example of collaboration is our “Community Meetings”, held one morning each week. During these meetings, children discuss topics that parents, teachers, or children themselves write down and post on the meeting board. An issue is brought to the table and the children discuss as a community how to collectively solve it, proposing ideas, new agreements, or solutions to address the matter.
Holistic Learning
In line with our vision, we approach education with the whole child in mind - head (intellectual), hands (physical), and heart (social emotional). We believe that when any one of these components is out of balance (too much or too little), the child’s full potential cannot be achieved.
Head: We believe that academic subjects, such as math and literacy are important for children to master. Children are provided with the opportunity to learn age-appropriate skills, while giving them the time and space they need to master them. We believe in skills-based growth as some children are highly academic and others are more kinesthetic. Educators design a learning path for each child, enabling them to thrive at their own pace.
Heart: Social-emotional development is a key pillar within our learning methodology and it is interwoven throughout our program. Through stories, self reflection, and learning tools for emotional regulation, children learn how to navigate conflicts with their peers and how to work together to solve problems. Rather than using conventional rewards and punishments for behavioral challenges, children are provided with the tools to understand compassion, empathy, and working through emotions.
Hands: We believe that children learn by doing. Our program provides learning in a project-based environment that enables children to make connections between their skills and to create an excitement and curiosity around learning. Academic subjects can be introduced through gardening, cooking, art, and nature excursions.
Project Based Learning
Our curriculum includes the opportunity for interdisciplinary study, incorporating a chosen theme across subjects, enabling a depth of understanding and comprehension. Following our learner centered approach, children decide as a community on the theme of study and the topic is incorporated into all subjects and projects. By enabling the children to have an active role in the topics they select, they become curious in and excited about the learning process. We believe that this approach enhances the student-student as well as the student-teacher interactions, improving the learning outcomes. This approach also provides children with the opportunity to make connections and draw relationships between concepts.