A: The Progressive Schoolhouse is a private elementary school offering academic school programs for students of kindergarten age through eighth grade.

Q: What is the school’s educational approach, and what makes the school unique?

A: A developmental approach serves as the foundation for our school’s philosophy.
Catering to the individual needs of the students in their learning process is a priority. By validating the unique qualities of each student, being attentive to the student's differing developmental aptitudes, and importantly providing opportunity for students to express themselves and deepen their understanding during the learning process. The teaching staff at The Progressive Schoolhouse is an essential and integral part of the educational approach. Through, engaging, respectful, and trusting relationships with their students, teachers encourage, challenge, and mediate learning experience. Every day of learning is meaningful, and every student deserves an education that caters to their unique learning potential.

Q: What difference does an education in a school that professes a developmental approach make in its students?

A: Children spend, on the average, forty hours per week in attendance at their school. The school environment not only is a primary learning environment, responsible for the health, happiness and well being of it’s members, but also holds responsibility to providing the best education possible for all of its students. At The Progressive Schoolhouse, students in all grades are encouraged to excel in their work, as well as to strengthen the areas of skill and learning that are most challenging. Students are able to work above grade level as well as strengthen other areas of skill in a non-competitive atmosphere. Although the developmental attributes of the students are diverse in every grade and are catered to, the students also enjoy many different kinds of group instruction and activity. Common projects and assignments allow the students to learn from shared sources of information and instruction, and also importantly from each other. Students work independently during work times and are encouraged to participate in all group activity. Through consistent modeling and teaching practices, students learn to “own” their own learning, and be accountable to their responsibilities. Self-motivation and self-discipline are both qualities observed in students who have been nurtured in an educational system that aligns itself with a developmental approach. The difference is reflected in the children. Learning should be enjoyable. Learning is a life long process,

Q: What are some of the emotional and social benefits of enrolling my student in a small model school?

A: Since teachers, parents and interns integrate into the students’ daily school experience, they also serve as role models, mentors, and facilitators of effective communication skills. Our school environment allows children to be individuals. We encourage respectful, caring, responsible social behavior. We teach students skills that enhance communication and problem solving. We allow children opportunity to process, practice and strengthen their social skills, and take the time to support and validate their efforts.

Our school values diversity and exemplifies the belief that people are more important than “things”. Children learn from making mistakes and are responsible for their emotions, choices and behaviors. We support the students’ progress, respect their development and often enlist the parents to help us attain our goals.

Our interest is for children to develop skills that enhance their lives outside of school. When children feel happy, respected and secure, they are more willing to learn. Growing, developing children have many developing needs! Our simple recipe for success is to cater to their individual need, nurture their sense of well-being, and validate them in their daily learning.

Q: Why would an educational approach based on a developmental philosophy also support an individual’s learning potential?

A: Everyone is unique. Everyone is an individual. Everyone’s life unfolds uniquely, and everyone has a unique learning potential.

Since development, growth, and learning potential describe qualities of childhood, an educational system and approach cannot underestimate its responsibility to provide effective support structure and program. To maximize the efforts of an educational system that caters to development and learning potential, students first must be viewed as individuals, unique in all ways.

Likewise, curriculum programs and planning must reflect the development, aptitudes, and learning style of the individual. Furthermore, as the individual progresses and develops, individual planning must conform to reflect the student assessment, interests, and development of the student.

When validated in the learning process, students will gain momentum, self-discipline, autonomy, and esteem. These natural rewards allow children to feel autonomous, independent, respected and successful in their learning process.

Since teachers mediate the student’s successful experience and are respected in their role, students are willing and encouraged to accept new challenges and learning opportunity. Assessment, evaluations, observation, insight, knowledge and experience guide the teachers in their goals and planning for each student. Since learning activity and opportunity cannot possibly ensure successful skill acquisition, teachers need to work comprehensively with each student independent of each other.

Each day is a significant opportunity in realizing a student’s learning potential. With the right amount of integrity and effort, learning can really be a joy! The potential is in the process.

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