Getting School Design RIGHT
The way that a school is designed has lifelong implications for children
Why?
Between the ages of two and seven is the most “critical period” for brain development. Around age two, the number of connections between brain cells doubles, and learning happens faster than at any other time of life. Children’s experiences in this phase have lasting effects on their development, and by age eight, they have developed a mindset about school and learning that will stick with them. Schools (and parents) can help unlock the greatest future potential during this critical period in four key ways.
What should schools do?
1) Focus on the Learning Process (not worksheets)!
Schools should focus on the process of learning versus filling out worksheets. It’s important to encourage wonder and help children develop a joy for learning. This is one reason we follow an inquiry-based, emergent approach to learning in preschool versus prescribed units of study. It’s why you see KWL and Anchor charts throughout classrooms (a learning process students can transfer to virtually anything). It’s one of the reasons we have designed our elementary program to include meaningful opportunities for students to make choices within the structure of the curriculum. It’s also why we use a Developmental Learning Progression versus the traditional read-the-textbook and answer-the-questions at-the-end approach and pioneered tools for teaching students to set and monitor goals through Leadership Notebooks and Student-Led Conferences.
2) Language - Be careful what we say
The language we use can help foster a growth mindset and an understanding that setting goals and working through setbacks are a natural part of learning. I'll be the first to admit that as educators, we can be a bit sanctimonious about the importance of language, but even compliments such as “You’re so smart” can be counterproductive. Being as intentional as possible in the language we use with children and even avoiding rewards (or using them very sparingly) can impact future motivation and self-concept.
3) Balance & Range
There is nothing inherently wrong with a young child specializing in one thing (violin, a particular sport, etc.) But, at this age, children benefit the most from the broadest range of experiences possible. In his book, Range, David Epstein calls this age the ideal sampling period where children’s brains are able to soak in a wide range of skill sets. This is one of the reasons we have built such a wide range of enrichment into our program (foreign language, choral and instrumental music, performing arts, fine arts, STEM, robotics, Animal & Nature Studies, sports, public speaking, etc.) NOTE: There is also evidence that skills like learning musical pitch or the natural patterns of a second language are not learned as well after this critical period.
4) Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
All schools presumably teach the “3 Rs” reading, writing, and arithmetic. But, what schools often overlook is that children don't/shouldn’t stop learning social skills just because they “graduate” preschool. Empathy and perspective-taking begin to develop more fully around the time children enter kindergarten, and age 5-7 is the prime time to help children develop emotional granularity and learn how to interact with kindness, empathy, and consideration of others. This is one of the reasons why Morning Meeting is a non-negotiable daily class at our school in every grade, every single day.
What happens when schools focus on these key areas?
One of our greatest points of pride at WHPS is the way all these aspects of our program come together in the students who graduate as fifth graders. I've worked in elementary schools almost my entire life and have never seen anything like these children. They come out at the end of their experience as motivated, empathic, dynamic, and confident leaders who have all found their own unique voice. I attribute this to the hard work of the students, the creativity of our teachers, the kinds of families that ultimately choose our program, and the ways our school embraces quality school design.
