Welcome to Blue School

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At Blue School, we adopt a whole-child approach that not only identifies the strong bond between all developmental domains but also recognizes that everyone is a part of the curriculum development process.  Each child develops across and within the social-emotional, cognitive, and physical domains in unique and individualized ways. It is important that we identify where every child is in the process in order to meet their needs and scaffold their learning in ways that will support their educational journey and life goals.

We implement an integrated, emergent, child-centered curriculum where the content areas of the curriculum are both integrated and interdependent. Curricular threads emerge from the interests of the children and are used to develop projects that will meet grade-level benchmarks.  For example, while engaged in a single class project, the children develop literacy skills through problem-solving, reasoning and comprehension skills, and extend their vocabulary while exploring the use of language.  Through this same project children develop social skills such as turn-taking and building self-confidence. They also use observation, prediction and reflection, all basic and necessary science and math skills. Learning is integrated across all content and is deepened with the integration of specialist teachers.

A child-centered curriculum focuses on and is designed to meet the individual needs of children. It identifies children’s developmental needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles. The teacher is a facilitator of learning, rather than a director. The children socially co-construct knowledge with each other and adults and child development is an integral part of this social context. The children are active participants in their own learning and the curriculum emerges from the interests, past knowledge, and experiences of the children and teachers. Learning becomes an active process and focus is upon the learner rather than on the subject or lesson to be taught.

Teachers use observation, reflection, and assessment to identify each child’s developmental profile. The developmental profiles then drive curricular content, teaching strategies, and differentiation of instruction. We refer to this as a recursive model of planning.

The teachers use these developmental profiles in conjunction with each grade’s benchmarks, scope and sequence, and developmental expectations to engage in the dynamic assessment that occurs within the moment. Teachers use observations, field notes, photographs, portfolios, and other appropriate forms of documentation made by themselves and the children to reflect upon the learning that is taking place. This information is then linked with the curriculum model to individualize, design, and implement the curriculum that will support and scaffold learning for all the children and meet both individual and grade-level goals.

Our approach and its implementation are based on research, past experiences, and solid educational theories.  Blue School, however, is also a unique environment that encourages, supports, values, and promotes exuberance, joy of learning, creativity, perseverance, playfulness, true integration, and community. Our approach provides a strong social-emotional foundation for learning, encourages process versus product, and allows children to be free to be themselves while exploring and connecting with subject matter in a way that motivates them and utilizes their own learning styles.