Hogarth Country Day School
Established 1980
|
Developmentally Appropriate |
 |
A developmentally appropriate school has two dimensions to its curriculum. First, it is age appropriate. Second, it is individually appropriate. We recognize that within a class there are going to be different levels of ability, development and learning styles. We believe that young children learn by doing and whatever the subject matter is it
must be meaningful to the child. We also believe that young children learn as a result of their experiences. Since all young children have not had the same experiences, they will start their academic careers from different points. Learning experiences are offered that allow each child to successfully participate at her own level.
A developmentally appropriate school respects each child's place on the developmental spectrum. A 5 year old who is reading will have an experience commensurate with his abilities, as will a 5 year old who is just beginning to recognize letters. No child is expected to conform to a standardized, "cookie cutter" curriculum, however all children will be instructed in such a way that they achieve an optimum level of success.
If you look carefully at the pictures below of Mackenzie and John working with the number tiles, you'll see examples of process-oriented work and product-oriented work being carried on in a developmentally appropriate way during free playtime. John, who is not yet 4 years old, worked carefully with the goal of lining up his tiles and filling the entire tray, a process-oriented way of working. Mackenzie, who is 5½ years old, worked with the goal of creating a 1 through 12 number line, a product-oriented way of working.
This seemingly simple activity illustrates how different children take different things from the same materials, simply because they are operating at different levels of development. Both children got exactly what they needed and wanted from the activities they developed. One of the things both children had in common was that they each worked until their goals were met. Neither abandoned the activity until they saw it through to the end. They were focused, persistent, and on-task in their chosen work. Adults should be so engaged!
There hasn't been a day that she hasn't come home with some 'project' which she just had to explain to gramma and grampa; a new song she had learned and wanted to teach us; or more questions on an intriguing subject Miss Murphy had brought up in class. C.H., Satisfied Parent
Just though I'd write and say thanks for the good start. I'd certainly have to say that kindergarten was the best year of school I've had yet. I hope I get to take fingerpainting when I go to UNH next year. A.H., Hogarth Alumnus, Class of 1981. She went on to major in art at both UNH and the Rhode Island School of Design.