One of the joys of being such a small school community is that we get to know our students deeply; what captures their attention, what helps them feel comfortable and regulated, what makes them laugh, and what encourages them to stretch just a little further.
Because families are not in the building with us each day, we wanted to give you a small window into some of the learning that has been happening in our classrooms this week.
In Miss Jess’s younger classroom, literacy and math are coming to life through hands-on exploration, movement, conversation, and play. Students may be building animal habitats, becoming “animal detectives,” sorting and counting sea animals, creating simple graphs, or using blocks and manipulatives to explore number concepts. These experiences are playful by design, but they are also rich with opportunities to build language, early literacy and math skills, problem-solving, flexible thinking, and connection with others.
In Mr. Cove’s classroom, students are exploring personal narratives, sequencing, character traits, cause and effect, and perspective-taking in ways that are equally active and engaging. They may use familiar objects to spark a personal memory, physically arrange ideas in sequence, become “character detectives,” or use toys and puppets to imagine how a story might change if a character’s personality changed. The academic goal remains meaningful and appropriately challenging, while students are given different pathways to engage with and demonstrate their learning.
This is closely connected to our DIR/Floortime approach. We are always thinking about the child in front of us: What interests them? What helps them feel ready to engage? How can we connect first and then help them expand their communication, thinking, flexibility, and relationships? Our teachers are using students’ developmental profiles and interests as a pathway into academic learning, not as something separate from it.
You may also find that two students working toward the same goal are not necessarily doing the exact same thing. One may talk through an idea with an adult, another may draw or build first, another may need movement before returning to the work, and another may be ready to write independently. That is differentiation in action — keeping the learning goal strong while thoughtfully changing the path each child takes to get there.
We are so excited to share more of this with you at our Back to School Night this Thursday, October 8 at 5:30 p.m. We look forward to welcoming you into our school building, sharing more about our program, and giving you a closer look at the thoughtful work happening in your child’s classroom each day.
Daena Berdougo, MLS Plymouth Principal
