Curriculum

The curriculum design for The Tidewater School is based upon the research and/or the programs of:

  Jean Piaget - As a psychologist, Piaget found that children seek and deserve order and that they are extremely capable of productive planning with guidance in a class setting.  His research demonstrates that children move in an ordinal developmental progression.  They seek repetition which may appear as redundant to adults but this return to a task is full of new discovery and new learning which must be respected.  This is the ordinal growth experience as opposed to the linear unidirectional educational experience.  Furthermore, Piaget has helped us to understand that children experience periods of disequilibrium at which time we seek to understand and respect the child’s developmental imbalance as a “normal developmental” stage of growth.

  Maria Montessori - As a physician, Montessori observed that there are critical sensory periods through which all children pass in their own time.   In a prepared environment, real life experiences invite their sensory exploration and facilitate their acquisition of cognitive skills.  She believed in trusting the child to reveal his/her own unique learning style and needs which can best be met in a safe and nurturing environment.

  John Dewey - As an educator, Dewey was one of the first individuals to stress that work is a child’s play and that as such, play is essential in the acquisition of skills.

  Alfred Adler - As a psychologist and physician, Adler developed Individual Psychology or Adlerian Psychology which holds to the premise that behavior is goal directed.  Behavior is purposeful and children use behavior to belong.  Our school holds to this sense of community and ownership by encouraging children to grow in awareness and expression of their feelings as they care for themselves as individuals and as a collective community of friends.  This approach is modeled by the teachers and is offered as a training program to parents.

  Stanley Greenspan - As a physician and child developmental expert, Greenspan has recognized and challenged the myths of cognitive development separate from affect.  He has proposed that affective engagement stimulates and fosters cognitive development.  Within this frame, we become very aware of the spirit of the child and the need to recognize and honor the child as a unique     individual.

High/Scope - High/Scope is a well researched model of educational instruction which recognizes  the need to respect individual growth and which places the responsibility of task selection upon the child.  This has been referred to as “upside down teaching” for in this model, the teacher does not select the instructional material but rather respects the child’s choice and then with a firm grasp  of developmental growth, gently imposes the goals for learning that meet the child’s immediate developmental level.  In this way, the child is making choices, is affirmed for the wisdom of his/her choice, and is a willing recipient of new learning.