An elementary school that my DS6 might like, having the following characteristics:
1. Plenty of recess (an hour or nearly total)
2. Individually differentiated worksheets for all, such as self paced math and english worksheets like the DRA reading cards of yore.
3. Not very many of them (the worksheets)
4. Little repetition
5. Interesting speakers and/or sudden unexpected presentation of novel subjects. Projects, skits, experiments, etc.
6. Some periods do have a didactic teacher versus group structure, ie not a completely self paced montessori style structure. Expectations exist for effortful or intense work to be accomplished during some specific times and not always in areas the child enjoys. But that amount of time is limited and balanced by truly engaging things.
7. Open ended creative activities with enough time to actually get somewhere. "Now that we've talked about urbanization, draw or write your own ideas about a home or city of the future. We can talk about what we came up with in tomorrow's class."
8. Some choices made by the child affect how their time is spent (not just in clubs after school) starting by 1st grade (ie choice of which language class or choice of instrument in music or choice of in-class science project).
9. No or only a few minutes of homework in 1st to 3rd and not much more in 4th and 5th.
10. School accommodating of children's interests and experience to such an extent that for example if they are working far ahead in math and would like to instead work on still life drawing or reading chemistry or whatever some days a week that it would be potentially possible.
11. Little repetition ....
We're geographically hampered by jobs but I'm just curious if anything like that exists? Some sort of alternative gifted co-op somewhere?
I'm also curious what others would suggest in tailoring an elementary school to their child's interests/wants while still striking a balance with parental ideas of what or how they would learn. What did I leave out or what in there wouldn't work for your kid?
