Naturally Emergent Curriculum
At the Shaker Forest School, we believe that children learn best when they are personally intrigued & motivated. The forest provides an ever-changing environment that invites students to explore, wonder & inquire about the world around them. Outdoor educators act as guides and collaborators in learning, providing opportunities for your child to work on all their developmental domains, meaningfully and at their own unique pace.
Rhythms of Children & Nature
Our days are structured and follow particular rhythms: morning meeting, hike to base camp, snack and story, hike to meeting location, and closing meeting. Children learn the rules and expectations for each of these transitions and activities.
The natural environment provides an emerging curriculum that changes each day, inspiring observation, wonder and respect for, and knowledge of, the world around us.
Meaningful Learning
The forest provides many opportunities to learn. Educators meaningfully integrate all of the Ohio pre-kindergarten standards across all domains: approaches toward learning, social & emotional development, language & literacy development, cognitive development & general knowledge, and physical well-being & motor development.
In the forest, many of these standards are easier to meet and more meaningfully learned than in the classroom like initiative, persistence and engagement, science, social studies, motor, and math skills. Even those that at first may not seem to integrate as naturally into the forest are still met meaningfully and with intention by our teachers. Early reading and writing skills are nurtured through journaling, imaginative play, map making, sign reading, and referencing guidebooks.
Beyond Classroom Objectives
Our days outside provide much more than a traditional school: teaching our children to overcome challenges, to prepare for different types of weather, to develop grit, and to become resilient.