Transforming practice and building learning communities PreK-3rd

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Working with our school partners we nurture inclusive, inquisitive, and collaborative school communities.

Playful Inquiry

Playful Inquiry builds on natural assets and capabilities that children uniquely possess. Teachers are motivated to authentically connect and differentiate  to be responsive to each child’s interests, aspirations, cultural background, and linguistic capabilities. We align inquiry from preschool through elementary grounding instructional leaders in developmentally appropriate practice.

Habits of Mind

Habits of mind reframes curriculum and assessment towards skills and dispositions that serve students in the classroom and beyond. Habits of Mind are modeled on the skills, habits, and dispositions linked to thriving school careers and lifelong success: focused attention, clear communication, noticing relationships and connections, collaboration, strategic, creative and reflective thinking. Habits of Mind build a strong foundation for early literacy development and mathematical thinking.

We engage with practitioners using methods that lead to profound growth and transformation.

Environment Design and Consultation

Classroom environments are living, breathing, and dynamic. We work alongside teachers to thoughtfully and intentionally re-design environments to meet the context and dreams of the teacher, children, and families.  Co-designing with the teachers is an approach to professional development that supports teachers to identify stances, mindsets, and strategies that breathe new energy into the classroom.

Comprehensive Professional Learning

Professional Development is an essential component of beginning, practicing, and living a Playful Inquiry stance. We co-design responsive year-long work plans with school districts focused on the outcomes of large-scale transformation and growth within the district.  From transforming practice, to conducting outreach, to advising administration, we provide professional learning sessions, coaching and mentoring, facilitating grade-level cohorts, and providing technical assistance to building and district leaders. As an introduction to playful inquiry we integrate our research-based practices with social and emotional learning, culturally affirming practices, and core subject areas.

We develop tools, publications, and resources for curriculum, observation, assessment, and family engagement

We develop our own resources and tools based on the work we have conducted in school districts.  They have been and are continuously tuned to the communities we are serving. Our Field Guide illustrates and explains through stories from the field how to practice playful inquiry. Documenting Learning is our online assessment tool and Observation Capture is designed as an aid to promote critical observation. Family Explore, available in Spanish and English, is a suite of playful exploration experiences children can do with their families.  We are continuously designing and refining our tools and resources to meet your needs.