Philosophy
We Start By Honoring Your Child’s Strengths
Many schools operate from a deficiency model of learning. This approach treats children like a car that is broken and needs to be “fixed”. At Sibley, we know that every child arrives with a wealth of unique knowledge and experiences. We use the child’s interests and background experiences as a strong foundation upon which to build new knowledge and skills.
Every student receives an in-depth Literacy Evaluation so we can become familiar with your child’s unique strengths and develop a program that suits his/her own learning style and experience of the world.
Our mandate is, “To follow the child”. That involves careful listening, close observation, and mutual respect.
We provide support for parents, too! In addition to receiving periodic reports on your child’s learning, the Director will share reading strategies and ideas that you can use at home to extend the instruction your child receives here. We also hold regular workshops on “How Children Learn to Read” and “The Role of Play in Learning”.
Our social studies curriculum focuses on care of self, manners, learning to relate to others, and cooperation in a family environment. Values such as respect, non-violence and caring for others as well as the Earth, are an integral part of all that we do at the Sibley Center.
For more information on the educational background of our Director, please click on the Bio page. If you would like to visit us in person, we are only a phone call or e-mail away! Just use the “Contact Us” page to schedule a meeting at your convenience.
