Many words could be use to describe Bellwether’s curriculum. It is emergent and follows a continuum; it is designed to be engaging and developmentally appropriate; it supports growth in all areas of a student’s development: academic, social, emotional, aesthetic, and physical; it is experiential and emphasizes hands-on learning; it is integrated across subjects.

Emergent Curriculum

Bellwether uses an emergent curriculum as the foundation for our project and inquiry based learning. Emergent curriculum develops when exploring what is "socially relevant, intellectually engaging, and personally meaningful to children". Emergent curriculum connects learning with experience with prior learning. It includes the interests of children and responds to these interests rather than focusing on a narrow, individual, or calendar driven topic process. The curriculum typically evolves from ideas teachers bring to the classroom, observations the teacher makes of what is drawing children’s interest and a planning process by the teacher(s) to develop interdisciplinary projects. Projects allow for in-depth exploration of topics and provide a basis for understanding, making connections and for deeper thinking processes to occur. In emergent curriculum both adults and children have initiative and make decisions.

The ways children learn best…

Our commitment to understanding the ways that children learn and grow has led to a curriculum that is engaging, intellectually stimulating, and developmentally appropriate. We believe that children come to school already immersed in their own learning and with their own strengths and interests. In designing a curriculum around these emerging interests, Bellwether teachers listen and guide students in asking and answering questions, pursuing information, and solving problems.

Individualized Instruction and Portfolio Assessment

We believe that the primary purpose of assessment is for the teacher to plan instruction, not to make comparisons between students. We have no letter grades, preferring to describe students as learners broadly and deeply in narrative form and through work sampling. By employing this type of assessment and instruction, teachers respect unique learning styles while ensuring that every student continues to grow academically, socially, and emotionally.

Scope and Sequence

At Bellwether, learning follows a continuum from preschool through sixth grade. As students mature, they revisit concepts and skills in various subject areas at increasingly advanced levels. Our curriculum highlights complementary activities through eight domains of learning. (Social & Emotional Development, Social Studies, Language & Literacy, Mathematical Thinking, Scientific Inquiry, Artistic Expression, Service Learning, Physical Development). This integrated approach gives vitality and depth to our curriculum while helping students develop analytical thinking skills. As experience builds on experience, students reflect on their learning, make connections, see relationships, and appreciate the interconnectedness of their learning – gradually fitting knowledge into a meaningful whole.

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