Earlier this week, we wrote about the different types of private schools there are in America. There was a lot of good feedback and many parents wanted further advice on how to choose what kind of school their kid should attend.
While there are many factors in deciding where and what type of school your child should go, parents need to think first about the kind of questions they should use to compare the different types of education institutes.
Following up to our recent article, we wanted to write for our viewers a piece on how to choose the best kind of school for your child (from kindergarten to grade twelve). We hope you enjoy today's read!
We would like you to think closely about the following questions and what you would imagine for your children (or for yourself if you are the student) when thinking about what kind of school to enroll in.
School Environment and Learning Experience
What type of school setting and learning experience do you envision? The educational environment offered at different schools varies from classroom to classroom and from context to context. As a result, it is important that you think about the kind of academic experience you wish for your child.
Here are four commonly-known learning environments:
Learner-centered: Concentrates on the specific needs of the student, where teachers build off of their students' "knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs", and classroom discussions are led by the students with the intention of developing a child's "conceptual and cultural knowledge". Theses settings are often referred to as diagnostic teaching and are a model meant to involve students in mental engagements and encourage discussions about opposing perspectives.
Knowledge-centered: Introduces new information to students and aids them in a more profound comprehension, with the hope that the individual will be able to use that knowledge in new situations and circumstances. Largely focused on "sense-making—helping students become metacognitive by expecting new information to make sense and asking for clarification when it doesn't". Ideally, for example, this type of schooling emphasizes the need for students to not simply compute mathematics but to think about making sense of the curriculum and thinking arithmetically.
Assessment-centered: A learning environment that offers the opportunity for feedback and corrections, with the assessment corresponding to the student's intended learning goals. There are two significant applications of assessment: formative and summative. Formative assessments utilize evaluations (normally conducted in a classroom environment) as areas of feedback to enhance schooling techniques and education. Summative assessments gauge what a student has learned at the end of an educational exercise.
Community-centered: Presents an academic atmosphere where students learn from one another and are steadily improving. The community can refer to the classroom, the school itself, and the extent that students, teachers, and administrators feel connected. Depending on standards and practices present at a school environment, there can be "major effects on what is taught and how it is assessed". If the norms for mathematics is solely knowledge of how to compute answers, students are missing out on a better standard of mathematical inquiry to understanding.
Read and discover more about the different types of learning environments here.
Student-Teacher Ratio
How much individual attention and focus do you want your child to receive at their school? Find out the classroom size and if there are teacher assistants or maybe parent volunteers.
While there is no confirmed evidence, there has been studies and research that support the advantages of smaller classes (in particular for grades three and lower). In courses with fewer students, individuals are given more opportunities to bond and connect with their peers. With this connection, students have increased confidence and are more comfortable when sharing their point of views and ideas. Alongside this benefit, your child will have more chances to express and voice their opinions in class.
After-School Activities
Are there after-school support, sports, specific courses, or activities that are provided at this school? If your child is gifted in music, science, or the arts — it is crucial that the school you are selecting will assist in nurturing those abilities.
After-school programs allow children to develop necessary social skills and ultimately make learning more enjoying for students. Looking into whether the school has an after-school curriculum is a great way of introducing a stress-free and meaningful learning environment.
Professional Culture
What type of culture do teachers have at the school; do the teachers collaborate and have a unified objective for the students? Research has shown that schools that have "professional teaching community" — where teachers get together routinely to discuss their teaching techniques — enhances students' education performance and morale, as well as instructional effectiveness.
We hope that Thursday is treating you all well - Friday is only a day away! As many parents wanted additional information and counseling on what kind of schools they should enroll their child in, we have mentioned initial questions you should ask yourself when pondering "where should my kid go to school?" If there are other topics you would like us to cover, send us a message on Instagram @seveneducation. We also post daily blog alerts and any 7EDU-related updates!
