“I hate school.” This was the refrain of our five-year old son only two weeks after starting kindergarten in suburban Madison. He was a curious learner and had loved attending his play-based preschool. What changed?
I called his teacher. She said he tantrumed 10 to 15 times a day because of frequent transitions. Children are expected to jump from subject to subject every twenty minutes. Many children prefer to work on something that interests them for longer periods. He also brought home stacks of worksheets when he loved hands-on play and 3-D building.
His teacher said kindergarten had become too academic. “All teachers here wish the pendulum would swing back to learning through play, but the state and many parents want early reading and test scores, so that’s what we focus on.”
An emphasis on academics at too young an age may partially explain the rise in ADHD diagnoses. Meanwhile, schools are pushing down first- and even some second-grade curriculum into kindergarten.
We wanted our son to love learning and stay curious. Thus began our family’s journey of founding Acton Academy Madison West. He is now eight, and said to me, “Mom, I love reading because I love learning. Thank you for starting Acton.”
Do you want your child to excel academically AND love school? It is possible. At Acton, we promise your child will:
- Develop resilience, perseverance and grit
- Become an independent lifelong learner
- Discover his or her most precious gifts and learn to use them to solve difficult problems
- Avoid boredom and learning gaps with personalized learning
Acton Academy Madison West is an innovative, learner-driven 4K - 6th elementary school. We believe that learning to learn, learning to do, and learning to be, are more powerful than memorization.
See what parents are saying about our self-paced learning design.
