During the ‘work’ portion of each morning the children are offered concrete materials which are materials that each child physically interacts with during the learning. These include such tools for digging and cutting, or vessels for collecting and transporting water. Concrete materials help instill particular math and language concepts like measuring and estimating.

The students will have daily time to practice basic skills such as number identification, quantity of 10, letter sound identification, spelling, and math facts. We offer children time, space, and materials to practice skills at their own pace and following their own interest.

Our guides will keep records of skills and concepts that children master and provide instruction and direction when necessary. When children are immersed in the natural world these concrete skills will be fully experienced through a variety of kinetic, musical, and sensory interactions. Additionally, these skills will be reflected on and built upon as students make connections to these concepts and the world around them. 

Students will be given opportunities to use hands on manipulatives to gain a sense of a particular concept. These materials will be mostly focused on language and math materials. For example, a Kindergarten student will practice forming letters. A second grade student may study a plant, animal or mineral in a field guide.