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Our Unschool
Unschooling has emerged as an empowering alternative to traditional education, offering personalised learning experiences tailored to each child's unique needs and abilities. It provides an effective and compassionate approach to education, emphasising the value of cherishing and enjoying our children's childhoods by alleviating the stress and anxiety often associated with traditional schools. It also strives to positively reshape our children's perceptions of learning and schooling.
In many mainstream educational settings, the primary focus is on achieving specific outcomes, such as completing a syllabus, excelling in standardised tests, or advancing to the next grade level. Unfortunately, this approach tends to overlook the individual difficulties and differences that children may face.
Mainstream schools often lack the resources and flexibility to consistently provide necessary accommodations, such as specialised teaching, pre-written notes, recording lectures, extended assignment deadlines, or adapted testing methods based on each child's abilities.
Despite the considerable effort invested in school-related tasks, parents frequently receive calls from the school reporting their child's struggles and suggesting that an inclusive educational environment might be more suitable. However, an inclusive setting may not always cater adequately to children with milder difficulties, leaving them in a precarious position.
Our unschooling program has been thoughtfully and comprehensively designed to cover core subjects, including math, language (English, Hindi, and Telugu), science, and social studies. We adhere to the common core curriculum, which outlines age-appropriate learning milestones, providing a structured framework for our educational offerings. It's important to note that there is no rigid expectation for children to reach these milestones by specific ages; instead, they serve as guidelines to inform our educational direction. We encourage children to explore and delve deeply into topics of interest beyond the prescribed curriculum, fostering a love for learning without limits.
At Squarepegs 'un'school, we offer a comprehensive educational program for children with learning difficulties up to grade 10. For the successful transition to higher grades, our students have the option to write their examinations through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) board. This flexible approach allows our students to complete their secondary education and obtain a recognised certification through the NIOS board, ensuring they have access to a wider range of educational and career opportunities.
While we take our students' diagnoses and difficulties seriously, our primary objective is to nurture them and create a stress-free learning environment. We prioritise developing their independence in reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics at a pace that suits their comfort. Our teaching strategies blend tutoring and therapy techniques, employing a diverse range of multisensory teaching and learning materials to reinforce skills and make learning an enjoyable experience. By incorporating teaching aids, we facilitate the transition from concrete to abstract concepts, seamlessly integrating cognitive intervention strategies with academic learning.
Our Individualided Educational Plans (IEPs) are meticulously tailored to each child, providing comprehensive support for their learning journey. We initiate the learning process from each child's current level of ability, progressively bridging gaps as they advance. Adjustments to the IEPs are made as needed to reflect the child's performance and progress.
Children go through a comprehensive screening / assessment process and parents go through a detailed interview process before we mutually make the decision of transitioning the child to the 'un'schooling process.
In essence, our unschooling approach strives to offer a nurturing, adaptable, and enriching educational experience that empowers children with learning difficulties to flourish and thrive on their educational journey.
