In this episode of the Clapham podcast, Explorers II (EII) faculty Rebecca Kim and Sara Jones discuss Kindergarten at Clapham School, and specifically address what sets our program apart from other offerings. Clapham’s philosophical foundations regarding the personhood of the child provide the basis for our teaching methodology and curriculum, culminating in an education characterized by joyful discovery and intentional discipleship.
At Clapham, our faculty invite children into a “feast of living ideas,” through setting before them exceptionally beautiful books, literature, music, and art. Through engagement with these living ideas students approach learning with an attitude of joyful discovery. Nature study of bees or ants allow children to make connections on their own as they encounter bees and ants in the wild, right outside our doors. Time spent learning the instruments of an orchestra lead to lightbulb moments at a local symphony. As Charlotte Mason said, “Education is the science of relations.” At Clapham, it’s important to recognize that it is the students themselves who identify these relationships between what they have learned in the laboratory of the classroom with the things they encounter in daily life.
Repeatedly, Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Jones refer to “wonder,” and it’s easy to see why: at Clapham, students’ eyes are opened to what others have called the quiddity of life. Through narration and habit-training, students’ attentions are trained for focus and retention, laying the groundwork for connections: A study in Exodus sparks the memory of a hard-won recitation, allowing the students to understand the salvation story of God’s people in its original context. A chance encounter with a bumblebee on the “green lawn” leads to a reflection on how God’s wisdom and skill is displayed through his creation.
Mrs. Kim notes how Clapham’s Singapore math curriculum moves from concrete to pictorial to abstract, providing students time to develop competence and confidence with math. Developing a growth mindset with numbers is vital to students’ ability to approach more difficult concepts with grit, endurance, and determination.
As discussed on other Journal posts, phonograms provide the crucial basis for literacy training for our Explorers students, allowing them to begin reading as early as Pre-K or Kindergarten. In the episode, Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Kim describe how these concepts are scaffolded for students, equipping them to build words and read words through their mastery of these phonograms.
Finally, Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Jones discuss how intentional discipleship permeates our Explorers classrooms, as students discover and discuss the nature of the Gospel and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. As wonderful as math, nature, and literacy are, all these subjects ultimately point to the creator God.
Excited to learn more? We still have a few seats left in our Explorers II program for the fall. We invite you to schedule a tour today!