At Willow & Wonder Academy, we believe children learn best when they are joyfully engaged, emotionally connected, and actively involved in meaningful experiences. Our curriculum is play-based, project-driven, and designed to nurture the whole child - head, heart, and hands.

We honor each child's unique pace and learning style, creating a supportive environment that allows children to grow into confident, curious, and capable humans.

We don’t use worksheets, rigid pacing guides, or one-size-fits-all instruction. Instead, we cultivate learning environments where questions spark exploration, learning feels alive, and creativity leads the way. At the center of it all is connection - because when children feel seen and supported, they are free to truly learn.

Our Philosophy in Action

Across all ages and stages in our program, we use:

• Playful learning to build foundational academic skills

• Hands-on projects that connect subjects meaningfully

• Multi-sensory invitations to engage different learning styles

• Nature, storytelling, and real-world experiences to make learning stick

• Flexible grouping and individualized attention to meet each child where they are

We don’t separate “academic time” from “play time”, because we know that play is powerful learning.

Our Role as Educators

At Willow & Wonder Academy, we believe educators are not the sole keepers of knowledge, but facilitators of discovery. Our role is to guide, observe, listen, and respond in ways that help learning unfold naturally. Rather than direct every step, we curate rich environments, offer open-ended invitations, and support children as they follow their curiosity.

By stepping back at the right moments and leaning in with intention, we allow children to take ownership of their learning journey. This facilitation-based approach builds independence, confidence, and a genuine love of learning that lasts far beyond childhood.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Social-emotional growth is at the heart of everything we do. Rather than treat SEL as a standalone subject, we embed it into our daily rhythm, our learning environments, and the way we relate to one another. Emotional intelligence and mental health are just as essential as academic learning. When children feel safe, connected, and valued, they are free to grow with confidence, not just academically, but as humans.

Children learn to:

• Identify and express emotions

• Navigate challenges with resilience

• Build empathy and resolve conflicts peacefully

• Practice mindfulness, patience, and reflection

• Contribute meaningfully to their learning community

We support this growth through:

• Guided problem-solving and emotional check-ins

• Restorative conversations and collaborative decision-making

• Mixed-age peer mentoring and role modeling

• Stories, books, and conversations that open hearts and minds

How We Structure the Day

For the 2025–2026 school year, we serve two core cohorts:

Morning Cohort (PreK–Kindergarten):
A nurturing, play-based environment where early learners build foundational skills through sensory play, storytelling, rhythm, movement, and hands-on invitations to learn.

Afternoon Cohort (1st–4th Grade):
An engaging setting where children deepen academic exploration through project-based learning, independent work, meaningful collaboration, and real-world problem solving.

This model reflects our current enrollment and community needs. As our program evolves, we may adjust groupings while always preserving our small group sizes and whole-child learning philosophy.

Our Core Learning Areas

Whether your child is just beginning their educational journey or expanding into upper elementary work, these subject areas are thoughtfully embedded into each day:

Literacy: Reading, Writing & Language

We build strong, joyful readers and writers by creating meaningful opportunities to engage with language in real life.

Children experience:

• Story-rich environments and diverse read-alouds

• Phonological awareness games and sound play (especially in Pre-K/K)

• Nature journaling, poetry, letter writing, and creative storytelling

• Early handwriting through fine motor play and play-based pre-writing

• Book clubs, nonfiction reading, and structured reading strategies for older students

• We integrate Science of Reading-aligned practices through hands-on, meaningful learning - not drills or worksheets.

Math in Motion

Our approach to math is active, hands-on, and rooted in real-world experiences.

Math lives in:

• Board games, puzzles, and loose parts

• Baking, building, measuring, mapping, and budgeting

• Manipulative-based number work

• Problem-solving and logic games for older students

A developmentally sound scope and sequence guides instruction, while play and creativity guide delivery.

Science & STEM

We nurture your child’s natural curiosity through experimentation, observation, and real-world discovery.

STEM learning includes:

• Outdoor exploration and journaling

• Simple experiments and engineering projects

• Life cycles, ecosystems, and weather

• Design thinking and inquiry-based challenges

All learners, regardless of age, are encouraged to wonder, test, build, and reflect.

Social Studies & Citizenship

We help children develop a sense of self, community, and global awareness through:

• Cultural storytelling and traditions

• Community-building projects

• History and geography through books, play, and inquiry

• Acts of service and local connections

Children learn empathy, responsibility, and the power of their voice in a community.

The Arts & Expression

Creativity and self-expression are woven into everything we do.

Students explore:

• Open-ended process art and crafts

• Music, rhythm, and movement

• Theater games and dramatic storytelling

• Artistic integration in all thematic units

Art is never a separate add-on, it’s how children make sense of the world and express their inner voice.

How We Track Progress

We do not use standardized testing or traditional grading. Instead, we assess through:

• Ongoing observation

• Skill checklists and anecdotal notes

• Work samples and student portfolios

• Student reflection and self-assessment

Because of our small group sizes and responsive teaching, we can honor each child’s growth while offering individualized support and challenge.