Our Philosophy

Cobblestone School is founded upon a long tradition in educational philosophy whose contributors include such thinkers as Rousseau, Dewey, Piaget, Montessori, and Holt. This evolving progressive tradition is supported by current research in education and psychology on children's learning and recognizes that learners must be active participants in their own learning. The following insights form the guiding framework of Cobblestone School's philosophy. In practice, these insights lead to an integrated program which incorporates whole language approaches, hands-on science, contextual and problem-solving math, critical thinking and collaborative learning.

• Children develop at different rates and have different learning styles. Cobblestone nurtures these differences, with its low student-teacher ratio (approximately 12:1), flexible groupings, and its focus on the individual child.
• Children's interests and motivations are important for active learning. Cobblestone's curriculum evolves out of the children's questions, interests and personal experiences. Self-direction is encouraged.
• Children need to be able to make as many connections as possible in learning. Our students and our teachers thrive on interdisciplinary exploration and integrated, open-ended learning situations.
• The child's social, emotional, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and ethical growth are interwoven. Cobblestone nurtures all facets of a child's life and the curriculum tries to give equal attention to each.
• Learning is an ongoing process in the course of which skills are developed. Cobblestone encourages learning for its own sake, offering integrated learning experiences where skills are taught within a meaningful context.
• Risk taking and making mistakes are important aspects of learning. Cobblestone promotes self-confidence through a balance of individual and collaborative learning experiences in a non-competitive atmosphere where children feel free to challenge themselves.
• In children, learning moves from the concrete to the abstract. Cobblestone offers a wide variety of enrichment experiences with opportunities for experimentation, observation, discovery, reflection, and discussion.
• Children learn and thrive within a safe, secure and responsive community. Cobblestone is a small, friendly school where caring and knowledgeable adults are concerned with children's emotional well-being as well as with their intellectual growth.
• Children learn from other children. Our teachers function as a team so children may be grouped in a variety of ways throughout the day. This encourages children of all ages to work and play together.