Guiding Principles

• Children should be treated as individuals, not defined by labels that limit their growth or life purpose.
• When children struggle to learn, everyone feels the effects, directly or indirectly, of their frustration and wasted potential.
• Fortunately, the brain has the ability to grow and change, and learning skills can be developed. Mistakes and learning challenges can be reframed as opportunities for deeper learning.
• As children respond more favorably to challenges and develop stronger learning skills, they discover their own power to grow and change. They become more confident, engaged learners who spend less time laboring over basics and more time solving problems and creating original work.
• As children become more confident, engaged learners, they become more self-disciplined, persistent, and conscientious. They are better able to delay gratification and more inclined to help others learn.
• As children become more self-disciplined, the learning environment improves for the benefit of all.
• These intrinsic rewards of learning are more deeply motivating and durable than extrinsic rewards. While mastery of any skill is a path, not a goal, individuals with strong skills have greater freedom to develop their own interests and life purpose.