FAQ
at Haven, we care
Most frequent questions and answers
HAVEN-TLP veers away from the traditional educational approach where everything is teacher-led, towards a progressive approach where learning is child-centered, collaborative, and creativity-infused. Teachers have themes and objectives, but the course of study is designed with and for the students. Learning sessions are organized around problems and questions that allow students to explore real-world issues in theory and practice, and engage them in active learning, inquiry, and problem-solving.
Most progressive education programs, including TLP’s, have the following qualities:
- Emphasis on learning by doing—hands-on projects, expeditionary learning, experiential learning an integrated curriculum focused on thematic units integration of entrepreneurship/financial literary into education strong emphasis on problem-solving and critical thinking group work and development of social skills.
- Understanding and application as the goals of learning as opposed to rote memory and knowledge accumulation.
- Collaborative and cooperative learning projects.
- Education for social responsibility and democracy.
- Highly personalized education accounting for each individual’s personal goals
- Integration of community service, environmental advocacy, and service learning projects into the daily curriculum.
- Selection of subject content by looking forward to what skills will be needed in future society.
- De-emphasis on textbooks in favor of varied learning resources, learning modules, and supplementary learning kits.
- Emphasis on lifelong learning and social skills.
- Assessment by evaluation of child’s projects, portfolios, and productions.
Mastery-Based Learning is the process of mastering particular learning objectives; it focuses less on instructional content and more on the actions leading to mastery. It is an approach based on Benjamin Bloom’s Learning for Mastery model which was refined by James Block.
Mastery-Based Learning, as explained by TeachWell, may be implemented as teacher-paced group instruction, one-to-one tutoring, or self-paced learning with programmed materials. It may involve direct teacher-instruction, cooperation with classmates, or independent learning. It requires well-defined learning objectives organized into smaller, sequentially organized units. It also employs frequent feedback mechanism using diagnostic and formative tests and regular correction of mistakes students make along their learning path.
A Learning Goal is a statement of a specific skill or product that a student will be able to do or make at the end of an activity. For example, if your child is learning to make a cake, your goals for him/her might be to use measuring tools to measure the ingredients accurately, to read and follow a recipe, and to use a timer to know when the food finishes cooking. The two of you might work together making several cakes. When your child has met the goals, he/she might be ready to make a cake independently.
Setting a goal gives a learner a benchmark toward which to strive. When students have a specific goal, such as knowing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and math facts, they can develop an ownership of the learning process. For example, a child might know that his/her teacher wants him/her to be able to answer a set of simple problems within a specific period. Armed with this knowledge, the child can practice independently or with parents until he/she is able to do the problems within the specified amount of time. The child is then ready for more challenging math goals.
Goals Make the Learning Journey Easier
Goals give a direction. If you were a miner during the gold rush, you would have had a hard time finding mines if you did not know the direction in which to travel toward the gold fields. Goals create a destination. When you know where you need to go, you won’t travel to New York when you need to be in California. If your child’s learning goal is to learn basic math facts, your child knows that he/she does not have to study spelling words to reach that benchmark. Goals determine a destination that can inform parents and teachers in creating a roadmap for the learning process.
Complex Learning Goals
Not every learning goal is as simple as basic math facts. For example, your child will need to master several skills in order to do math word problems. Your child will need to know math facts, be able to read and understand the problem and be able to select computation processes needed to answer the problem. Learning to answer word problems would, therefore, require at least three learning goals in order for the student to be successful. With those goals in mind, the parent or teacher can plan a sequence of learning exercises that will promote success.
HAVEN-TLP values and maximizes the learning capacities of children as early as preschool age. It espouses several approaches to make sure that children enjoy, learn, and become primary school-ready when they finish the preschool program.
Development of Character and Intellect
HAVEN-TLP provides its preschoolers a comprehensive cognitive developmental program that aims to develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge necessary for later school with a high emphasis on children’s language and literacy skills.
Direct-Instruction
HAVEN-TLP provides a teacher-directed program in which specific cognitive and literacy skills, such as arithmetic and reading, are broken down into smaller units and taught explicitly. Explicit instruction is skill-based, but students will still actively engage in the learning process.
Early Reading and Literacy Learning
HAVEN-TLP provides a literacy-focused curriculum and support system designed to enhance existing classroom curricula by specifically focusing on children’s early literacy and reading development skills. TLP uses a highly innovative reading system called Instant Reader. This program teaches every child the very basic foundation of reading through phonemic, values-based, and fun learning instruction.
Interactive Book Reading, Storytelling, and Play
Teachers actively engage students in shared reading time by asking open-ended questions, encouraging them to use newly acquired vocabulary from the book, and providing opportunities to elaborate on what children the read and heard through interactive play.
Strong Home-Parent Component
Teachers regularly connect with the students’ parents or guardians to update and give direct feedback about what the children are accomplishing in school. Teachers actively utilize the Student Reminder Notebook, Classdojo groups, email, and personal calls or messages to achieve this goal.
Multi-sensory Learning Approach
HAVEN-TLP does a multisensory approach to learning by stressing the importance of experiential learning, social and emotional development, teacher-child relationships, and home-school connection activities.
Some of the best educational systems in the world have initiated, formulated, and chosen to proactively implement specific reforms so that their rising generation is ready for the global economy. As former USA President Barack Obama once said, “We need to prepare our students for the 21st century economy by bringing our school systems into the 21st century.”
Below are some of the must-have competencies in the new K-12 curriculum, upheld by HAVEN-TLP, for the rising digital generation:
- Confident person who has a strong sense of right and wrong; is adaptable and resilient; knows him/herself; is discerning in judgment; thinks independently, creatively, and critically; and has the ability to listen and communicate ideas effectively.
- Self-directed learner who inquires, reflects, perseveres, and takes responsibility for his/her own learning.
- Active contributor who is able to work effectively in teams, is innovative, exercises initiative, encouraged to think of out-of-the-box ideas, takes calculated risks, and strives for excellence in everything he/she does.
- Concerned citizen who is rooted to his/her own country, has a strong sense of service and civic responsibility, is informed about the nation and the world, and takes an active part in bettering the lives of others.
TLP likewise adapts a curriculum that develops and promotes the above mentioned competencies.
- A curriculum that puts greater emphasis on participation in extracurricular activities such as PE, Music, Culture and Arts, and Service and Environmental Advocacies that focus on teamwork, conflict resolution, and strategy building to help students learn the value of friendship and synergy.
- A curriculum that directs every learner to give one’s best and not just be driven nor pressured by a desire to perfect academic subjects.
- A curriculum that focuses less on textbooks, but rather puts an increased weight on practical applications through inquiry and project-based learning systems.
– Where every Geography and Social Studies class gives less emphasis on memorization, but more on analytic implications and communications skills.
– Where Math no longer emphasizes answering under time pressure and maintaining school standing by being consumed with contests and competitions that cover advanced topics learned through memorization of complex and seldom-used formulas, devoid of mastery and real-life application.
– Where Science classes replace inauthentic demonstrations, calculations, and drills with student experiments in real-world applications, including an emphasis on environment, health, and conservation.
- A balanced and holistic academic and non-academic curriculum, updated with the latest related researches and global teaching strategies.
HAVEN-TLP is also:
- Where proactive teacher-parent involvement and share-vision happen. Parents are systematically kept updated on the character and learning progress of their kids.
- Where parents are given information on the latest trends and researches on education relevant to the learning needs of their children.
Project-Based Learning (PBL), as defined by Buck Institute for Education (BIE) is “a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.” Researches, backed-up by real experiences of thousands of teachers, prove that PBL is an effective and enjoyable way to learn. HAVEN-TLP believes in the following advantages of PBL as published by iLead Pacoima:
PBL makes school more engaging for students. Today’s students, more than ever, often find school to be boring and meaningless. In PBL, students are active, not passive; a project engages their hearts and minds and provides real-world relevance for learning.
PBL improves learning. After completing a project, students understand content more deeply, remember what they learn, and retain it longer than is often the case with traditional instruction. Because of this, students who gain content knowledge with PBL are better able to apply what they know and can do to new situations.
PBL builds success-skills for college, career, and life. In the 21st century workplace and in college, success requires more than basic knowledge and skills. In a project, students learn how to take initiative and responsibility, build their confidence, solve problems, work in teams, communicate ideas, and manage themselves more effectively.
PBL helps address standards. The Common Core and other present-day standards emphasize real-world application of knowledge and skills, and the development of success skills such as critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, communication in a variety of media, and speaking and presentation skills. PBL is an effective way to meet these goals.
PBL provides opportunities for students to use technology. Students are familiar with and enjoy using a variety of tech tools that are a perfect fit with PBL. With technology, teachers and students can not only find resources and information and create products, but also collaborate more effectively, and connect with experts, partners, and audiences around the world.
PBL makes teaching more enjoyable and rewarding. Projects allow teachers to work more closely with active, engaged students doing high-quality, meaningful work, and in many cases to rediscover the joy of learning alongside their students.
PBL connects students and schools with communities and the real world. Projects provide students with empowering opportunities to make a difference, by solving real problems and addressing real issues. Students learn how to interact with adults and organizations, are exposed to workplaces and adult jobs, and can develop career interests. Parents and community members can be involved in projects.
TLP supports PBL and requires at least one PBL activity per year in every class. Also, HAVEN-TLP has developed a rubric to evaluate and grade students’ learning and performance from the PBL activity.
HAVEN-TLP integrates character development in all of its courses and extra-curricular activities, from pre-school to elementary. Each grade level in HAVEN/TLP also has a Leadership Advisory Class where leadership, teamwork, personality, and other character-building topics are discussed.
To evaluate and report students’ character growth, class advisers do a per-semester check with the use of the HAVEN-TLP Character-Growth Checklist. This checklist is prepared to guide the evaluation of a child within the context of the school’s vision and mission. It aims to complement a child’s numeral records (Progress Report Card), thus providing a comprehensive assessment of the child’s character development and academic performance in school. Following are the aspects of a child’s character and behavior assessed through the checklist:
- Observed Personality and Social Behavior
- Leadership and Teamwork
- Learning Process and Knowledge Interaction
- Love of God, Fellowmen, and Country
HAVEN-TLP integrates character development in all of its courses and extra-curricular activities, from pre-school to elementary. Each grade level in HAVEN/TLP also has a Leadership Advisory Class where leadership, teamwork, personality, and other character-building topics are discussed.
To evaluate and report students’ character growth, class advisers do a per-semester check with the use of the HAVEN-TLP Character-Growth Checklist. This checklist is prepared to guide the evaluation of a child within the context of the school’s vision and mission. It aims to complement a child’s numeral records (Progress Report Card), thus providing a comprehensive assessment of the child’s character development and academic performance in school. Following are the aspects of a child’s character and behavior assessed through the checklist:
- Observed Personality and Social Behavior
- Leadership and Teamwork
- Learning Process and Knowledge Interaction
- Love of God, Fellowmen, and Country