Learning Plans and Objectives

Every Queens Paideia student has a learning plan that reflects what that student wants to learn, can learn, and should learn at any given time. A plan consists of academic and social learning objectives the student may achieve in the coming days, weeks, and months and is reviewed and adjusted regularly to reflect progress and changing educational priorities. The plan’s objectives are based on learning manager judgments, parent and student suggestions, and QPS’s database of age-appropriate knowledge areas and skills.

The achievement of a learning objective and then moving on to something new is satisfying and motivating to a child. To achieve their learning objectives, students are provided with a range of learning resources that accommodate diverse learning styles: books, educational games, films, online programs, science equipment, building materials, art media, mentors, and field trips. Every student’s progress and achievements are documented in a portfolio—a repository of written pieces, images of projects completed, and reports from the learning managers that specify in depth what the student has learned.

Learning plans strikes a balance between academic rigor and social development, and take into account the child’s age, current achievement level, social maturity, and learning style. For younger students, the emphasis is on the foundational skills of reading, writing, math, early problem solving, social skills, emotional development, and the arts. As students develop and mature, their learning plans are augmented with increasing emphasis on scientific exploration, more sophisticated verbal and communication skills, and more advanced levels of critical thinking, and problem solving—preconditions for progress in other areas and for understanding the world.

A Typical Day at Queens Paideia