Active, engaging learning

Children learn best when they can use both their mind and body.  At the B.E.N., teachers spend much of the day helping children to understand a lesson by making it practical for them.  In learning about the metric system, for example, a teacher will have the students fill up a litre of water, walk a kilometer and measure 500 grams of flour.  The younger students will learn about letters by creating letters with their bodies,  becoming a letter for a day (using lettervests), making ‘magic’ with letters as they explore how they can turn a letter upside down and voila! it becomes another.  Children will practice writing outdoors in the sand, creating letters by putting stones together or writing with sidewalk chalk. Indoors, they will practice writing on chalkboards as well as in their notebooks.

Brain, Body, Senses

It is natural for the whole body to want to get involved – not only the brain.  When you walk by a magnolia tree in bloom, it’s natural to want to feel and smell the flowers.  Our methods are based on immersion learning and engage all senses.  We encourage children to explore the world around them and to participate in learning activities to then draw conclusions and understanding based on their experience.

Small classes and combined grades

The small class size allows each teacher to work with each child at their level in different areas and helps them to progress from there.  A child may be at a grade 2 level in their math skills and at a grade 4 level in reading and writing.  Each child is taught as an individual and teachers work with each child stimulating them to progress without feeling lesser or bored.