Pedagogy

Children by nature are deeply curious.  At Anna’s House, we encourage our students’ curiosity through intentional “work” and “play.”  We believe that all children can and should work hard, play hard, be kind to each other, and sleep well at night!  

The research says—and we know in our hearts—that every child is capable of absorbing and sharing real knowledge about the world and themselves when given the opportunity.  At Anna’s House, therefore, children practice lifelong learning skills in the context of a knowledge-rich, liberal arts curriculum.  Even our youngest children learn about science, art, music, mathematics, geography, history, and literature—and have fun doing it!  From the moment our children walk in the door until the moment they leave, we nurture their hearts and minds by teaching them content knowledge and nurturing their skills to gather and share their knowledge respectfully with one another.

At first, we ask them to speak, draw, or dictate to a teacher or peer about what they are learning.  Later, as they learn to read and write, they share their knowledge by speaking and writing with and for one another, their teachers, and even the wider Anna’s House and Staunton communities.  We know that by building our students’ confidence in this way from the very beginning of their school years, we are equipping them to be lifelong learners who communicate respectfully with the people that they work and play with throughout their lives.