Jardim Learning Approach
For the younger children, the days consist mostly of free-play outdoors, story-telling and guided arts and crafts activities.
We:
- explore our own natural desire to learn
- learn to interact socially in healthy ways through play and group activities
- offer a rhythm and routine that helps kids feel secure
- provide a space for children to explore and feel confident
- learn portuguese through story-telling and songs
- support children to be curious, free-thinking and ask questions about the world around them
- introduce letters and numbers through games
- learn from each others cultures and backgrounds
- share sitdown meals and fruit circles
- play outdoors in nature
Big Kids Learning Approach
Whilst recognizing that learning happens in many different ways and settings, we also realise that basic literacy and numeracy is a fundamental tool to enable future creativity and self directed learning, allowing children to access all opportunities as they progress in life.
We provide assistance with some basic content of the Portuguese curriculum and exam support for some subjects, recognising that if registered as home-educated in Portugal there are requirements that must be met and families often need support with this aspect of the journey.
At Folha Verde, we have a diverse international community of families with a variety of language skills and learning histories. In order to create cohesion and harmony, all kids in the big school are asked to actively engage and commit to morning and afternoon learning sessions. Our daily routine is very important and through it we ensure that children feel they are heard, they belong and feel confident.
We:
- meet regularly together to check-in, organise and problem solve
- promote personal responsiblity and freedom through choosing and designing afternoon sessions
- aim to encourage self discipline and awareness within a safe space
- assist kids in learning portuguese
- accept the wide range of abilities, personalities and skills that exist within the Folha Verde family
- allow time to play, knowing that play is one of the most powerful paths to growth
- support, encourage and collaborate with the kids in all aspects of their development
- support the kids in developing concentration in our morning learning sessions
- value relationships: being real, being accepting, respecting differences
- make learning visible, shareable and celebrated
- provide an environment of physical, social and emotional safety
- commit to participating in all aspects of our learning journey
On a daily basis, we have Morning Meetings in which facilitators and children check-in and collaborate using planning boards to organise what will be done that day and the projects for that week.
We also have a Meeting at the end of the day where we join together to discuss the best and worst parts of our days and end the day together.
Once a week we have an Awareness Meeting during which observations, positive and problematic, are posted on a board for us to work through collectively and problem solve as a group, refelct upon our behavious and implement strategies to improve the culture at Folha Verde. These Awareness Meetings are a key component at Folha Verde and provide a safe collective space for the kids to communicate and raise and solve issues together.
We have three main groups of kids at Folha Verde Big Kids.
For ages 6 to 8, we focus on developing portuguese literacy and numeracy in a variety of creative ways along with plenty of time for free play and exploration.
For ages 8 to 11, we assist with familiarising children with portuguese curriculum, including the text books used in our local area. The afternoons are spent with creative, practical or free play based activities.
For ages 11 to 15, the Phenomenal group, they have two focused sessions every morning. The Phenomenals have more input into the areas they wish to study, alongside development of mathematics and language. The afternoons are spent with creative, practical or free play based activities.
In the afternoon offering sessions, children work in small groups with facilitators and community members on a wide range of projects, including practical projects like carpentry and carving, creative projects such as jewelry making, painting and drawing, as well as building upon what is being learned in the small group morning sessions. We welcome input from parents and people from the wider community for these offering sessions, that can be led by the children themselves, by facilitators, parents or by members of the wider community – sharing their knowleadge or experience of a particular subject, skill or craft. As much as possible, the content of projects and offering sessions are inspired by ideas that come from the children themselves.