Our "Farm School" is a learning pod consisting families of children aged 4-7 whose children attend One Acre Farm for supplemental education.
(*To be eligible, children must be at least 4 or not yet 7 years old on September 1st, 2023.) This is a half day program that runs Monday - Thursday from 8am - 1pm. The learning day is split into outdoor learning time and Montessori curriculum based lessons in the indoor school house. 
The outdoor learning time includes time for children to work the farm. Children rotate through different farm work roles like collecting eggs, watering the garden, or feeding the goats, and learn that each of them play a vital role in keeping the farm functioning.
Farm skills are not the only thing being taught during outdoor learning time. Learning objectives are continued outdoors through individual activities set up around the farm. A child's recent math lesson on addition can be bridged to an outdoor activity like collecting eggs or gathering sticks for a project. A sight word lesson can be expanded to a word scavenger hunt on the farm. Experiments on physics concepts can be conducted through building a fort, water play, or stacking stones. Our covered outdoor classroom contains natural, intriguing materials which build upon the lessons they learned in the indoor schoolhouse. Children are also given the opportunity to move and explore as they are naturally driven to. Messy art days, sensory activities, and outdoor learning spaces (rock construction zone, sensory garden, balance beams, etc.) are all things which motivate exploration, movement, expand the senses, and naturally drive a child's educational curiosity.
Indoor Learning Time: This portion of our learning pod day is done in our indoor schoolhouse right next to the farm. Here, we follow the Montessori approach to learning. Children have an uninterrupted 2 hour work cycle where they will choose their own work and activities or be invited to lessons or reviews from the teacher during this time. The curriculum builds upon itself over time, requiring children to master concepts before moving on to the next. All lessons and progression through the curriculum is based on the child as an individual. Some children may be working on multiplication while others are still learning number symbols, and some may be reading chapter books while others are practicing phonetic sounds. Children are challenged as they each individually need, and their own timeline of learning is honored. Teachers use their well-honed observation skills to determine a child's proficiency and readiness for the next steps in the curriculum. 
The Materials:
The materials have been carefully created and selected to reflect the current academic needs of each of the children. Each material isolates a concept - meaning only one learning objective (subtraction, nouns, letter recognition) is being focused on at a time. The majority of our materials follow the Montessori curriculum. Subject areas in the classroom include: Practical Life - trays set up to isolate gross and fine motor skills and improve every day life skills like pouring, tonging, tweezing, cleaning tables, scrubbing produce, handwashing and so on. These works teach order, concentration, coordination, and independence which helps a child in all aspects of their education. Sensorial - Children explore and hone their skills through their senses - auditory, tactile, visual, etc. The materials and lessons in this curriculum area are fundamental to more complex skills. A child who cannot hold a pencil correctly cannot be expected to write down math equations. Mastering these sensorial and physical skills build towards the child being able to complete academic skills.
Math - Everything from early numeracy skills to division. We use the physical Montessori math materials which help a child have a concrete understanding of math and move to an abstract understanding after mastery of individual skills are accomplished.
Language - Phonetic reading, learning how to read by letter sounds, is utilized in our classroom. Children learn how to deconstruct words by isolating beginning, middle, and ending sounds, and then learn how to construct or spell words in the same way. After mastering phonetics, children move onto blends and phonograms.
Science & Culture - Biology, Botany, Zoology, and Geography are all essential parts of our science curriculum, and we have real life examples of many of our lessons for children to observe firsthand on the farm. We utilize real life examples and hands-on approaches as often as possible.
Art - Free art and experimentation with a variety of art media is what children will experience. Children will be exposed to crayons, markers, pencils, paint, modeling clay, watercolor, outdoor art media, and so much more. Free art is what we encourage. Coloring sheets to go along with lessons will occasionally be presented, but ultimately we believe a blank canvas or piece of paper allows for children to truly express themselves without adult interference.
If interested in enrolling your child in the Farm School Learning Pod, Early Childhood, you can fill out an online tour application or contact us with questions.
Nicole Jones 713-277-8860 nicole@oneacrefarmtx.com Please understand, we are teaching during school hours and will return your calls or emails after school hours. |
FARM SCHOOL LEARNING POD
Early Childhood ages 4-7 NOTICE: Enrollment period has ended and we are no longer accepting applications for both the 2024 Summer Session and the 2024-2025 School Year.Attendance Options & Tuition for 2024-2025 School Year
Summer semester (for currently enrolled or oncoming students) June 3 - July 25, 2023 School year August 12, 2024 - May 23, 2024 4 days per week $625/mo Monday - Thursday 8am - 1pm (Application, introductory meeting and $100 deposit prior to spot being reserved.) 2 days per week $325/mo Choose one option: Monday & Tuesday 8am - 1pm OR Wednesday & Thursday 8am - 1pm If you would like to enroll your child in our "Farm School" Learning Pod program, please fill out an online application for a tour.
Step 1: Fill out online application for a tour of our classroom and speak with our lead teacher, Nicole. Step 2: Attend your tour with your child. Step 3: Turn in online application for enrollment with application fee. (This does not guarantee a space reserved for your child in our program. Spaces are limited.) Step 4: A staff member will contact you regarding acceptance or denial of your child's application for enrollment. Step 5: If enrollment accepted, you will be notified of the security deposit and paperwork due date. For other questions on the Early Childhood Learning Pod, please contact: Nicole Jones 713-277-8860 nicole@oneacrefarmtx.com |
