Inquiry- based

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The most meaningful learning happens when there is a natural curiosity driving the inquiry. As Natural Curiosity (2011) describes, “Inquiry-based Learning is a dynamic and emergent process that builds on students’ natural curiosity about the world in which they live. As its name suggests, Inquiry places students’ questions and ideas, rather than solely those of the teacher, at the center of the learning experience. Students’ questions drive the learning process forward. Teachers using an inquiry-based approach encourage students to ask and genuinely investigate their own questions about the world. Teachers further facilitate students’ learning by providing a variety of tools, resources, and experiences that enable learners to investigate, reflect, and rigorously discuss potential solutions to their own questions about a topic the class is studying,”. At Ancaster Forest & Nature School, we build upon children’s experiences, as well as their emerging ideas, questions, and interests, scaffolding towards greater learning while incorporating curriculum from the Ontario Ministry of Education's documents; Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT), How Does Learning Happen?, and The Kindergarten Program.