Sudbury Valley - play based school with no grades in Framingham profiled in Psychology Today (home, buy)

[konfetka]

There is an article in Psychology Today about this school in Framingham. It's mission is to foster motivation and let the kids choose themselves what they want to learn and spend their time on. This sounds like a radical alternative to all that's wrong with public schools (for $6,000) and every kids dream.


Is anyone familiar with this school, and what are your thoughts on the play/self-motivated learning approach?


"The 38-year-old day facility in Framingham, Massachusetts, is founded on what comes down to a belief about human nature—that children have an innate curiosity to learn and a drive to become effective, independent human beings, no matter how many times they try and fail. And it's the job of adults to expose them to models and information, answer questions—then get out of the way without trampling motivation. There are no classrooms per se, although students can request instruction on any subject or talk to any staffer any time about an interest. There aren't even grades. From overnight hiking trips to economics classes to weekly school meetings at which all matters—including my visit—are discussed and voted on by students and staff, all activities are age-mixed."



Education: Class Dismissed | Psychology Today

[proudestmonkey]

Originally Posted by konfetka

There is an article in Psychology Today about this school in Framingham. It's mission is to foster motivation and let the kids choose themselves what they want to learn and spend their time on. This sounds like a radical alternative to all that's wrong with public schools (for $6,000) and every kids dream.


Is anyone familiar with this school, and what are your thoughts on the play/self-motivated learning approach?


"The 38-year-old day facility in Framingham, Massachusetts, is founded on what comes down to a belief about human nature—that children have an innate curiosity to learn and a drive to become effective, independent human beings, no matter how many times they try and fail. And it's the job of adults to expose them to models and information, answer questions—then get out of the way without trampling motivation. There are no classrooms per se, although students can request instruction on any subject or talk to any staffer any time about an interest. There aren't even grades. From overnight hiking trips to economics classes to weekly school meetings at which all matters—including my visit—are discussed and voted on by students and staff, all activities are age-mixed."



Education: Class Dismissed | Psychology Today

I don't know anybody personally who sends their children there, but I've seen people discuss it on Mothering.com and some people drive quite a ways to bring their kids there. I think it's an interesting concept, and if children are thriving there and parents are happy overall I'd consider sending my children there, but not from where we live.

[Beachcomber4]

I'm definitely going to read the article. Sounds fascinating.

It's funny but I met a woman this summer who actually sent her kids there for a period of time- I had never heard of it. One of her children flourished the other, not so much. The one who did well does not like the traditional school he currently attends and asks to return there. The mom laments that because of commute, she can't let her son return. We talked about him getting a taste of "free learning" and since he had experienced it, he now misses it where as if he hadn't, he wouldn't realize what he was missing. Her other son needed the structure of a traditional classroom. Interested in hearing other experiences.

[beth98]

It's an incredibly interesting concept. I don't think I know enough about it to make a definitely judgement, but based on the article and my interaction with one student who attends the school, I don't think I would send my (hypothetical) kids there. I can see the possibility of it working better than a traditional school for some kids, but I think it's too far in terms of freedom.

Do the kids ever learn a foreign language? Can you go all the way through school and never read classic books, study science, etc? It seems like the potential to create an off balanced education exists.

Also, while they seem to be claiming these kids do just fine in college, I have my doubts. How does a kid who has never been forced to study anything they don't want to complete their general education requirements? They suddenly have deadlines and schedules, how do they deal with this? The woman in the article talks about the students having something to say when they write, but having something to say and writing a critical essay in College Eng101 are two different things.

I think there are probably some great principles at work here that could benefit students but as a whole I just don't buy it.

[wivenhoe]

It sounds like the school is based on Froebel's original premise of kindergarten and the Montessori method. It may sound radical but this idea was proposed in the 19th century with the Transcendental movement. So it's not exactly a new idea.

My son attends a private school on the North Shore that sounds similar to the one in Framingham but it's a lot more expensive; there's no grades and they take a play/learning approach as well. It's a one-room schoolhouse type setting with kids from pre-k to 8th grade so everything is mixed-aged grouping and self-paced learning. Kids have some choice over reading, math, and writing, and being creative, but there is still a loose structure to the curriculum. Kids still have to do the reading, even if it's not their cup of tea.

A school based on intrinsically based motivation to learning is a different kettle of fish to the traditional schools based on external motivation and rewards (ie. grades and a teacher directing their studies).

I would argue that kids take greater responsibility for their learning. I would also argue that they may be better prepared for high school and college because they've learned how to think rather than think to the test or parrot what a teacher wants. If it's a private school, the kids tend to be more individualized attention and therefore in a better position to apply to other schools, including prep schools, further down the line.

What you have to do is figure out what happens with a child's weaknesses or when a child doesn't want to do something like reading. The other aspect is whether the school and learning fits your child. Some children will thrive in such a setting while others will feel a bit loss without more direction.

I'd also ask whether there is some kind of curriculum or skeleton to structuring the school that students adhere to.

[wivenhoe]

Oops, sorry I didn't realize Sudbury Valley went to high school. Still, there must be some MA state guidelines that the school must follow and for students to graduate.

I'd consider sending my son there, except it's in Framingham and too far for us. He's better without the traditional structure and teacher-led education in most public schools. I wish there were more schools around like this one.

[in_newengland]

These ideas have been around for a long time. Usually I've heard that it doesn't work--although it may work for some kids. Most kids need some structure. Most kids need to have someone tell them what they need to learn because they are too young to know for themselves. Many kids will ask to learn what's easiest for them or what they like but not what they need.

There's enough lack of discipline and structure in today's schools. Anyway, I know that in third grade if I had been allowed to do anything it would NOT have been math! I would probably read and draw extremely well and be handicapped in everything else. That's my 2 cents worth.

[SoFresh99]

The Sudbury Valley School and the Sudbury Valley model have been around since the sixties (maybe modeled itself on Summerhill?). For anyone who is interested there is a vast amount of information available on the web, from youtube videos with "graduates" to articles and analysis of its approiach. I know ten or so kids who have gone through Sudbury model schools and while it may not lend itself to a traditional career trajectory I think that it is more relevant now than perhaps ever. The college debt burden levied against those who choose the rote path of HS>College>Work is a heavy load, especially since very very few people end up actually working an an field that leverages their college major.

[in_newengland]

Summerhill. Thank you. I was trying to think of that.

I was quite intrigued by it back in the day but I don't think I'd be so excited about it these days.

These are confusing times so I wouldn't know what to think.

I do know of someone who went to Montessori school and another alternative school, studied what she wanted to and today she can do nothing. She is, however, very knowledgeable about a large range of subjects and she is creative. Her parents have money and that's a good thing because this person is unemployable. She is a good person and she is disciplined and would work hard if she had something to focus on a work at. This person is very unhappy--she is not a kid either.

[mdovell]

My issues with something like this is that frankly how exactly are they to find jobs? If you don't pass the MCAS you don't get a high school diploma. You can take the GED and pass that but to employers it is not the same.

We might not like tests or home work but you have to have some metric in order to see what people have learned. I don't think public schools are bad technically. One can argue that private schools have the market advantage of kicking out students that act up and that validates what is paid. However, teachers at private schools make much less than public. I would make the argument that most educational majors that want to teach probably do not want to teach in a private school due to this..even if you factor in union bureaucracy.

Naturally parents want a bit of a say with education and more importantly they want choices. No one ever wants to be told that it is the way it is and that's that. Education is getting a bit more free due to technology. For example Khan Academy (google it) has K-12 material (mostly math and science). MIT has free online courseware classes. Ebook readers can create huge libraries in a number of minutes if not seconds. There are plenty of free books online (classics for starters) and of course there are countless educational videos on youtube and other sites that illustrate fair amounts of subjects. Heck I never would have thought that some guy would be teaching Chinese out of his own garage.
http://www.chinesewithmike.com/

My point being that I can't see paying money for private school...if someone can afford the time then home school I don't think should be that bad but for most if they can tough it out just go with public.