Family First Philosophy

 

Some background on our four day per week schedule.  

 

We believe that children benefit from having plenty of time for unstructured play and exploration.  In the midst of our modern lives, creating time to let kids be kids can be a challenge.  That's one reason we have chosen a four day per week in-class schedule. The Learning Well provides a strong developmental program for children, while allowing them to have time to explore their individual interests and simply to have "down" time to be children.  

 

Our decision to meet four days a week also stems from our belief that children need ample time with their family.  As parents, we believe that we are ultimately responsible for our childrens' education and desire to strike a healthy balance at The Learning Well between time in the classroom and time at home.  We seek to keep parents and guardians as the primary influence in their childrens' development.  

We are passionate about equipping parents to feel confident in their role.  We offer a Parent Workshop in the fall to help parents support their child's learning at home.  For example, we provide tips to maximize the effectiveness and enjoyment of daily reading time with your child.  We also provide practical ideas on how parents can nurture their child's natural desire to continue their learning at home.  

 

The State of Washington considers the minimum number of educational hours for students age 8 - 18 to be 1,000.  Because The Learning Well intentionally chooses to offer less than 1,000 hours of classroom instruction, all students ages 8 and above are considered “home school students” and are required to submit a "Declaration of Intent to Provide Home-Based Instruction" form to their local superintendent.  This form effectively declares that you, the parent, are taking responsibility for your child's education.  We recommend that parents review their responsibilities under Washington State law here. 

 

The Learning Well team supports parents in this process.  Additionally, all Learning Well students are under the care of a certificated teacher in Washington State, which assists with the compliance requirements.  Our team is excited to further explore this with you and answer any questions you may have about the process. 

​

​

​