Learning is hard and messy and happens at different paces within the same age range. There are plateaus – even pauses – in learning rather than steady progressions, and these times are difficult. So is resisting the temptation to compare your child to other children.

As a parent it is often too easy for us to focus on how many badges our children collect or how many points they earn because those are the tangible things we can see and measure. However, there is an invisible system at Wonder that constantly rearranges itself to help all of our children with love and respect.

Why do we want to teach our children that the best defense against bullies is to absorb them into our lives as a necessary evil? What if schools were small enough so no one could hide; and learning to be kind was built into the governance systems and was a necessary achievement for progress at school?

It’s too easy to zap the love of writing out of children’s souls with assignments focused on structure and grammar topped off with red marks on eraser-worn paper. That is why Wonder turns the traditional method of teaching writing upside down. We believe love of writing comes first. Then comes the appreciation for grammar.

The fundamental belief at Wonder is that “each child is a genius.” Sadly, this belief sets us apart from other educational institutions.