Our Educational Philosophy at The Downtown School

The mission of The Downtown School is to be a catalyst for students to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens through the combined efforts of the school, parents, business partners, and community. We all work together to make learning an ongoing and exciting process. We believe that children are all gifted and choose to focus on "How are we smart?" rather than on "How smart are we?" You will hear us discuss Howard Gardner's philosophy of the Multiple Intelligences and we will strive to approach learning in a variety of ways.

* Word Smart - This area of intelligence (Linguistic) deals with listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

* Music Smart - This area of intelligence (Musical) works with the ability to think in sounds and to hear auditory stimuli. Rhythm and music have a great influence on movement and learning.

* Logic Smart - This area (Logical-Mathematical) deals with numbers, scientific processes, and problem solving.

* Picture Smart - This area of intelligence (Spatial) shows one's ability to perceive the 3-dimensional world accurately and to recreate it through things such as drawing, painting, sculpture, and puzzle solving.

* People Smart - This area of intelligence (Interpersonal) deals with one's ability to interact with others and to be aware of their feelings and needs.

* Self Smart- This area (Intrapersonal) shows insights into one's own feelings and guides personal behavior and choices.

 * Body Smart - This area (Bodily-Kinesthetic) deals with one's ability to coordinate mind, body, and physical movement.

* Nature Smart - This area (Naturalist) concerns one's ability to work with the earth and develop an understanding of the world and its living organisms.

We all learn in a variety of ways and here at The Downtown School.  We try to offer numerous opportunities and methods for exploration to help our students grow and develop their skills and interests. We love to learn and learning is an ongoing process for us all!