The Wonder Workshop

For 5-8 year olds.

Our wonder workshop is focused on retaining your child’s curiosity while demonstrating the foundation for how to ‘get along with others’.

A cute cartoon explorer boy with a backpack and pith helmet using a magnifying glass to examine a ladybug near a pine tree.

Learning via stories & play

We’ll be using proven homeschool curriculum made for children to learn by playing, doing, and storytelling via a gamification method. They will be done with their core work every morning!

Illustration of a smiling cartoon boy wearing a hat and hiking outfit, carrying a walking stick and backpack.

Afternoon fun

The afternoons will be for playing, expanded learning in a story based method, or working on small project with lots of brain breaks! Our goal is for your kiddos to LOVE learning and coming to micro school while starting to develop some grit!

Kindergarten

Cute illustrated child in hiking clothing sitting on a log with a backpack and hat, smiling with arms open, next to a pine tree.

We believe that children in the 5-6 year old range are still too young to attend school full time.

So, kindergarten is only considered a morning program at our school.

The Kinder Daily Schedule:

  • Play at drop off

  • Socratic Circle

  • Math using manipulatives (this is very similar to the Montessori style)

  • More play

  • High school aged teens (our summit workshop) will spend 15 - 20 minutes with your child helping him or her learn to read using phonics.

  • More play

  • Story time

  • Clean up

  • Play until pick up. (Pick up/Go home is at 10:45am.)

Hero’s Journey

We’ll introduce your children to their hero’s journey, our badge system that encourages mastery of subjects, and how working together with clear language is important.

Illustration of a young boy in an explorer hat and outfit, sitting on a folding chair, with a backpack and camping gear beside him.

Wonder Workshop Sample Daily Schedule

8:00am: Drop off & play time

8:15am: Morning Meeting

8:30am: Core work

11:30am: Lunch & play time (Kinders go home at 10:45)

12:30pm: Socratic Circle and begin Quest work

2pm: Clean up workshop

2:15pm: Closing group

2:30pm: Pick up/Go home

This schedule is flexible in our learning design. Time blocks can be moved around based on the workshop’s needs. Within each work block, learners choose from a broad range of learning options based on their personal goals, interests, and other commitments. Most of the time, we will break tasks down into 25 minute pomodoro technique blocks so children have plenty of brain breaks and chances to move their bodies indoors and outdoors!

Wonder Courses/Badges Offered

  • Drawing of an older pocket watch with colorful flowers around it.

    Math

    They’ll start with learning to count from 0 to 100, then move on to mental math, telling time on an analog clock, all the way through addition, subtraction, multiplication, and up to rounding.

    We’ll have physical math items for almost everything covered so tactile learning, story telling, and mental math is all engrained for a comprehensive & fun experience.

  • Drawing of a girl with a ponytail sitting by a large window reading a book.

    Reading & Writing

    They’ll learn to read using phonics! Then learn to write capitals and lower case letters with handwriting books. Spelling, reading simple fables, and Socratic Circles will come next. Our goal is that by their last year in Wonder they’ll be able to start writing their own stories.

  • Drawing of a castle.

    History

    They’ll learn Ancient History via stories and simulations! We’ll also use field trips, discovery boxes, dramas, plays, and drawings to help them retain their historical knowledge.

  • Drawing of a colorful piñata.

    Spanish

    Spanish will be taught via stories and an immersion method. Each week they’ll be expected to be able to say an additional five sentences with the goal to be able to hold simple conversations by the time they’re ready to move up to the Discovery Workshop.

  • Colorful drawing of the planets rotating around the sun.

    Science

    Science will be taught via lots of different stories and themes. We’ll also have lots of hands on projects, nature hikes, science kits, cartoons, and field trips to learn, at their level, about the natural sciences and physical sciences.

  • Drawing of a little boy looking through a small telescope.

    Life Skills & Project Based Learning

    Life skills at this age consists of simple cooking, baking, cleaning up after themselves, solving conflicts, and manners will all be taught with a mentor nearby who can guide them through the process until they can handle the skill on their own.
    Project based learning (for six and seven year olds) will be based off of interests in their workshop and what they’re most excited to learn about.

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I will learn.”

— Benjamin Franklin