Overview
A spiral curriculum is a course of study that works like a spiral staircase. It starts at the basics and ends at the most complex level of knowledge, touching on prior material in more sophisticated ways along the way. KidWrite! uses a spiral curriculum because what kids understand about a topic evolves as they grow old enough to master more nuances. For instance, a comma is a comma is a comma – right? Well, it turns out a comma can be used for several different purposes. Trying to grasp all of those purposes in the first discussions of commas is asking a lot. Instead, we revisit the comma along the way.
We Meet Kids Where They Are
The spiral approach also makes it possible for any kid to begin work with our materials at their level – we meet them where they are, so to speak. As each skill is mastered, the next step is based on those prior steps. In this way, KidWrite! kids have a firm foundation in grammar, writing, reading comprehension, and other Language Arts skills. We see too many kids who “missed” a step along the way to doubt that the fundamentals matter.
We Fit Your Schedule
We’ve also seen enough kids to know that adding more work to their already full schedules doesn’t go over well – unless they are struggling and need immediate help. Otherwise, having activities and approaches in mind that fit in with your regular family routine and become part of the fun works a lot better.
Bottom Line
We’ll write more about the curriculum as more pieces are posted. The most important thing now is to know that there is a reason behind our approach that is based on our experience with squirmy kids who are focused on their next adventure.