Project-based learning is a teaching approach that engages students in collaborative real-world problem solving. Projects are organized around a driving question and students engage in tasks and discussions that help them answer the question at hand. A project can involve creating a real product, performance or event, or it can involve solving an authentic or simulated real-world problem. While engaged in project based learning, students become both the initiators and evaluators of their work and develop a genuine “need to know”, an intrinsic motivation that drives their desire to learn.

Current research, such as The Global Achievement Gap and Creating Innovation by Tony Wagner, supports the positive effects of an interdisciplinary and project- based approach to learning.

The Cove views integration of technology as an important part of the curriculum, a way to improve information access, increase productivity, and provide a more personalized learning experience for each student. Technology is introduced when it transforms and deepens a learning experiences in a meaningful way.

For information on helping your child become a good digital citizen please visit the Common Sense Media Website.

Teachers at The Cove focus on a student’s specific learning needs by using The Workshop Model for small group instruction. Teachers work with students on lessons designed specifically for their needs while other students work independently in a focused and directed way. The differentiation of lessons enables teachers to provide access and challenges to every student at an appropriate learning level, resulting in academic growth for all students.

Teachers at The Cove use the instructional model GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design), to promote positive, effective interactions among students and between teachers and students. GLAD promotes language acquisition, academic achievement and cross cultural skills, while supporting metacognitive use of academic language and literacy.

The Cove School values authentic and hands-on learning on our campus and beyond. When students make a connection between what they are learning in school and a larger context, it fuels their understanding and generates a desire to learn more. For example, when students explore the marsh around The Cove, their scientific investigations yield a deeper understanding of ecosystems and inspire them to find out more about the world around them.

The Cove Garden is a vibrant place for experiential learning. Cove Students enjoy exploring this outdoor laboratory where they experience the power of observation, learn about life cycles, and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

In the garden, students plant and care for perennial edibles they harvest year-round. Each grade level tends its own raised garden bed where they grow plants like popcorn, radishes, sunflowers, mint, beans, peas and more. The student-run Garden Club, along with parent volunteers, creates themed gardens, including a tea bed and a sensory garden.

Student experiences in the garden enhance their understanding of earth science, biology and nutrition and provide them with the satisfying experience of eating healthy, local food.