The Experiential School of Tampa Bay addresses one of Shorecrest’s five Core Values and how it relates to young students.

Knowledge

While respect, responsibility and compassion typically appear on lists of Core Values, knowledge appears far less frequently. For Shorecrest, however, it could not be a more fitting inclusion, as it is our mission not only for our students to acquire knowledge in school but to develop a passion for learning. Knowledge includes facts, information and skills acquired and understood through experience and education. To pursue it, minds must be curious and questioning.

The Experiential School lives up to its name! Our preschool-aged students experience learning through investigation, exploration and discovery. Curiosity is fostered, and our use of open-ended questions encourages them to think about what, why and how things happen and work. Hands-on manipulative activities help them develop skills through experience and learn cause and effect, as well as problem solving and critical thinking. Students are taught to formulate and are encouraged to ask questions and how and/or where to find the answers. They learn that personal experience and discovery, books, technology and PEOPLE are all sources of information.

Creating a lifelong learner is not limited to the classroom, however. You can do things as a family that are new experiences for all of you and let your children see your curiosity. Ask them questions that require thought and opinion rather than short, rote answers. When they ask questions, answer thoughtfully and, where appropriate, help them discover or find the answers through first hand experiences, experimentation, in books and online resources.

Remember, while curiosity may have killed the cat, it can lead to learning and invention!