Kids deserve to love school
The Prenda learning system is a research-based approach designed to increase students’ engagement, motivation, and mental well-being.
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Inside a Prenda Microschool
Prenda was built to provide a better school-life balance for kids and families. While schedules vary from microschool to microschool, most microschools run 4-5 hours per day, 4 days per week.
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Learning Modes
Each day at a Prenda microschool is made up of four learning modes: Connect, Conquer, Collaborate, and Create. Check out the research behind Prenda's learning system below.
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Connect is meant to build strong relationships and help microschools establish a culture based on Prenda's core values and the principles of empowerment. Students and guides read, watch, discuss, journal, and play as they discover the skills and mindsets of empowered learners.
Why is this important?
When we focus on relationships, mindset, and autonomy we maximize prefrontal cortex development and help kids feel less anxious, more engaged, and more self-motivated.
Learn more:
- Hold On To Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld & Gabor Mate
- How Children Succeed by Paul Tough
- Rest Play Grow by Deborah MacNamara
During Conquer, guides and parents work alongside students to create individualized learning plans using rigorous, mastery-based programs. Students set personal goals and move forward each day. Low-stress, adaptive, diagnostic testing identifies learning gaps and gets students working at the right level and pace.
Why is this important?
Research shows that providing a mastery-based approach to academics and an immediate feedback loop fosters a sense of competence and drastically improves academic growth outcomes.
Learn more:
- Let’s Teach for Mastery by Sal Khan
- The Results of Implementing ZPD on Learning Outcomes by Ryan Baker
- When Adaptive Learning is Effective Learning by Shuai Wang
Collaborate engages students in inquiry-based research, debates, Socratic discussions, experiments, service learning, and problem-solving experiences that help them become people who think deeply about the world around them and how they interact with others. We teach students how to think, not what to think.
Why is this important?
When we allow kids to be active participants in their learning and give them more control over what and how they learn, engagement and self-efficacy increase and anxiety decreases.
Learn More:
- The Self-Driven Child by Ned Johnson and William Stixrud
- Creating Autonomy-Supportive Learning Environments by Jon Stolk
- Promoting Motivation, Health, and Excellence by Edward Deci
Create is a time for exploration and creativity. Students work together as they solve reality-based problems through projects that help them discover their interests and the world. They create businesses, products, service opportunities, websites, galleries, events, performances, and more.
Why is this important?
Inviting students to use their learning in real and meaningful ways increases personal relevance and fosters each student’s ability to construct knowledge based on prior experiences.
Learn more:
- Raising Critical Thinkers by Julie Bogart
- Problem-Based Learning in K-12 Education by Clarice Wirkala
- Intrinsic Motivation and the Process of Learning by Diana Cordova
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Tour a microschool
Peek inside a real life microschool and meet the guides behind the scenes!
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Prenda microschools drive engagement and academic growth
Guiding empowered learners
How you can become a Prenda guide and help kids in your own community through Prenda’s research-based learning model:
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Design your own microschool
With a research-driven curriculum, real community, and plug-and-play software, you'll have everything you need to start your own microschool–it’s a super simple, no-cost setup, with guided support along the way!
02
Facilitate Adaptive Diagnostic Assessments
At the start of the school year, each student takes an adaptive diagnostic assessment to determine learning levels across reading and math.
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Match kids with a curriculum program and set personal goals
With the results from the diagnostic assessment, you’ll match each student with a pre-built Prenda learning curriculum and help them set personal goals to chart their progress.
04
Apply learning through collaborative, hands-on projects and experiences
Using the Prenda curriculum, you’ll guide students through the four learning modes–Connect, Conquer, Collaborate, and Create each day–no lesson planning needed!
05
Celebrate your student as they make amazing academic progress
Help students fall back in love with learning again as they find their personal purpose, make friends, and have fun.
Curious about becoming a Prenda family?
Watch our family orientation video to learn about Prenda's philosophy and get a detailed look at our approach to learning.
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Ready for a deep dive?
Learn more about our learning model, curriculum, and guide tools with our downloadable overviews.
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