We pride ourselves on being a progressive pre-K through twelfth grade school. But what do we mean by progressive education? And why is it so important?

At LREI, progressive education is...

Simply put, progressive education works with a child’s natural inquisitiveness and desire to do, to experiment and to be involved. Progressive education asks students to truly understand a topic and to demonstrate and to defend their understanding. It asks them to think beyond the page, beyond the “right answer.”

There has never been a more critical time for critical thinkers. When answers can be Googled in the tap of a finger or click of a mouse, asking the right questions is what counts. Living by core values is what counts. Our progressive program equips students with the confidence to discern fact from slant, and to contribute to society in a meaningful way.
One practice that is grounded in our progressive principles is the field trip, an approach to learning that was pioneered at LREI. Through the trip, we seek to take learning out into the world and to then bring the world into the classroom to deepen and enrich the learning experience. As Agnes De Lima explains in The Little Red School House:

[Our] curriculum is built around the children’s explorations of the world and the intellectual and emotional stimulation that comes from contact with the living book of everyday life. . . . We have attempted to tear down the walls of the classroom and bring the child into direct contact with the community. . . . Their trips not only cause them to have an understanding of people but give them the stimulus to do something about it.
Little Red School House
and Elisabeth Irwin High School

LREI. Powered By Questions.

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