Learning Paths School is a non-stock, non-profit institution that advocates for progressive education and the inclusion of children who learn differently. It began its’ pilot year in 2008 with one class of ten primary grade students, and three intermediate grade students in a home study program.

Our Mission

• To provide high standard and quality education for all types of learners that nurture individual strengths and interests.
• To offer a multi-cultural curriculum.
• To have a partnership with the family and other professionals working towards and advocating for the optimal development of individuals.

We envision learners...

• To accept their individual differences and celebrate their uniqueness in order to become individuals who are empowered and productive members of society notwithstanding any disability or ailment.
• To become citizens with a sense of national pride.
• To build a community that fosters social awareness, acceptance and respect for individual differences.

Our Philosophy is grounded on the interactive roles of the Learner, The Family, The School and The Community

The Learner

• Individuals learn in many different ways. They have their own unique abilities. Students must learn to harness their strengths to develop their weaknesses.

The Family

• The family is at the core of the learning process. They are the learners first teachers and as such plays an integral role in their progress and development. It is expected that the family will have a pro-active role in the student’s school life.

The School

• The school cooperates with a team of professionals to facilitate learning. The teacher prepares the materials and environment for effective learning to take place.

The Community

• The community is an important link in the student’s learning process. It should provide a nurturing environment where students can explore and interact to construct knowledge and apply their skills. The community collaborates with the school to provide an optimal learning environment for the students.

Learning Paths offers the following programs:

• Early Childhood and Preschool Program (for children 2 to 6 years old)
• Elementary School Program (Primary and Intermediate levels)
• Auxillary Programs (Sports, Music, Art, Creativity, Self and Social Awareness)
• Inclusion (for children with specific needs: IEP development and monitoring in cooperation with the child’s multidisciplinary team)
• Resource Class and/or Individualized Programs (After school group or individual sessions specially designed to prepare and equip students with specific learning difficulties with the necessary skills to cope with the daily demands of the general education curriculum)
• Home School Programs (Elementary and High School)

The programs offered in Learning Paths are designed to accommodate different types of learners where their areas of affinities are celebrated and strengthened while their areas of weaknesses are addressed and compensated. The curriculum shall include a general education curriculum as well as special interest programs which enable the students to become successful learners.

Why choose a small progressive school over a big traditional school?

THE PROGRESSIVE APPROACH AT WORK IN LEARNING PATHS

• Emphasis is on educating for life and not on educating to pass for the next school level.
• Focus is on the process of learning that the students independently undergo which is more valuable than the product output such as grades accumulated via projects and homeworks which can be influenced and manipulated.
• Concepts are viewed as questions to be investigated together with the teacher instead of facts to be memorized.
• Skills are learned via experience using multisensory pathways, and not only through drills that are usually only visual or auditory in nature.
• There is a low student teacher ratio which ensures that the students’ needs are well attended to as compared to the large class sizes of traditional schools.

What makes the Learning Paths curriculum unique?

THE LEARNING PATHS CURRICULUM

• Is a Literature-based curriculum that uses high quality literary pieces that engages the students in problem solving, critical thinking and creative thinking.

  This balanced approach to teaching literacy skills in English and Filipino takes on a holistic view of the student to address not only cognitive or academic needs, but also affective and social needs.

• Integrates all core subjects (Reading, Math, Science and Social Studies), making learning relevant irregardless of the subject matter

• Emphasizes Learning by Doing, and as such the students are in a “classroom with no walls”

  They are engaged in experience trips, experiments, exploring the world around them, making learning meaningful and worth remembering, instead of relying solely on paper and pencil tasks and rote knowledge

• Is student-centered and flexible, allowing the students to move through themes that interest them, while carefully following their developmental pace without compromising their need for challenge and achievement

• Calls for Authentic Assessment

  Teachers evaluate students’ performance based on their daily participation in the activities instead of or not only through tests and homeworks. Students also evaluate their own performance through the process of portfolio assessment; students’ works are collected and analyzed by both the teacher and the student working collaboratively.

Why include children with specific needs?

THE BENEFITS OF INCLUSION FOR TYPICALLY DEVELOPING CHILDREN:

• They are provided with opportunities generalize, apply and strengthen their skills/knowledge by having opportunities to peer tutor or assist another child. This may also build self-esteem, improve attitude toward school and responsibility.
• They are provided with opportunities to learn altruistic behaviors and when and how to use such behaviors.
• They are provided with models of individuals who successfully achieve despite challenges.
• They are provided with opportunities to learn more realistic and accurate views about individuals with special needs.
• They are provided with opportunities to develop positive attitudes toward others who are different from themselves.
• Their families may develop relationships with families who have children with special needs and thereby make a contribution to them and the communities. They will also have opportunities to teach their children about individual differences and about accepting individuals who are different.

THE BENEFITS OF INCLUSION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS:

• They are spared the effects of separate, segregated education-including the negative effects of labeling and negative attitudes fostered by lack of contact with typically developing children.
• They are provided with competent models that allow them to learn new adaptive skills and/or learn when and how to use their existing skills through imitation.
• They are provided with competent peers with whom to interact and thereby learn new social and/or communicative skills thereby motivating them further.
• They are provided a wider variety of experiences where there is more opportunity for learning.
• They are provided with realistic life experiences that prepare them to be a part of the community.
• They are provided with opportunities to develop friendships with typically developing peers.
• Their families are able to learn about typical development. They may develop relationships with families of typically developing children who can provide them with meaningful support. They may feel less isolated.

• Learning Paths School
• Create School