A Typical Day in an Acton School

 Maria Montessori believed deeply in the prepared environment - that if the adults set up the learning environment with care (challenging but meaningful work), learners would be empowered to learn anything and everything offered.

A typical day at Acton is broken down into two main parts, with the morning being focused time on self-paced work in math, language arts, writing, reading, and target language (older learners). The afternoon is focused on collaborative, hands-on work with a real-world connection and application to science and the humanities.

Here are the typical schedules for Acton learners:

The Explorer Studio (ages 5-8)
8:20    Morning Circle and Mindfulness
9:00    Montessori-based Work Cycle
9:45       Outdoor Break
10:00    Montessori-based Work Cycle
11:15    Project Time
12:15    Celebration Circle
12:30    Lunch
1:00    Outdoor Play
3:00    Studio Maintenance
3:15    Closing Circle
3:25    Dismissal

The Adventurer Studio (ages 8-11)
8:20    Mindfulness and Morning Launch
8:45    Core Skills
10:00    Outdoor Break
10:15    Core Skills
11:15    Lunch/Outdoor Free Time
12:15    DEAR/Read Aloud
12:45    Project Time (Science/History/Electives)
3:00    Studio Maintenance
3:15    Closing Circle
3:25    Dismissal

The Navigator Studio (ages 11-14) & The Pathfinder Studio (ages 14-18)
8:20    Mindfulness and Morning Launch
8:45    Core Skills
10:15    Outdoor Break
10:30    Core Skills
11:15    Mid-morning Launch/Collab Time
12:15    Lunch/Outdoor Free Time
1:00    Socratic Discussion
1:20    Project-based Learning (Science/History/Electives)
3:00    Studio Maintenance
3:15    Closing Discussion
3:25    Dismissal

Want to learn more? Check out this article on the Acton High School experience, or check out Seth Godin’s video about Acton schools. Want to take a deep dive? Watch this video with Acton founder Laura Sandefer about the origins of the Acton schools and how the model works.

Do you have questions, or are you ready to schedule a tour? Click here to schedule a discovery call today!