Learning happens all the time, and young people are learning from everything they do. WonderWild is a space for self-directed learning and unhindered play, a powerful combination that lets children’s curiosity and imagination lead the way.
Our learners choose their own goals and how to spend their time. As a place for adventurous, curious kids, we provide engaging options that let each young person follow their passions and fall deeply into learning.
Every child at WonderWild has a Wonder Journal, an online digital portfolio of their activities and projects. These portfolios live here on our website through the Parent Portal. Every day I take notes and photos of activities in progress. Then I turn these into portfolio entries for single kids or groups of kids.
All of the learning at WonderWild is rich and meaningful, but a lot of it happens in fleeting moments, through play and conversation. This can make it hard to convey to parents in the brief moments we have to talk during pickup time. Understandably, parents are curious about what their kids are up to, and they want to see the bigger picture of what’s emerging over time.
It can be hard to capture the learning process in environments that aren’t tied to classrooms, curriculums, “standards”, and linear progress. Every day at WonderWild I see the kids doing amazing things! They play, explore, experiment, create, and wonder, and they’re learning every minute. The Wonder Journals capture this type of learning that isn’t tied to curriculums or assignments.
I add daily observations, reflections, and photos to the kids’ portfolios. Each entry is tagged with the topics, subjects, and skills it relates to. This helps show parents the connection between what their kids are doing and the knowledge that is naturally arising.
Over time, these entries become a comprehensive record of a child’s learning experiences, letting us get a bigger picture of their growth over time. Each Wonder Journal becomes more valuable each week as I add new entries.
At WonderWild, learning doesn’t happen on worksheets or along a predetermined path. It happens in real time, through curiosity, play, experimentation, and connection. Wonder Journals help make that learning visible without interrupting it. It lets me stay true to our values of trust, autonomy, and wonder, while giving families a clear window into their child’s experiences.
In the same way that I don’t see learning as boring or tedious, I don’t see the children’s portfolios as just documentation or paperwork. Wonder Journals are a relationship tool, connecting WonderWild, the learners, their chosen activities, and their families.