XQ Highlights Principles of Whole-Child Design from Turnaround

Image credit: XQ

Turnaround for Children is featured in, “How Schools Can Meet the Moment With Programs to Teach the Whole Child,” from XQ.

Authored by staff at Brooklyn Laboratory (LAB) Charter School, the article begins by outlining the research behind and the benefits of taking a whole-child approach to schooling. With schools working through the best way to allocate federal ESSER funds while addressing new and existing COVID-19 challenges, the authors make the case for using this moment as an opportunity to incorporate a whole-child approach that focuses on long-term change rather than short-term solutions.

In detailing the key components of a whole-child approach, the article highlights the Guiding Principles for Equitable Whole-Child Design as outlined in the Design Principles playbook. Turnaround for Children Founder and Senior Science Advisor, Pamela Cantor M.D., is cited throughout the article on how this approach benefits students long-term and creates more equitable learning environments:

“If educators teach only discrete skills, some children will ‘learn it.’ But if they teach to the whole child, they can support all students to understand it, become curious to learn more, and be able to apply it to other problems.”

—Dr. Pamela Cantor, Founder and Senior Science AdvisOR of Turnaround for Children

The article goes on to detail strategies and ideas for fostering an adult culture of whole-child learning, including families and communities to support this approach, how to put the spotlight on equity in teaching and learning, and planning for sustainability when redesigning learning settings.

Read the full article here.