Creating their own communities, becoming a historical figure for Night at the Museum, or designing games using simple machines, are part of our students’ intriguing day-to-day life.

Photography by John Derryberry

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

We believe that children, and people of any age, learn best by doing. When students experience the material, they are much more likely to not only retain the information but take their learning to the next level. Our youngest learners are engaged to touch, smell, feel and engage in their environment. As the children progress into the upper grades, their experiences are more developed and richer as they are encouraged to take on the persona of those they are studying, visually experience the surroundings as they would have been and use all of their senses to immerse themselves in the subject matter they are learning.

Here are some real-life experiences at Wesley Prep:

• Primer and First Grade classes study about communities and then design one.

• Second Grade incubates and hatches baby chicks as part of their study on Life Cycle.

• Third Grade students visit the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Fort Worth while studying Economics and the iFLY Indoor Skydiving Center while studying the concepts of matter and gravity.

• Fourth Graders culminate a year’s study on Texas by visiting historical sites in San Antonio and government agencies in Austin.

• Fifth Graders travel to Camp Classen in Oklahoma to conduct experiments in life cycle, water cycle, ecology, and habitat.

• Sixth Grade students investigate hands-on marine science, robotics, and maritime history programs through the Ocean Institute in California.

Each grade level is filled with exciting experiences to ensure that students can connect the importance of learning in the classroom.

PROJECT-BASED AND HANDS-ON LEARNING

Project-based learning is happening throughout the grades at Wesley Prep as we bring learning to life. Students gain knowledge and skills by working for a longer period of time on a project, investigating and responding to an engaging or complex question, problem or challenge. Students research, interact with the lessons, collaborate with the teacher and their fellow students, and present their project to the class or at a school event. Through this type of immersive learning, students gain an incredible amount of confidence and it inspires a true love of learning. Our goal at Wesley Prep is to create lifelong learners.

The students don't realize how much intensive work they are doing because they are having such a fun time learning and supporting one another.

- Wesley Prep Parent