PK through third grade
Children need guidance to develop knowledge, skills and character strengths. At the same time, they need autonomy to learn how to cope with challenges and develop their own ideas. Cultivated Environment is an approach to balancing guidance with autonomy.
“Cultivated Environment recognizes that children need down time and freedom as well as stimulation and high expectations. The idea is to focus less on cultivating the child per se, and more on providing an environment that gives them plenty of opportunity to learn and grow.”
Key Strategies
- Pay attention to your child’s physical environment
- Put books everywhere, so your child is more likely to read
- Build relationships with neighbors, so your child is more likely to engage in neighborhood social play
- Model the behavior you want to see
- Sometimes, when your child wants your attention, say, “Sorry, I’m reading”
- Ask lots of questions about the world when you are with your child.
- Build a strong relationship with your child’s teacher
- Share your high expectations for behavior and academics with the teacher
- Don’t worry too much about your child’s daily academic and social experience
- Look for extracurricular activities that your child loves
- See if you can find leaders who share an ethic of excellence with children
- Don’t sign up for too much — keep some time unstructured
Additional Resources
Book: How to Raise An Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims
Cultivated Environment