Our Learning Approach

Our learning community has been shaped by many years of listening, observing, learning, and growing alongside children. Rather than following one fixed educational method, we draw on lived experience, established educational movements, and especially a deep trust in the natural human desire to learn.

​

Go to our research page for more references about our learning approach.

​

Find below how our learning community concept has developed organically, and the ideas and pioneering learning communities that inspire it:

1 - Rooted in experience

• Our approach has grown from Joaquim’s many years of experience as a teacher: spending time with children, observing them closely, and noticing how learning unfolds when there is space for curiosity, relationship, play, movement, creativity, and especially self-direction.

• We believe that children, like adults, learn most deeply when they feel safe, interested, respected, and connected. Learning does not need to be driven by pressure, agendas, comparison, or fear of making mistakes. 

​​

2 - The Natural Learning Approach​

• Our learning community is structured around Four Pillars and Four Core Elements, developed through Joaquim’s personal reflection on his many years of experience with children and learning. In his TEDx talk, Joaquim shares the personal story and experiences that led him to articulate this approach.

• The Natural Learning Approach is NOT a new method invented by us. It is our way of describing the natural processes through which children—and adults—learn, develop, create, and find their place in the world.

3 - Democratic education (First pillar of our approach)

• CAL is inspired by the long international history of democratic education, which places children’s freedom, voice, participation, and responsibility at the heart of community life. Find a few examples below:

• Sudbury Valley School, founded in 1968 by a group of parents and educators and running ever since. Here are a few extracts from their webpage:

  • What is Sudbury Valley School? 

    • "It is a place where children are completely free to pursue their interests as they wish. The underlying idea of the school is that children, like all people, are naturally curious and work at all stages of their life to increase their understanding of the world. Little by little, people get exposed to a tremendous amount of information over their lives, and it isn't necessary to direct them. So it's not as if they're never going to learn that they need arithmetic to use money, for instance, or that they need to be able to read in order to read a sign. As life goes on for every one of us, what we're interested in shifts and changes and becomes more and more sophisticated. We expect that to happen with every single child."

  • Are children who attend Sudbury Valley prepared for life as adults?

    • "Kids who leave here are usually extremely well-prepared for a variety of choices in life. First of all, they tend to be quite knowledgeable, extremely articulate, and quite motivated to succeed at what they choose to do next. For example, if they want to go to a college for which SAT scores are important (which certainly is not every college) then they apply themselves to learning how to do well on the SAT’s. Kids who go to school here are used to doing their best. Our graduates go on to an enormous range of careers. The outstanding characteristic they all share is seeking a life that has meaning for them, and choosing work that they enjoy and perform well."

• Summerhill School, founded by A. S. Neill in 1921. Summerhill was created around the principle that a school should adapt to the child, rather than expecting every child to adapt to the school. At Summerhill, children can choose whether to attend classes, participate in democratic meetings, develop interests such as art, music, science, and woodwork, or spend time playing and being outdoors. Here are an extract from their webpage:

  • "Summerhill’s aim is to allow children to grow naturally, to experience personal freedom, to play and develop at their own pace and to go in their own direction whilst taking responsibility for their own actions and the community around them"​

​

4. The Other Three Pillars

Alongside democratic education, three further pillars shape the everyday life of our learning community:

• Experiential learning — as the Portuguese say "Agora vamos pôr as mãos na massa” we do not teach on paper about putting our hands into the dough; we go and put our hands into the dough. Children learn through making, building, cooking, gardening, asking questions and trying again. Throughout the year, this happens many times through satellite locations: we visit museums, local businesses, fire stations, factories, parks, bakeries, local artists’ studios etc. These encounters allow children to see, in real life, the many ways different adults work, create and contribute to the world. Whenever possible, children do not only observe - they take part, try things for themselves and "put their hands in the dough".

• Learning in nature - Nature offers an abundance of learning opportunities - more than words can fully describe. Spend time outdoors is an essential part of the daily life: moving, playing, exploring, taking thoughtful risks. Read more about the benefits of learning in and with nature on our Research page.

• Through art — Through visual arts, music, movement, storytelling, drama and making, children can explore, express themselves and communicate in ways that do not always fit into words. In Gordon Neufeld’s observations, these are traditional “emotional playgrounds”: safe, playful spaces where emotions can move, be felt and find expression without needing to be explained or solved.

​

5 - Freedom with support​

• We observed that today’s wider society - and many adults - may not yet feel ready for a completely free and fully self-directed approach. Children are ready for this freedom, yet adults often still fear what might happen if they step away from the familiar, well-trodden path of conventional education.

• CAL therefore brings intentional support, creating a bridge between children’s natural freedom to learn and the reassurance that many adults still need - We offer four mornings per week of learning support in the following areas, guided by the Portuguese curriculum:

  • Portuguese

  • Mathematics

• The other main (Portuguese) curriculum areas are not separate boxes; they are already woven into the life of our community:

  • Estudo do Meio (a broad exploration of the natural world, history, geography, science, health and the environment) - These areas emerge organically: through experiences in nature, visits to places, projects, conversations, books, art, play and everyday questions, children are continuously exposed to the world around them.
  • Artistic Education — arts, music, theatre are very much part of our days, as it is one of the pillars of our approach.
  • Physical Education — movement happens everywhere: while climbing, carrying, running, building, balancing, gardening and exploring outdoors. Learning in nature is one of our pillars, so children are likely to move far more than a timetable could ask of them.
  • English — while English is formally introduced in the Portuguese curriculum in Years 3 and 4, at CAL it is simply part of daily life from a much younger age. It is not so much taught, as picked up naturally through play, friendships and shared projects in our bilingual - though, in reality, multilingual - community.

• These sessions are invitations and opportunities, never compulsory classes. Children are encouraged to participate, explore, ask for help, and develop confidence at their own pace, without fear or judgement.

6 - Learning made visible

• We draw inspiration from the Reggio Emilia tradition of pedagogical documentation.

• Learning is made visible through photographs, children’s words, observations, drawings, work samples, portfolios.

• Documentation is not simply a record of what children have done. It helps children, facilitators, and families return to experiences together.

• In this way, it helps both children and adults to notice questions, developing ideas, relationships, strengths, challenges, and possible next steps.

​​

7 - The adults around the child

• While different educational concepts can offer useful language and inspiration, we believe that names (of these concepts) matter less than what children consistently observe and experience in the adults around them. A child’s healthy development is deeply supported by adults who are balanced, emotionally regulated, caring and present.

• For this reason, we strive to ensure that all adults working at CAL receive ongoing support and regular opportunities for continued learning—through courses, practical workshops and reflective sessions. We encourage each team member to deepen their knowledge, reflect on their practice, and engage in ongoing personal development—including self-reflection, emotional-awareness work and spaces for personal inquiry.

8 - A community built together

• We want CAL to be a place where children are trusted as active participants in their own learning - Adults offer care, guidance, boundaries, and opportunities

• Parents are invited to participate regularly in the learning community, sharing their skills, knowledge and life experience—offering children opportunities to observe, connect and learn from the many ways different adults live, work and contribute to the world.

• We are actively forming an advisory board of experienced professionals and community members who can offer regular guidance and feedback. The board will support the ongoing growth of our team, contribute to workshops and learning opportunities, and share their knowledge with parents as well.

​