Methodology

Ixaya is Nahuatl, meaning to open one’s eyes.

We believe that each child is unique and therefore no one method will ever serve as a panacea for all children. Our fundamental belief is that learning has to be fun. The teachers must be passionate about their subjects in order to impart a genuine love of learning to their students, and the teaching methods have to be dynamic and stimulating.

Many children from underprivileged homes suffer from learning disabilities. They have a short attention span and do not do well in large groups. We therefore have decided to have a maximum of fifteen children per class, with a main teacher and one or ideally two full-time assistant teachers. In addition, we will have Spanish speaking volunteers who can provide individual tutoring for children in need.

For all academic subjects, the teacher will give a class lesson, using as many stimulating visual and other aids as possible, and then group work will follow. Children will be grouped differently with each subject, according to their ability. The activities will be graded according to the groups’ levels. In general we will combine the creative Waldorf approach with the more structured Montessori approach. Children who are more capable academically will be encouraged to do a lot of independent research, using books and computers, and to progress rapidly at their own pace. More hyperactive children, with short attention spans, will also be encouraged to learn through active outdoor games.

To maintain a high academic level, we propose to give all academic classes in Spanish, however all the arts and recreation, physical education and all sports will be given strictly in English by mother tongue English speakers.

Morning classes will be academic, the focus will be on Math and Spanish skills. Spanish will also be worked through the various cultural subjects which will be used to expand their minds. Afternoon activities will include physical activities such as: dance, yoga, swimming, football, basketball, volley ball and cultivation; artistic activities such as: music, painting, carpentery, candle making, soap making, drama classes.