Haycock Elementary uses the Responsive Classroom approach to classroom management and instruction. It is based on the premise that children learn best when they have both academic and social-emotional skills. This approach, developed by classroom teachers, is informed by the work of many educational theorists and is based on guiding principles that assert the social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum. 

Several thousand schools in the United States utilize the Responsive Classroom approach. A study by the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education linked the Responsive Classroom approach to:

• Increased math and reading test scores
• Improved social skills and teacher-student interactions
• Better organized, more emotionally-supportive classrooms
• High-quality instruction and greater teacher efficacy

The goal of the Responsive Classroom approach is to create a safe, joyful, and challenging learning environment for every child. The administration and staff at Haycock believe that a school-wide commitment to this approach is consistent with our School Vision, Mission, and Core Beliefs & Values. More information about the Responsive Classroom approach is available on their website at www.responsiveclassroom.org.