Where children’s learning takes root
by Maureen Murphy, Head of School, The Children’s School
Writer Wallace Stegner once described the seasonal shift from summer to fall as “That old September feeling,” a time marked by renewal and the turning of a page, with “something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning.” For families with young children, this sense of beginning does not arrive in January, but with the opening of school.
In primary education, this sense of beginning carries particular significance. The early years of schooling represent a distinct developmental period in which foundational patterns of thinking, relating, and learning are formed. The first days and weeks of school are not only a transition, but an entry point into environments intentionally designed to support children’s natural curiosity, a sense of belonging, and a readiness to learn. These early experiences often set the tone for the months that follow. In a rapidly changing world shaped by new technologies and evolving forms of communication, these early foundations remain essential, equipping children to think critically and engage thoughtfully with an increasingly complex landscape.
Three elements, deeply interconnected, lie at the heart of this work: connection, content, and character.
Connection
The foundation for all learning is connection. A substantial body of research affirms what experienced educators have long understood: Children engage most fully with ideas when they feel secure in their relationships. Trust, consistency, and responsiveness create the conditions for curiosity to flourish. Without that sense of safety, learning narrows; with it, children are more willing to take risks and persist in their wondering.
These connections are built not through grand gestures, but through small, steady acts of attention. A story is listened to, not hurried along. A moment of uncertainty is met with reassurance, rather than urgency. Such moments may seem fleeting, yet they carry lasting meaning. They communicate to children that they are seen and valued, not only for what they produce, but for who they are. Over time, these experiences accumulate into trust, and from that trust grows the confidence to engage deeply with ideas, with challenges, and with one another.
Content
Content, in turn, gives shape and direction to that engagement. In the elementary years, content extends well beyond discrete subjects to include the full range of experiences through which children make sense of the world. Carefully prepared environments, rich with materials and possibilities, invite exploration and discovery. Thoughtful sequencing in literacy and mathematics allows skills to emerge gradually, grounded in experience and reinforced through repetition and use.
A child encountering written language may begin by noticing patterns of sound and symbol, eventually growing into a reader who finds meaning and pleasure in text. In mathematics, hands-on exploration with materials gives way, over time, to more abstract reasoning, as number sense deepens through inquiry and application. Across disciplines, attentive observation guides instruction, allowing teaching to meet children where they are while extending what they know.
Yet content extends beyond cognition and encompasses more than cognitive development. The expressive life of the classroom, including music, visual art, storytelling, and movement, broadens how children understand and communicate, reaching beyond words alone. Through these experiences, imagination is exercised, perspectives are widened, and meaning is constructed in multiple forms. A thoughtfully curated collection of books further invites children into worlds both familiar and unknown, nurturing a lifelong relationship with language and ideas.
Character
Alongside connection and content, the development of character unfolds steadily in the background and, at times, in the foreground of daily life. The early years offer a crucial window for cultivating empathy, self-regulation, and a sense of responsibility toward others. These capacities do not emerge through instruction alone, but through lived experience in community.
A moment of frustration can become an opportunity to name a feeling rather than act on it. A disagreement invites the practice of listening, perspective-taking, and repair: Acts of kindness, whether spontaneous or encouraged, are recognized as meaningful contributions to a shared life. Over time, such experiences shape an internal compass. Children begin not only to understand expectations but to carry them within, guiding their actions with increasing independence and care.
Integrated Essentials
While each of these elements—connection, content, and character—can be described separately, they are, in practice, inseparable. A child who feels connected is more inclined to engage with content; rich content provides opportunities to exercise judgment and empathy; the development of character, in turn, strengthens the capacity to form and sustain meaningful relationships. Learning, in this sense, is not a series of discrete tasks but an integrated process that engages intellect, emotion, and values simultaneously.
As the year unfolds, these elements continue to shape the rhythm of daily life. They influence both what children learn and how they come to understand themselves: as thinkers, as creators, as members of a community. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the early days of beginning give way to something deeper, a steady accumulation of confidence, competence, and connection.
In this way, the “jubilee” of September does not fade. It endures, carried forward in the small, significant moments through which children grow, learn, and come into themselves.