Independent Study That Works

Student disengagement from school is a trending concern, and many schools have turned their attention to independent study programmes as a way to nurture student motivation and creativity. But where to begin? Geraldine Woods offers a practical, step-by-step guide based on her experience designing and directing the much-admired independent study programme at the Horace Mann School. Under the supervision of teachers, students embark on a remarkable variety of projects and become teachers themselves, conducting seminars with their peers along the way to preparing their final product—which could as easily be an interactive website or musical composition as a research paper. Woods’ book details the nuts and bolts of the approach and shows how to customise it for a variety of age groups, budgets and curricular requirements. It is a gift to all educators—including homeschooling parents—who want to give students the freedom to pursue their interests.