Touchstones in Independent Schools

Students work individually and then in small groups as part of their preparation for the full-class discussion. 

Independent Schools throughout the US and internationally bring Touchstones curricula into their classrooms for many reasons. Most often, independent schools integrate Touchstones into existing instruction to cultivate advanced thinking and a greater sense of ownership of responsibility and leadership. The values they examine and reflect on afford students real-life practice with nuanced situations requiring deliberation and reasoned judgment.

Independent schools serving students populated with special needs find Touchstones a valuable aide in differentiating instruction for diverse learning styles. Because Touchstones programs are strength-based and students access the materials in print and aurally, students readily and meaningfully connect their own thinking to the ideas raised by the teacher, their peers, and the text.

In independent Montessori schools, Touchpebbles and Touchstones discussions provide students with practice in cooperative learning that supports whole literacy and socio-emotional development. Individually and together, students consider what they already know about the world, engage in discovery, encounter new ideas, and build new understanding.