This summary describes a primary school in Hungary for students aged 6-14 that uses reform pedagogy and differential teaching methods. The school aims to offer learning opportunities tailored to each student's abilities in heterogeneous classes that include children with special needs. Teachers apply various teaching methods and cooperative learning. Parents are also engaged in the school through meetings and demonstrations. The school aims for all students, including those with special needs, to fully develop their abilities and learn independently in a supportive environment.

1. CHILDREN’S HOUSE
PRIMARY SCHOOL
(6-14 year)
HUNGARY

3. RATIONALE 1.
This primary school for students’ aged 6
to 14 uses reform pedagogy inspired
differential teaching methods in
heterogeneous classes that include
children with special needs.
The main objective is to offer learning
opportunities to all children according to
their ability, so that they can learn
actively and independently, assess their
own work and learn to cooperate in
mixed-ability teams.

4. Putting up the Greek chiton

5. 2. Parents are engaged in different
formal and informal meetings and in
demonstration (open) lessons during
which they can observe their children
in school learning situations.
Teachers take part in each other’s
lessons to learn from each other, and
beginning teachers are paired with an
experienced colleague to help them
prepare the lessons.

6. Discussing the subject together in groups

7. 3. The special needs children spend nearly
their whole school time with the other children,
they study all subjects together. It is their
belief that inclusion is good for every student.
Especially for the handicapped children who are
not torn away from their everyday environment.
Healthy children can experience that
handicapped classmates are the same like them,
only they have other possibilities in some
aspects. Everybody has stronger and weaker
areas of abilities and that may be more salient
for the handicapped children. This is natural for
children. We only have to help them to keep it
like this.

8. A girl without arms is included in the class

9. 4. In this school students are in the centre of
the education instead of the curriculum. That
makes this school inclusive.
So, the different kinds of students and their
abilities determine the working of school not
the standard curriculum.
They try to get acquainted with the students,
their social milieu and to work up personal
relationships. The school starts with "talking
circle". It means, every day children sit in a
circle and they have informal conversation
about their everydays.

10. Writing a name’s card in Greek letters

11. The girl is able to do everything with her legs.
She does not need bigger paper for her letters.

12. TEACHING METHODS
Students can go on slowly or rapidly
in the acquirement of knowledge
and key skills. Teachers apply the
differential teaching methods and
cooperative learning instead of
“frontal teaching”. In this manner
they can go by the diversity of
their students and by the
idiosyncrasy of handicapped
children.

13. Part of the project is making Greek salad together

14. It is absolutely naturally for everyone
that this student takes part either

15. LEARNING AIMS
- fully develop their abilities
- play an active role in the process of learning
- be able to learn independently
- be able to realistically assess their own work
- accept themselves and their peers
- be able to cooperate with each other
- have access to a broad scale of
differentiated learning possibilities
- study the same topic
- be supported in a positive learning
environment.

16. And without a hint of disapproval they eat all of it

17. FACILITATORS
Our fundamental principle is that every
member of the staff is responsible for the
successful functioning of the school.
Everybody is an "owner". We learn a lot from
each other, for example we can take part in
each other’s lessons and that helps us The
beginners can choose a colleague who helps
them in the preparation for the lessons. We
regularly hold teacher’s meetings where we
talk about educational situations.

18. In smaller grade: a special way of learning
the letters. They play with the voices

19. LEARNING CONTEXT
They’ve made a differential learning
environment. The teaching methods are not
standardized so they ensure diverse learning
ways. Students can go on slowly or rapidly in
the acquirement of knowledge and key skills.
They also differ the curriculum into three
levels of complexity. They work with cards and
workbooks that contain the knowledge in three
levels. In differentiated studying forms
children do such exercises that are suitable
for their basic needs, their previous
knowledge, and their learning styles.

20. At the beginning the letters are formed
of wooden discs.

21. PARENTS ALSO LEARN
Parents can find the teachers with their
questions, requests, problems or happiness
whenever they wish. They have special parents
meeting. But it is a bit informal; it's about
parents' general rearing problems or
questions. They have special 'Parents forum',
when they invite a specialist (e.g. psychologist)
and they think and speak about the topic
together. They and the specialist can offer
books in the topic and exercises for solving
specific problems.

22. Maths is about the real life. They work with a shopping
list and money. They have to decide how much they
can afford, what should be wiped out from the list.

23. LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learning is assessed in the first six years with
a written evaluation and only in the seventh and
eighth years pupils get marks and also a school
report. The evaluation in school is based on a
personal system, containing the different levels
of student’ achievement. The special needs
children get their own special evaluation
guidelines.
Nobody drops out and nobody should stay down
for a year. Index numbers of further education
are quite good, every student - special needs
students too - can continue their studies in
secondary schools.

24. This way even maths can be joyful and fun!