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KKMS Approach

The DADT Framework: Discovering and Developing Talents

Aba Asare · Founder & Head of Curriculum 7 min readFebruary 28, 2024
Every child who walks through our gate has something they're good at. Sometimes it's obvious from day one. Sometimes it takes months of patient watching. DADT — Discovering And Developing Talents — is the framework we use to find it and grow it.

Where DADT Came From

LEE's Kingdom Kids was founded on a belief that the purpose of education is not simply to fill children with information, but to help them discover who they are and what they're capable of. Traditional systems — even good ones — tend to reward a narrow range of abilities: academic memory, test performance, sitting still.

DADT was our answer to that narrowness. It formalises something that good teachers have always done intuitively: observe children closely, notice what lights them up, and build around it.

D — Discovering

Discovery begins with observation. Our teachers are trained to watch before they guide. In a DADT classroom, the first question is not 'What should I teach this child?' but 'What does this child already know, love, and do naturally?'

A child who organises their materials meticulously may be showing early signs of systems thinking. A child who watches other children carefully before joining an activity may be a natural strategist. A child who retells events with theatrical flair is developing as a communicator or performer.

We document what we see. Over weeks and months, patterns emerge — and those patterns tell us something no standardised test can.

We don't assign children their talents. We notice what was already there.

KKMS founding principle

A — And (Connection)

The 'And' in DADT is easy to overlook, but it represents something essential: the connection between a child's inner world and the larger world they're growing into.

We intentionally link classroom learning to Ghanaian culture, community life, and real contexts. A child fascinated by patterns might explore Kente weaving designs. A child who loves stories might study oral tradition. We don't teach in a vacuum — we teach in a context, because knowledge that feels relevant lasts.

D — Developing

Once we've identified a spark, we create conditions for it to grow. This might mean giving a naturally musical child more time with instruments. It might mean inviting an emerging leader to organise a class project. It might mean connecting a technically minded child with the computer lab or KKMS TV production team.

Development is intentional, not accidental. It requires teachers who know their students well, who track progress over time, and who are willing to adjust when an approach isn't working.

Individual learning plans that extend beyond academics
Talent showcases that give every child a moment to shine
KKMS TV — a platform where communication and creative talents develop in public
Leadership rotations so every child experiences responsibility
Cultural activities that connect talent to identity

T — Talents

The final letter is also the most important: the end goal is not performance metrics, not examination scores, but real and lasting talent. Children who leave KKMS should know — with genuine confidence, not just reassurance — what they're good at.

We've seen quiet children become public speakers. We've watched reluctant writers become the most prolific journalists in the school. We've had children arrive convinced they were 'not clever' and leave believing, correctly, that they're exceptional at something specific and real.

That's the point. That's always been the point.


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Aba Asare
Founder & Head of Curriculum · LEE's Kingdom Kids
Lee's Kingdom Kids Montessori School