Lower Elementary

Overview & Philosophy

Lower Elementary spans the ages six to nine, a period characterized by the growth of both imagination and justice in the child.  To capture the interest of the child, academic lessons are presented in creative and interactive ways.  Students learn to manage social issues that affect their community and to resolve them fairly, with high expectations for mutual respect.

Academic accomplishments include the achievement of literacy and numeracy during these years: students who leave this program can compute, read and write efficiently.  They are also applying these skills daily in other areas of the curriculum and in their daily life together.  They also practice ways to be responsible and accountable for their own learning, developing self-motivation and a love of learning for its intrinsic value.

Perhaps more notable than this is the vast knowledge accumulated by the child over these three years. This is a time when the student is able to absorb much information, thus establishing a solid foundation in the basic areas of study.

Academics

Writing, reading and math are individualized according to each child’s developmental level, while history, geography, botany and zoology are organized by grade level in sequence over the three-year period.

Mathematics includes the process of the four operations, memorization of math facts, geometry, fractions and measurement.

Students are Writing and Reading daily in various genres, as separate exercises and across the curriculum, in small groups and independently.  Other language areas to support the development of literacy include word study, spelling, phonics, handwriting, parts of speech and grammar.  Listening and speaking are integrated into daily work.

The History curriculum is based on timelines of the formation of the universe and the planet, as well as life on earth, from miniscule organisms to the development of civilizations.  Students develop a sense of the passage of time.

Science includes the classification of plants, vertebrate and invertebrate animals from kingdom to order, along with hands-on experiments and projects.

Geography focuses on the study of continents, countries and states, including cultural, political and physical geography.  In-depth, real-life experiences, including field trips, make learning more memorable.