LOWER GRADES INFORMATION

​In the lower classes, students develop oral language by repeating and memorizing poems and stories rich in new vocabulary. Students integrate advanced language in songs, plays, role-play, and group recitation. Students continue on to experience cumulative stories to increase listening skills and comprehension. Oral language is also advanced during handwork and other practical work when multiple instructions are given and practiced by students. In all grades, thematic instruction (main lesson subjects) helps students focus on and connect various skills to a central theme aligned to state social studies and science standards. Listening, speaking, writing and reading are all developed in the course of a balanced main lesson.

Program Highlights

• First Grade

In first grade our focus is on fairy tales around the world, seasons, and nature. First graders are captivated by the beauty within the world and see the world as a good and true place. We want to harness that love by connecting them with nature and learning to care and respect nature as well as exploring how people live differently in places and cultures around the world via the fairy tales. In first-grade foundational math concepts, focusing on deepening number sense, developing operational understanding, and introducing early problem-solving strategies. The curriculum emphasizes interactive learning and real-world connections to make math engaging and accessible for young learners.

• Second Grade

In second grade the curriculum continues with a focus on nature studies but also has stories featuring fables and hero biographies from around the world. As second graders mature, the duality and contradiction between the trickster characters in the fables and the courageous biographies offer opportunities for students to begin to explore their own moral compass and deepen their own sense of what is right. The second-grade math curriculum expands on foundational math skills by deepening students' understanding of place value, introducing more complex operations, and strengthening problem-solving abilities. The curriculum continues its focus on real-world applications, hands-on activities, and structured practice to support mastery.

•  Third Grade

In third grade, students often experience a significant developmental shift known as the nine year change. Third graders are increasingly aware of the larger world and have complex inner thoughts separate from others around them. As they become more aware of problems and conflict, they need curriculum that gives them a sense of empowerment through doing. Third graders hear legends from around the world, they study farming, shelters, and animal adaptations. Third grade curriculum is full of hands-on projects, also giving them a sense of more responsibility for their work and performance. In third grade, students are introduced to more advanced math concepts, focusing on the fundamentals of multiplication, division, and fractions while reinforcing place value and problem-solving skills. This grade level emphasizes connecting math to real-world applications, which helps deepen students' conceptual understanding and prepares them for more complex math concepts.

• Fourth Grade

In fourth grade the student’s confidence is arising and a new ego is emerging. Fourth graders possess a zest for life, strive to learn new things, and maintain an intense desire to socialize. The fourth-grade curriculum provides the child with many examples of conflict and separation, of confrontation, indicating paths for resolving problems and providing justice. The curriculum focus is on state history, including a deep native American study and the impacts of the first settlers. Additionally, they study Norse mythology and the Vikings. Students build prior foundational skills by introducing more complex operations, a deeper understanding of fractions and decimals, and an exploration of geometric concepts. This year emphasizes problem-solving and mathematical reasoning, preparing students for advanced math by reinforcing connections between concepts. 

• Fifth Grade

​Fifth grade is often referred to as the “golden year” or year of balance in which students have come into their maturity of childhood and approaching puberty. Fifth graders can show an intense need for justice and making things right. They quest for the truth and question ideas. The fifth-grade curriculum focuses on ancient cultures and how civilizations have developed over time. They study Ancient India, Mesopotamia, Egyptian Mythology and History, Greek Mythology and History. Greek History leads them into the foundations of a democracy which is a perfect transition to end the year with studies of north American geography and the age of exploration. In fifth grade the curriculum introduces students to more sophisticated math topics, such as operations with fractions and decimals, understanding volume, and working with coordinate planes. This year is crucial for solidifying students' understanding of multi-step problem-solving and mathematical reasoning, providing a strong foundation for middle school math. Fifth graders are challenged to be more responsible and take charge over their learning. This sense of empowerment prepares them to middle school where they will be held to higher expectations and have to take more independent responsibility for their own learning.