Academics & Curriculum

Overview

The Lower School academic program is designed to provide developmentally appropriate, rigorous instruction to stimulate our students’ intellectual curiosity and provide the strong foundation of skills and knowledge required for continued academic success at the Middle and Upper Schools and beyond. The curriculum is aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and emphasizes critical thinking, creative self expression, and the habits of mind of high achieving learners. The Lower School curriculum emphasizes Literacy and Mathematics, while each student also studies Spanish, Science, Social Studies, Computer Science, Art, Music, Library, and Physical Education each week.

Students learn in whole class, small group, and individual settings, and our classroom teachers differentiate their instruction by designing multi-faceted lessons and units to accommodate each student’s learning style, current skill level, and interests in order to meet their academic needs.  Furthermore, we aim to develop our students’ ability to learn independently and develop a strong work ethic.  By the time they graduate from the fourth grade, students are expected to be able to direct and reflect upon their own learning, take calculated risks, and meet academic and social challenges with courage and confidence.

Program Highlights

Literacy

The main feature of our English Language Arts program is a daily two hour literacy block designed to provide students with a strong foundation of language, reading comprehension, and writing skills.  The curriculum is defined by clear benchmarks and high expectations, and focuses on developing critical, strategic readers who can construct meaning from a variety of texts, and who can communicate effectively in oral and written forms.

The Lower School employs a three-tiered literacy instruction model to provide timely and targeted support for students with varying learning needs.  In Tier 1, all students receive whole-group instruction provided by the classroom teacher.  Through the ongoing diagnosis of individual student performance, teachers are able to identify students who are struggling to achieve at the expected level. These students receive Tier 2 interventions, such as small-group or supplementary reading instruction with a reading specialist. Tier 2 students are monitored regularly to determine their level of improvement and may be moved to Tier 1 or to Tier 3 accordingly. Students in Tier 3 receive small group or individual instruction and may qualify for supplemental educational services.

Mathematics

The Lower School uses the Everyday Mathematics program to promote high levels of student achievement, interest, and confidence in learning mathematics. The mathematics program focuses on logical reasoning, problem-solving, making connections, and communicating mathematical thinking. Everyday Mathematics provides for a balance of both procedural fluency (automaticity with math facts and operations) and conceptual understanding.  Students also receive instruction in test-taking skills and strategies with explicit and specific preparation in content and form for the annual Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS).

Students in grades 1 through 4 receive at least seven hours of mathematics instruction per week, whereas Kindergarten students receive approximately 45 minutes per day.. All Lower School teachers utilize benchmark assessments from each unit to monitor student progress, diagnose learning difficulties, and provide remediation where necessary. Mathematics specialists also work cooperatively with K-4 teachers, in the context of the regular classroom, by co-teaching, delivering model lessons, and working with small groups. 

The Lower School mathematics program integrates instructional technology software to provide individualized support for all students.  These programs follow student progress and generate reports that allow teachers to cater their instruction to each student’s needs:  FASTT Math is used to improve fluency with math facts and procedures and Study Island caters to students’ individual areas of strengths and weaknesses in different strands and standards, all the while preparing them for MCAS success.

Computer Skills

Given the constantly-evolving nature of technology in the 21st Century, the Lower School aims to provide students with the skills to use current applications and consequently be able to transfer the acquired skills and knowledge to emerging technologies.   In addition to learning the use of selected applications, skills are often reinforced and related to grade-level content.  Throughout their time at the Lower School, students use drawing programs; Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; are introduced to Robolab and Control Lab software; work with multimedia applications; and utilize Internet Explorer for web-based projects.

Library

The goal of the library program is to support literacy and academic achievement in the Lower School community while fostering a lifelong love of reading. Through classes on information literacy and exposure to varied print and electronic texts and media, students are taught to access, understand, evaluate, and present information in a knowledgeable and confident manner. During library classes, students are encouraged to read different genres of literature as well as to check out items for academic research or for pleasure.  A major objective of this class is for students to learn the techniques and importance of effective research, and accordingly, research in the library is geared to support classroom projects and curriculum units.