Elementary

The Elementary classrooms provide an emotionally supportive environment for each child. Our top priority is to earn the students trust and improve their self-confidence and interactions with teachers and peers. Once we make progress in these areas, we find students are much more willing to take on difficult tasks without hesitation. The low student-teacher ratio facilitates the relationship and instructional process as well as accommodating individual modifications necessary to extend personal, social, and academic learning to “full capacity”.

MORNING HOMEROOM:

The purpose of the morning homeroom is to give the students the opportunity to transition to school in a relaxed yet productive manner. It presents a unique opportunity for students to develop social skills through play and daily kinesthetic activities. We strive to get each child’s “engine” ready for learning. The following activities are utilized during our morning homeroom session:

  • OT activities like play dough, coloring, cutting, putty, for small motor exercises
  • Yoga
  • Trampoline, Deep Pressure, and other apparatus to encourage physical outlet for energy
  • Calendar to reinforce concepts of time, place value, skip counting, days and months, etc.
  • Alert Program which helps the child identify how they are feeling in regard to the learning environment and what adjustments they need to make.

READING & LANGUAGE ARTS:

We use a variety of methods and curriculum to ensure we are meeting the needs of each child’s individual learning style and level. The elementary curriculum develops perceptual, cognitive and organizational skills in our students which will aid in building those abilities in our more proficient readers. Some of the strategies, materials and concepts we include:

  • Orton Gillingham
  • Visualizing & Verbalizing
  • A-Z Reading
  • Edmark
  • Primary Phonics
  • SRA
  • Open Court
  • Explode the Code
  • Starting Comprehension
  • Dolch Sight Words
  • Writing: descriptive, creative, letters, etc.
  • Writing Workshop & “I Can Write Online”
  • Comprehension: literal, inferential, predictions, summaries
  • Book and Article Reports
  • Spelling: standard grade level and Spelling City using “Tech Lab”
  • “I Can Write”
  • “Learn To Type”
  • Grammar in context and Wordly Wise
  • Hands on manipulation of words to make sentences
  • Tactile writing surfaces
  • Multi-sensory lessons for reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary to ensure auditory, visual, tactile and kinesthetic learning styles

MATH:

Our Elementary math curriculum is based on hands on, experiential learning. New concepts are taught and reinforced using math manipulatives and games. Once concepts are understood they are reinforced with paper and pencil. Some of the strategies and curriculum resources we use include:

  • Harcourt Brace
  • Saxon
  • Math Their Way
  •  Evan Moore
  • Touch Math
  • Scott Foresman
  • Spectrum
  • Drops in a Bucket

SOCIAL STUDIES & SCIENCE:
 

Social Studies and Science are taught in larger groups in order to give the children experience with this learning environment. We use grade level curriculum for each homeroom that is developmentally and age appropriate. The curriculum is reinforced with reading and experiential learning activities. Some of the curriculum and topics include:

  • Map Skills
  • States & Countries
  • Holidays
  • Important People in History
  • Earth Science
  • Physical Science
  • Life Science

SOCIAL SKILLS & REWARDS:

Social Skills are a vital part of our formal and informal curriculum. While we take time to teach and reinforce topics such as manners, friendship, sportsmanship, altruism, and helping others, we take time throughout the day to respond to situations as they arise. Given the low student teacher ratio, there is always one staff member available to discuss difficulties and role play appropriate responses as necessary. We find this balance gives our students the lessons and opportunities to learn and internalize the skills necessary to be a positive and productive member of society.

While we teach and discuss how to be a positive member of our school, we also reinforce as we see students “walk the talk”. Students are awarded pennies when they are being helpful or kind to a staff member or other student. These are then traded spent at the school store on regular basis which reinforces the positive behaviors that will help them further in life.

 

HOMEWORK:
Homework is given in the elementary age to act as a reinforcement of what the students have been learning at school. It is a confidence builder in that teachers give work that builds on the skills from school but also allows the child to work independently or “show off” for a parent.


By building a strong foundation of trust and increasing student self esteem in an environment that is secure and positive, the students are able to take academic and social chances they may not take in other environments. Students have strong bonds with their teachers and peers.