Primary K-2
The Primary K-2 curriculum provides experiences that meet children’s needs and stimulates learning in all developmental areas. These areas encompass physical, social, emotional, behavioral and intellectual growth. Different levels of ability and development and learning styles are expected and accepted and used to design appropriate activities which develop children’s self esteem and positive feelings towards learning.
Reading and English Language Arts is the core of the K-2 program. At the beginning of the reading and English Language Arts curriculum, children spend a great deal of time reading age-level books, writing, speaking and acting out stories, drawing and dictating, Letters and letter sounds are taught weekly. The emergent aspect of the program focuses on the basic acquisition of decoding skills and the general development of encoding and comprehension.
Through a wide variety of instructional materials, phonemic awareness, spelling patterns, vocabulary, grammar and decoding, the emergent reader continues to develop. Using authentic literature, children use a variety of strategies designed to help develop comprehension and foster enjoyment of reading. The early stages of reading and language arts continues to build on the basic skills, adding increased vocabulary, reading for more meaning, writing content and an increased pace. The goal is for students to be fluent readers and writers by the end of grade 2. A basal reading program is used in addition to individualized and small group instruction and an early literacy portfolio is completed for each student.
K-2 Saxon Math is an incremental program. It is very structured and has proven to be a successful program in the primary level. The program builds on concepts and skills from grade to grade.
Social Studies and Science programs coordinate with the reading and language arts programs used. Students in grades K-2 are exposed to and instructed in music, art, library, physical education, speech and language development, guidance education and computer technologies. Additionally, occupational therapy and physical therapy are available to those in need.