Lower School

Language Arts	Mathematics	Science
Social Studies	Phys Ed	Art
Spanish	Technology	Music

The focus in the Lower School is on the progression of developmentally appropriate basic skills, concepts, and learning processes in all subjects. Small class sizes (10-16) enable teachers to address the individual needs of students with different levels of cognitive, social, and physical development.

The Lower School supports a philosophy of intellectual growth, enthusiasm for learning, development of leadership skills, good citizenship, and social responsibility. In the past students have generated fund raisers to raise money for a wide variety of charities and visited area nursing homes with music and fellowship. Classroom community is built through Morning Meetings and opportunities to work with partners as well as small groups. Students also may chose to participate in a variety of after school activities as well as enrichment classes, which provide opportunity to be introduced to new and challenging endeavors.

Language Arts
Language Arts in the Lower School at Alexandria Country Day School is a comprehensive and cohesive program encompassing reading, writing, spelling, and language skills. As children learn and strengthen these important skills the school strives to provide a warm and caring environment where students not only become competent readers and writers, but develop an ongoing love for reading. Our program accommodates emergent through fluent readers by means of guided reading (individual as well as fluid small groups), the use of leveled trade books which build on the Harcourt Trophies basal reading program. Students are taught reading strategies based on meaning, language structure, and visual cues. Assessment is an ongoing process, done through the use of teacher observation, checklists, running records, and informal reading inventories, for the purposes of assessing student progress and guiding teacher instruction. Resource personnel are also available to assist classroom teachers in order to meet the needs of their individual students.

By third grade students are introduced to more structured reading in both fiction and non-fiction texts, literature, writing, spelling, grammar usage, and vocabulary development. Analysis of content area readings, full length novels, short stories, poetry, and plays all equip students to be discerning readers. Oral fluency with speed, accuracy, and expression is stressed. Students are instructed in decoding multi-syllabic words and other word learning strategies.

Vocabulary and spelling are taught in conjunction with the Trophies basal reading program, along with opportunities for grammar and technical writing instruction. Cursive handwriting is introduced in third grade and used more extensively as the year progresses.

Creative writing is also very much a part of the Language Arts program at Alexandria Country Day School. Original stories, poems, tall tales, and writing across the curriculum are examples of writing genre in the Lower School . A variety of classroom publications showcase student work.

Mathematics
Three stages of mathematical development are recognized in the Lower School at Alexandria Country Day School: concept level, connecting level, and symbolic level. In keeping with the National Council of Mathematics Principles, we believe that children must learn with understanding, building new knowledge by connecting prior knowledge to new experiences. Alexandria Country Day School utilizes the Everyday Mathematics curriculum as a key resource for teaching mathematics. This program develops problem-solving strategies that emphasize mathematical concepts to real world situations. The children are exposed to a balanced program, which may include whole group, small group, partner, or individual instruction and practice.

Each grade uses a variety of instructional strategies, which may include manipulatives, games, hands-on explorations, long-term projects, and teacher created materials in addition to the Everyday Mathematics curriculum, in order to facilitate mathematical understanding and proficiency. Drawing from a wide variety of resources enables teachers to incorporate best practices in order to meet the specific needs of the students. Resource personnel are also available to assist the classroom teacher as needed.

Science
Thematic units, which include the topics of nature, earth science, animals, and space are used to introduce Lower School students to the scientific methods, making observations and predictions, developing experiments, and drawing conclusions. Classrooms in kindergarten and first grade include centers focusing on topics currently being studied. Experiences involving group activities, art projects, discussions, reading and journaling all play a part in enhancing and strengthening student skills in inquiry and analysis.

The textbook series Scott Foresman Science: Discover the Wonder provides a sequential foundation to students with additional activities and enrichment offered at each grade level. Skills learned in the early years are built upon, and note taking and research skills are introduced. Journal writing and research projects are utilized to reinforce language skills.Social Studies
The goal of our Social Studies program is to facilitate an awareness and sensitivity to one’s relationship to the community and the world. Knowledge of people and places, both past and present, is an essential component to the Social Studies program.

In the early grades home and school experiences capitalize on further student understanding of family/school/neighborhood similarities, differences, and responsibilities. Social Studies support thematic integration in other academic disciplines. History and Geography are presented as dynamic and multifaceted with meaningful tasks and learning experiences. Thematic units are class and teacher generated, using many diverse community resources, supported by the library and internet.

The Lower School program consists of a more extensive study of communities in third grade and Virginia history and world geography in fourth grade. Fairy tales, myths, folklore, legends, sagas, historical adventure stories, and biographies of great men and women add to the study of cultures and augment texts. Simulations also provide experiential learning and reinforce skills.

Art
Kindergartners use art as a means to express ideas in all areas of learning. Classroom teachers also create a range of projects for students to reinforce, enrich, and augment their curriculum.

In first and second grades the principal goals of Art are to foster the visual expression of the child’s ideas and feelings, to introduce a variety of materials and the appropriate use of them, to begin building an art vocabulary, and to focus on the continuous development of small motor skills. The artist as decision maker is introduced as is the concept of art as a visual statement. Inventiveness, imagination, and experimentation are stressed in the student’s own work and in the work of others.

As our students mature, they are expected to create works of art that reflect mastery of small motor skills. Interpretation becomes important for independent, creative thinking and originality. Students learn to describe differences and understand that the viewer interacts with art. Students also develop an understanding of the role of art in culture. There is also more integration of specific art projects with other curricular areas at this level.

Spanish
Since research supports the understanding that young children have tremendous potential for learning a foreign language, the Spanish program in the Lower School is introduced in kindergarten and builds through grade four. The goal for kindergarten is to introduce children to basic vocabulary and expressions and to develop listening skills in a low-stress environment.

Our main objectives are to help children attain proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, based on the guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language and the FLES (Foreign Language in Elementary School) program.

Students also gain knowledge and appreciation of the Spanish culture. New skills are introduced at each level and reinforced and expanded in subsequent years.

Technology
Technology activities at the kindergarten through fourth grades are geared to complement and supplement the curricular goals of the classroom teachers, but are never a substitute for any concrete or real-life activity that may occur in or outside the classroom walls. Individual student needs for remediation or enrichment can be met using a variety of leveled computer-assisted instructional software.

Each student’s basic foundation of technology skills is expanded as they progress through the Lower School grades. Skills are developed, as well as access to the computer labs and laptop computers as they work on classroom projects and reports using the Microsoft Office suite of applications.

Physical Education
The focus of the physical education program in the Lower School is twofold: to develop gross motor skills such as catching, bouncing, rolling, and throwing balls. Loco-motor skills such as running, skipping, galloping, hopping, jumping, and moving at different levels are also emphasized.

An equally important focus is placed on developing team skills, sportsmanship, self control, respect for others, safe and respectful use of equipment, and leadership abilities.

Music
In the early grades singing and movement are the crucial foundation. There is a focus on the question, “What is good sound?” Students learn the school song, seasonal songs for the school’s musical programs and assemblies, and musical arrangements for plays and other presentations. Students learn to listen to great works of music, begin to learn and read music and music symbols through rhythmic games and outdoor activities.

In addition to being exposed to great works of music, students will also listen to music on compact discs and cassettes appropriate for specific grade levels. As students mature, the dialog continues as discernment is developed in determining what constitutes “good” music. Students sing, play musical instruments, and attend concerts to develop an appreciation for all genres of music. The children have opportunities to participate in the many school programs and community service projects throughout the year, join the ACDS Singers, play in the band, solo in school musicals, and hum in the halls.