• Read grade-level texts orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression
• Describe characters, settings, and major events in stories using key details
• Decode two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the word into syllables
• Write sentences with appropriate spacing and punctuation that express a complete thought
• Listen attentively to speakers without interrupting
• Communicate ideas and thoughts clearly and audibly

• Accurately solve 10 addition facts and 10 subtraction facts using numbers 0-12
• Draw clock hands and write time to half-hour increments in digital notation
• Organize, analyze, and interpret data from a tally chart, pictograph, bar graph, or line plot
• Calculate and compare different quantities of items
• Read, write, and model numbers using place value manipulatives up to 100
• Divide shapes into equal parts of halves or fourths, name the parts, and understand relative size

• Design solutions by mimicking how plants and animals use external parts to survive, grow, and meet their needs
• Plan and conduct investigations about the relationship between vibrations and sounds
• Construct evidence-based accounts proving objects in darkness can only be seen when illuminated
• Use tools to design and build devices that use light or sound to communicate over long distances
• Understand how the amount of daylight varies at different times of the year
• Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted

• Demonstrate understanding of being an active member of a class
• Identify similarities and differences among classmates and themselves
• Utilize a map key and identify and label all seven continents and two oceans, as well as the equator and cardinal directions
• Name and locate their state, country, and continent
• Compare and contrast American family cultures with those of other countries
• Identify basic human needs and wants

• Say hello and goodbye, answer “how are you?” and “what is your name?”, and count to 10
• Recognize and say the basic color words, along with the days and months
• Begin to recognize the names of letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make
• Identify the words for the basic parts of the body through songs and games
• Answer either/or questions distinguishing between colors, numbers, and other subjects
• Understand basic movement commands

• Define melody and identify stepwise melodies on the staff
• Understand the difference between rhythm and beat
• Identify contrasting sections of music
• Show expressive qualities of music through movement
• Identify verse/refrain and call/response
• Identify and play half, quarter, and beamed eighth patterns in large groups

• Develop body awareness, self-control, and emotional regulation
• Learning about teamwork and how we can use that in the drama classroom and beyond
• Utilizing their imagination and creativity to effectively be an ensemble in storytelling
• Understanding mirroring movement and starting to learn simple moves used within choreography
• Learning about how to make puppets move and talk as well as interacting with them in dialogue-based scenarios
• Exploring the tools of miming and how to properly convey emotions and tasks without sound
• Adding more knowledge in their understanding of theatre etiquette
• Forming emotional and thought-provoking responses when viewing theatre

• Independently select materials of personal interest at the appropriate reading level
• Understand the colored dot system for self-identification of appropriate reading level materials
• Understand and describe the different parts of a book
• Make informed decisions about books and materials that will allow them to pursue personal growth
• Inquire about new topics and learn how to locate information about those topics
• Use LibGuides to discover new sources of information for their Japan projects

Our Lower School features a dedicated counselor who works with all students during class time and is available to meet with individual children on an as-needed basis. The focus of the guidance curriculum helps children achieve social-emotional competence and self-regulation. Guidance classes teach skills that strengthen their ability to learn, manage their emotions, show empathy and compassion, get along with others, and solve problems. More information can be found on the Lower School Counseling page.

Lower School students work hard in class during the school day and have two recess periods each day when they are able to unwind, play with friends, and get some exercise, while giving young brains a break and allowing children to better focus their attention while in class. Research also shows that this unstructured, free-play time is important for social-emotional health and development in children. Recess is held outdoors throughout the entire school year, as weather allows, with each grade level having time to themselves on the playground, the blacktop—for activities like basketball, kickball, foursquare, and other games—or the grass fields— for touch football, and fun in the snow in winter.