Introduction to The Elementary School Program

The building that once housed the entire school, Little School today is the home to our elementary students, who receive a personalized education.  Building on the foundation of Chilton House, the elementary school faculty differentiates instruction by establishing reading and math groups within the classroom in addition to accommodating diverse learners.  The students' academic classes along with physical education, science, music, art, Spanish, and technology complete their comprehensive educational experience.  The Little School also has a full-time librarian, focused on the literature and research needs of the elementary student. Students gather for an assembly once a week, and the year includes celebrations of holidays and student achievement in the classrooms as well as field trips that support the curriculum.

The Little School also features a Support Services Program, under the supervision of the Director of Special Learning Services, providing additional academic support.  Working in small groups and individually, learning specialists and support teachers work to strengthen student reading, writing and comprehension as well as mathematical development using a variety of strategies.  Depending upon the aptitudes of the groups, enrichment activities are also provided.

Some students in grades three and four delay second language learning in order to take advantage of the Language Skills class. Students’ reading and writing needs are addressed through the integration of skill-based instruction with curriculum content.

Language Arts

As students move to the Little School for first grade, the Language Arts curriculum increases in complexity: learning vowel sounds and consonant blends continues to be the focus for developing phonetic skills; comprehension is enhanced through pictorial clues, event sequencing, character identification, story retelling, and making predictions; and the reading selection opens up to a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, fairy tales, folk tales and legends. Our first graders participate in daily “writing workshop” activities where they experiment with a variety of forms such as personal narratives, poetry, journals, responses, invitations, and letters.  As they write, students learn to spell (phonetically), while learning to apply correct capitalization and punctuation. 

As well, simple research projects are incorporated into units of study.  Through these projects students develop questions, make observations, record findings, gather information from the library and learn to use graphic displays and media. They also practice interviewing, speaking in front of their piers and recording their findings in simple narratives.

Social Studies

Students study communities within the classroom, school and neighborhood.  Students create class rules, develop interview questions and share information in written form and during discussions.

Mathematics

Our students start to develop and apply addition and subtraction strategies for single- and double-digit problems.  They also learn to identify and categorize geometric shapes and their fractional parts, identify coins and count their value, as well as measure time to the hour and half-hour on both analog and digital clocks.

Library

Independent use of the Little School Library affords students daily opportunities to hear stories, choose books, work with puppets, create storyboards or participate in book-making activities.

World Language

Building basic vocabulary and language structures through modeling, they also begin to acquire familiarity with simple topics and the fundamental patterns of the lSpanish anguage.  Oral communication is emphasized; students act and respond to basic commands and directions given in the classroom.  The cultural component of the curriculum centers on major Mexican and Spanish holiday celebrations.

Science

Science for first grade focuses on the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell).  Students also study the plants and animals they have read about in Beatrix Potter literature—comparing and contrasting the characteristics between the real and fictional creatures. At this stage, first graders begin work on planning, planting, cultivating and harvesting crops from the community garden. 

Music

For first graders, musical concepts (beat, tempo, dynamics and timbre) are reinforced and Orff instruments (xylophones and percussion) are introduced. Students begin to learn aural skills; they are able to distinguish between high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft, as well as identify common instruments (piano, violin, trumpet) by sound.  As well, they learn to verbalize the music they hear using appropriate vocabulary such as dark, light, happy, sad, etc.  Students perform songs they have learned for the December and June concerts, as well as performing a ten-song operetta, which tells the story of Peter Rabbit.

Art

First-grade art assignment work toward expressing creativity and improving small motor skills.  Using a variety of media, students will create paintings, drawings, collage, sculpture and sewing projects.

Physical Education

The physical education curriculum focuses on the important concepts of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle.  The class seeks to develop spatial awareness (general and self space, directionality, levels and pathways), locomotor skills (walking, running, galloping, jumping, hopping, skipping and sliding), ball skills (catching, throwing, kicking, rolling, striking with hands and manipulatives and bouncing), and movement (stretching, curling, twisting and body shapes).

English as Second Language

This program provides instruction to non-native speakers of English, enabling these students to better function in the mainstream classroom setting.  Classes focus on speaking, reading, listening comprehension and writing.  Students enter the E.S.L. Program through recommendation of the Admissions Committee or a teacher. Instruction is individualized according ability.

Language Arts

Second-grade students broaden their reading skills through further development of phonetic skills, including vowel diagraphs and beginning syllabication. Other reading skills include expanding vocabulary, making predictions, sequencing events, developing character descriptions, recognizing details and identifying the beginning, middle and end of stories. Students continue to participate in “writing workshop” activities: they experiment with personal narratives, fiction, poetry, invitations, recipes, letters, journals, and learning logs. Simple grammatical concepts, along with editing skills and cursive writing, are introduced. Our second graders continue to gain experience and confidence in their spoken use of language. They also continue building their research experience, as they observe, record, create graphic materials, develop questions, conduct interviews and access the library and appropriate websites. Students then share their research knowledge through discussion, presentation, illustration, written projects and timelines.

Library

Along with research, independent use of the Little School Library affords our students daily opportunities to hear stories, choose books, work with puppets, create storyboards or participate in book-making activities.

Social Studies

Our students study cultures:personal,family and those of their classmates. They develop interviewing skills, compare and contrast results, work cooperatively, establish common goals, organize findings and present research.

Mathematics

Our students continue study in addition and subtraction, with regrouping of two-digit numbers, geometry and measurement. At this stage, they are also introduced to multiplication and work with equivalent fractions (such as halves, thirds and fourths).

World Language

Students begin to build basic vocabulary and language structures in Spanish. Through modeling, they begin to acquire familiarity with simple topics and fundamental patterns of the language. Oral communication is emphasized; students act and respond to basic commands and directions given in the classroom. The cultural component centers on major Mexican and Spanish holiday celebrations.

Science

Students focus on what different scientists do. The program emphasizes a wide range of scientific endeavors, the interrelatedness of scientific disciplines and common attributes of scientists. Students create individual or small group research projects and presentations. Students focus on chemistry and ecology in their study of the Hudson River.

Music

Second graders reproduce and create short four-beat rhythmic patterns, first by clapping, then by moving to classroom instruments. Students are introduced to syncopation (clapping “off the beat”) and the difference between accompaniment and melody. They improvise and create their own accompaniments to fit short poems. Beginning a history component, students are introduced to the lives and work of Beethoven, Mozart and J.S. Bach.

Second graders memorize songs for the December and June concerts, a short musical telling of the story of Stone Soup, and the lengthy song “Family Tree” by Tom Chapin in conjunction with the second grade’s study of families.

Art

Second graders work on a variety of collage projects, drawing and painting experiences, as well as sewing and quilting. While working on their creative assignments, students develop small motor skills cutting, folding, brushwork, pencil grip and sewing.

Physical Education

Second grade focuses on the sequential development of physical skills that relate to sports, movement, dance, gymnastics and physical fitness. The program is structured to include warm-up activities, stretching exercises, fitness stations, skill development through modified games and follow-up activities. Skill development emphasizes catching, throwing, bouncing, kicking and striking with a variety of manipulatives. Students learn the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

English as Second Language

This program provides instruction so children who are non-native speakers may better function in the areas of speaking, reading, listening comprehension and writing. Students enter the E.S.L. Program at different levels through the recommendation of the Admissions Committee or their teachers. Instruction is individualized according to student’s ability.

Language Arts

In the third grade, our students practice summarizing, sequencing, comparing and contrasting, identifying problems and solutions, and begin to develop inferential skills. They read historical fiction, biographies, poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Their writing skills continue to develop as students learn to organize information and practice proof reading and editing. They create narratives, essays, myths, poetry, letters, reflections, observations and responses to literature. To insure continuous practice, writing is integrated in all curricular areas. Effective oral skills continue to develop through discussions and presentations. To gain information as they expand research skills, the students develop questions, interpret graphic materials, use reference materials and other library resources and the internet, take notes, and present their information in written, visual and oral form.

Library

Independent use of the Little School Library affords students daily opportunities to hear stories, choose books or work with puppets, storyboards or book-making activities.

Social Studies

Student study Native American culture of the Lenni Lenape , as well as the colonization of Jamestown and Plymouth and simulate the establishment of their own colony. They are shown how human civilization and the environment affect one another. They also learn to connect previous historical knowledge to current topics, work together collaboratively, derive and assess key information, take notes and create basic outlines.

Mathematics

Third grade mathematics focuses on operations; students begin work on addition and subtraction of four-digit numbers, multiplication of two-digit numbers, solidify basic math facts and are introduced to division with remainders. They also learn basic fractions: this includes naming, writing, comparing, equivalency, as well as addition and subtraction with like denominators.

World Language

Third graders expand upon basic vocabulary and language structures in Spanish. Through modeling, they begin to acquire familiarity with simple topics and fundamental patterns. In the classroom, spoken communication is emphasized and students act and respond to basic commands. The cultural component centers on major Mexican and Spanish holiday celebrations.

Science

Classes explore magnetism, static and current electricity. Students create a book of basic science skills. In addition, classes address the science related aspects of the social studies program including “colonial science” and the habitats of the rainforest, desert, and arctic.

Music

Our second graders study the recorder to better understand pitch and rhythm, and to develop fine motor coordination. Students also learn to recognize common rhythmic patterns in notation and the names of the notes on the treble clef. Students prepare for the multi-media LinkUP! event in Carnegie Hall and study the composers Tchaikovsky and Dvorak. Students are expected to recognize the basic parts of written music and be able to identify the key signature, time signature, pitches and rhythms from a piece of music.

Art

The second-grade program integrates with social studies units by learning the various arts of colonial era. As well, students learn about the crafts of society and building new environments. Projects include weaving, collage and monoprinting. Students also study individual artist and present their analysis through oral presentation.

Physical Education

Our third graders focus on the sequential development of physical skills that relate to sports, movement, dance, gymnastics and physical fitness. The program is structured to include warm-up activities, stretching exercises, fitness stations, skill development or modified games, and follow-up activities. Motor development features catching, throwing, bouncing, kicking and striking with a variety of manipulatives. Students also focus on the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

English as Second Language

This program provides English language instruction to non-native speakers of English so children may enhance their function within the classroom. Students work on speaking, reading, listening comprehension and writing. Students enter the E.S.L. Program at different levels by recommendation of the Admissions Committee or their teachers. Instruction is individualized according to student’s ability.

Language Arts

Fourth graders read and examine a variety of literary genres including fiction, non-fiction, novels, poetry, student literary magazines and biographies. They focus on the elements of a novel, literary technique and ways to respond to literature as they make predictions, state opinions, summarize, develop an understanding of cause and effect, recognize figurative language and draw conclusions. Writing form, style and content are further developed during writer’s workshop which includes essays, poetry, narratives, fiction, non-fiction and mysteries.  Research skills are also expanded as students use library resources and the internet to locate information. At this stage, students develop greater skill in taking notes, paraphrasing and organizing information as they produce written reports and create multimedia presentations.

Library

Independent use of the Little School Library affords students daily opportunities to hear stories, choose books or work with puppets, storyboards or book-making activities.

Social Studies

Students study the ancient Egyptians (archaeology, geography, culture) and immigration during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  Students also develop understanding, respect and appreciation of other cultures; identify and extract important information; use note taking and summarizing to record information; work cooperatively and present research results through projects, writing and presentations.   Students study current events using time for Kids.

Mathematics

Students study operations with whole numbers and decimals (money), time, data, graphs and geometry.  Students add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.  They also evaluate and simplify algebraic expressions.

World Language

By fourth grade, students have built basic vocabulary and language structures in Spanish.  Through modeling, they acquire familiarity with simple topics and fundamental patterns of the language.  Oral communication is emphasized and students act and respond to basic commands and directions given in the classroom.  The cultural component centers on major Mexican and Spanish holiday celebrations.

Science

Students focus on ecology of the temperate deciduous forest including invertebrates, plants, and birds of our campus. Environmental responsibility is stressed through the study of Jean Craighead George’s book There’s an Owl in the Shower.

Music

Our fourth graders sing from a repertoire of songs, including folk and patriotic, along with songs from other cultures.  Work continues on the basic sightreading of music through rhythms and through use of the recorder. Basic conducting skills in 2/4, 3 /4, 4/4 time is introduced, as well as recognition of what the different meters feel like.  Students are exposed to clips from classic musicals that demonstrate elements of dance and song.

In addition to the general music program, there are a number of music options for students in Little School.  There are separate violin groups for grades three and four, a combined third and fourth grade chorus, and an ensemble non-string group of fourth grade instrumentalists.  Each of these voluntary ensembles meets before school.

Art

The art program encourages creative problem solving and the acquisition of technical skills.  The focus is on developing fine motor coordination and learning to draw familiar objects more realistically.  Students visit museums or galleries and develop an awareness of artists and their work.  As well, each student keeps a sketchbook journal.

Physical Education

Students are given the opportunity to learn numerous athletic and manipulative skills.  Group participation, team work, fitness and sportsmanship are stressed in all tasks and activities.  Throwing, catching, kicking, shooting, dribbling, striking, and passing skills were practiced using a variety of equipment such as footballs, football tees, soccer balls, and hockey sticks. The students are taught many techniques and strategies that will enable them to perform these skills successfully.

English as Second Language

This program provides English language instruction to non-native speakers of English to enhance student speaking, reading, listening comprehension and writing.  Students enter the E.S.L. program at different levels by recommendation from the Admissions Committee or classroom teachers. Instruction is individualized according to student ability.