Primary (Grades 1-4)
Curriculum Overview
The cornerstone of our Early Childhood program in PreKindergarten and Kindergarten is accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Each grade performs its own musical production. Each organizes and takes part in a community service project. A holiday musical performance by the lower school is another highlight for the year.
PreKindergarten:
PreK is designed for children ages 3 ½ to 5 ½ to enhance social
skills, creativity, imagination, experimentation and problem solving. Table
projects, circle time, music, computer, physical education, art and library
are all part of the week.
Kindergarten:
With a student to teacher ratio of 8 to 1, students spend much of the day in
small clusters, working on projects and moving from center to center in the
spacious rooms filled with nooks and lofts. A high-energy classroom, St. Edmund’s Academy
kindergarten includes snack, music, art, computer, physical education, rest,
outdoor play and a library time. Block corner, dress-up, painting, construction
projects, and the like allow each child to work with classmates in a cooperative
and self-determined way.
First grade:
Students develop basic academic skills, benefiting from an enriched, varied
and challenging environment. Students write in daily journals, phonetically
at first, and use children’s literature, in all its forms and charm, as
basic reading texts. Math is a combination of text and manipulative materials,
such as place value sticks and cubes to make the abstract concepts real. Science,
computer, physical education, art, music, world cultures and library, complement
the program. Chapel attendance begins in first grade.
Second grade:
Students build and expand on their phonics, spelling and literature-based reading
work. Math focuses on increasing accuracy and speed, while special activities
challenge students to think more critically. Students learn the responsibilities
of homework. Field trips complement classroom work, and science, art, music,
physical education, computer, library and world cultures round out the week.
Third grade:
As students grow more independent, they work with less constant teacher direction.
Teachers stress preparation for formal tests. Reading attention shifts to more
challenging ideas and information. Cursive writing is introduced. Social studies
becomes an effective area to combine the emerging skills of a third grader.
Math moves to multiplication, division, place value, fractions, elementary geometry
and strategies for problem solving. Science, art, music, physical education,
computer, library and world cultures continue as part of the curriculum.
Fourth grade:
With basic skills well established, fourth grade works on organizational and
study skills. Students read novels of children dealing with life’s challenges
in Medieval, Victorian, World War II and modern times. Social studies focuses
on a tour of the U.S., emphasizing culture, industry and history. Math moves
on to focus on problem-solving and higher level strategies for deciphering
complex material. Students are ready for more formal grading, tests and quizzes.
Science, art, physical education, computer, library, world cultures and music
continue.