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Grades K-2
Lower Elementary
Children in these critical early grades thrive in a nurturing, intellectually stimulating environment that allows them to safely extend their cognitive and emotional boundaries. Because of our small class sizes, our lower school teachers get to know each student on a personal level, tailoring the curriculum to benefit each child.
Lower elementary students widen their concept of the world in both traditional and nontraditional ways. Teachers incorporate unique projects, performances, electives, and field trips into the curriculum. Students practice researching and constructing knowledge on a wide range of topics, often combining subjects in interdisciplinary ways.
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Students are exposed to Spanish at the preschool level, and begin reading and writing Spanish as early as first grade. Implementing the recommendations of the American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages, (ACTFL), we strive for communication in the Spanish classroom to comprise 90% of instructional time. All KCDS students take Spanish four times per week. Our lower school is further enriched by music, visual art, and physical education.
Lower Elementary Curriculum
Math Curriculum
Bridges in Mathematics
A comprehensive PK–5 curriculum that equips teachers to fully address state standards in a rigorous, engaging, and accessible manner. Students gain a deep understanding of concepts, proficiency with key skills, and the ability to solve complex problems. The curriculum is composed of three distinct but integrated components: Problems & Investigations, Work Places and Number Corner. Problems & Investigations: This is the lesson portion of Bridges that involve instruction, real-world application, and daily practice of math standards. Work Places: Math games students play with one another. These games tend to tie multiple math standards together and afford students the opportunity to apply their math knowledge in a strategy-based way in order to attempt to beat their opponent. Number Corner: This is a pattern and connection-building portion of Bridges that is tied to a daily calendar.
Science Curriculum
Phenomenal Science
Phenomenal Science is a complete set of K-5 science units developed by Michigan educators to meet the Michigan Science Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. The units integrate instructional strategies for implementing 3D learning in K-5 science, such as; productive talk, integration, notebooking, and inquiry cycles or storylines planned around anchoring phenomena. The units contain everything a teacher will need to facilitate three-dimensional science instruction according to the new Michigan Science Standards, including hands-on components. Additionally, the units all integrate engineering, math, and language arts.
ELA Curriculum
Collaborative Classroom
A comprehensive K–5 reading program, Being a Reader™ is the first of its kind to integrate foundational skills instruction, practice in reading comprehension strategies, and rich literacy experiences with explicit social skills instruction and activities that foster students’ growth as responsible, caring, and collaborative people. Being a Writer™ is the only time-tested, research-based program that successfully integrates essential components of comprehensive writing instruction and explicit social skills development to foster students’ ability to communicate as writers and become responsible, caring members of the classroom community. SIPPS® is a research-based foundational skills program proven to help both new and struggling readers in grades K–12, including English learners and students identified with dyslexia. The program’s systematic scope and sequence provides a structured-literacy approach to instruction through explicit routines focused on phonological awareness, spelling-sounds, and sight words. When used as Tier 2 and Tier 3, SIPPS accelerates progress so that students are able to efficiently close the gap and engage in grade-level reading.
