At EDS, our lower school students are active participants in their own learning. We believe that children learn best by doing. Critical thinking and academic confidence are developed through experiential learning opportunities supported by innovative teaching and collaborative partnerships. Whether students are focused on individual or collaborative learning, in lower school they have the opportunity to explore, wonder, study, and play both in traditional and outdoor settings.
Our highly skilled faculty encourage students to think creatively and work as they continue to build upon foundational skills and further develop their individual interests and abilities. Using flexible groupings and differentiated instruction, our faculty work collaboratively to meet the needs of all learners. We strive to meet students where they are and provide them with the necessary resources and support they need to be successful academically, socially, and emotionally. We are committed to building strong partnerships with families so that every interaction and experience holds the potential for meaningful learning. We celebrate and nurture the development of the whole child, body, mind, and spirit, empowering them to reach their full potential.
Amy Tomblinson
Head of Preschool and Lower School
Academics
EDS students are taught the skills and concepts that allow them to develop and build upon foundational literacy skills to become curious and independent readers, writers, listeners, and public speakers. All students K-4 use the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum, grounded in the science of reading. Its focus is building deep content knowledge with research-based foundational skills. Using flexible groupings and differentiated instruction, our students are taught the skills and concepts necessary to develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills which foster the development of lifelong readers and writers.
Orton Gillingham Method
Our K-4 classroom teachers and assistants have participated in training to become certified at the classroom level in the Orton Gillingham Method. This ongoing training provides our faculty with the primary content knowledge of research-based explicit language instruction to support students when reading, writing, and spelling become challenging.
Learning Without Tears
Kindergarten students explore correct posture and pencil grip, lowercase letters, words and sentences, and numbers as the program progresses through multi-sensory and writing-based activities. This program is unique, as it provides a variety of developmental activities and strategies which help students to become more confident and skilled in handwriting.
Singapore Math is the basis for all math instruction in lower school. The intentional progression of concepts instills a deep understanding of mathematical concepts.
Our science curriculum, supported by regular visits to our Flowing Wells campus, is used to engage students to actively construct ideas through their own inquiries, investigations, and analyses. Grade level curricular goals are directly tied to experiential learning activities and projects which are thematically based.
What does it mean to be a member of a community? EDS students are engaged in cross-curricular projects and activities which enable them to cultivate and develop both critical thinking and analytical skills. Building a firm foundation in the areas of history, geography, government, and economics prepares students to thrive in our diverse, changing, and interdependent world.
Co-curriculars
All lower school students participate in STEM activities and integrated units of study at the Flowing Wells Campus. Grade level themes include exploration and a sense of place in nature, insects, plants and gardening, metamorphosis, and ecosystems and interdependence.
The art program exposes students to a variety of concepts, techniques, and media. The basic elements of art, line, color, shape, and space are developed and introduced sequentially in lower school.
The music program fosters music appreciation through singing, listening, moving, and playing instruments. The EDS St. Christopher’s Choir sings during weekly chapel services as well as other community gatherings.
Lower School introduces students to the Spanish language and culture using stories, songs, games, poems, rhymes, and role-playing. In kindergarten and first grade, the program is oral, and classes are conducted entirely in Spanish. The program is also built upon topics and interests of the children’s age. By second grade, students are introduced to phonics and spelling and how to associate those sounds with the written language. In third grade, students are exposed to simple rules and Spanish grammar. Fourth-grade students are taught to speak and write simple sentences. Spanish vocabulary is integrated into daily activities.
Time is set aside each week for students to visit the library, listen to stories, and explore books they want to read. Our library is the heart of the school and supports a thriving community of readers. The Birthday Book Club even allows families to have a special book dedicated to their child on their birthday. Library time is precious as it allows children to explore their interests and develop self-direction as learners.
The physical education program at EDS is taught with the hope of stimulating a love for physical activity and life-long fitness. Through various activities, each student is allowed to progress at their own rate. The focus is on creating a positive, supportive, and non-threatening environment where each student is encouraged to be the best that he or she can be while developing sportsmanship and a sense of fair play.
In lower school, students have religious education and attend chapel weekly. Godly Play is the curriculum used in kindergarten. In first through third grades, the main stories of the Old and New Testaments are studied through a curriculum based around the Christian year. In fourth grade, students study the Old Testament. The purpose of the fourth grade curriculum is to give our students a strong biblical literacy, an understanding of the Bible’s meaning to the Christian faith, and to introduce the students to the Bible’s importance to Western Civilization.
The technology curriculum emphasizes tools, techniques, and processes that promote digital literacy. Classroom technology supports and enhances all areas of the curriculum and is used as the basis for developing skills that support learning, personal productivity, and decision-making. while also developing real-world skills necessary in continuing education. The following skills are incorporated into classroom activities in which students are: 1) gatherers of information, 2) problem solvers, 3) communicators of knowledge, and 4) safe and ethical users of technology.