Lower School

Junior and senior kindergarten at NSCD provide children with opportunities to grow and learn. Teachers focus on the intellectual, physical, social and emotional development of each child. Our children are known, valued and stretched academically and explore ideas and learn.

North Shore’s well-rounded curriculum allows kindergarteners to learn through exploration and experiential play. The program is also part of a larger school community serving students JK-12 that fosters opportunities for sharing and connecting with students of all ages.

In first grade, students continue to build upon the fundamentals and to develop the lifelong love of learning engendered in kindergarten. Social studies provides the background that makes reading, writing and math come alive. Science, music, art and Spanish are also integrated into the curriculum, providing students with a well-rounded introduction into subjects and activities that continue to stimulate their intellectual, physical, social and emotional development.

Children in first grade learn in both small groups and larger communities. For example, they practice reading stories in small groups, which provide a culture for comprehension, discussion, phonics and writing projects. Students even publish several of their own books throughout the year. 

Through hands-on experiments and lessons, children begin to grasp math concepts as ways of computation and of solving equations. They experience individual and group accomplishments as they tally, weigh, measure, estimate, graph and problem-solve. Students are able to enjoy learning math as a fun and important part of each day.

The second grade reading/language arts program strives to build the students’ reading skills and allow them to explore their interests. Students read for pleasure independently and also participate daily in small, theme-based reading groups. Daily oral language exercises solidify students’ mechanical and grammatical skills, while journaling, directed- and free-writing times provide additional opportunities for students to develop writing skills and share their creative work.

The math program emphasizes the validity of divergent thinking. By developing varied mathematical strategies, students reinforce and enhance computational and problem-solving skills. These skills are then applied to real-life situations. Hands-on activities build concepts such as measurement, money, place value and time.
 
The social studies program encourages exploration of various cultures. The study of different family styles and traditions enriches the students with integrated research experiences, and an awareness of the world and lives of others. Classroom access to technology allows for an exciting and realtime investigative tool as well as the opportunity to correspond with individuals around the world.
 
A partnership with Orphans of the Storm allows for students to practice reading to animals, and adds variety and richness to the second grade experience while introducing seven- and eight-year-olds to North Shore’s commitment to service.
 
Whether singing or acting in the second grade play, sharing or writing family memories, practicing Spanish, creating art, giving animal presentations or interviewing famous people for the biography unit, it is our goal that second graders actively extend their understanding and knowledge of the world around them, and acquire the strategies to become curious, engaged, self-directed, lifelong learners.

Third grade is the transition year between the lower and upper elementary grades. Homework is a regular feature and work in all academic areas intensifies. The social and emotional growth of each child comprises an integral part of the curriculum, as do opportunities for self-expression and group participation.

The reading program includes the use of several full-length novels. Children respond to their reading through writing, drawing, acting and discussion. Students also create “Book Quest” projects and reports. 

Language arts activities are integrated throughout the day. They include collecting ideas in “Writer’s Notebooks,” writing in myriad formats, editing, spelling and cursive writing. 

Math instruction emphasizes the use of the concrete to understand concepts and operations. Students become adept at using regrouping in addition, borrowing in subtraction and developing multiplication skills. They learn division and explore fractions, measurement and geometry. Children practice mental math and experience extensive problem solving. 

The social studies program explores the concept of culture and compares our own culture to a number of diverse groups including Native Americans, colonists and slaves on the Underground Railroad. These cultures are examined through role playing, group work/projects, reports and field trips. “Town Meetings” of the class provide opportunities for students to discuss a host of topics relevant to third graders.

In addition, students receive instruction in science, Spanish, art, music technology and physical education.

The fourth grade language arts curriculum hones students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. Reading and discussing various literary genres both as a class and in small reading groups provides students with a rich literary background with which to model their own writing. Composition is approached as a process where student journal, produce drafts, and conference with peers and with the teacher before using the computer to publish their pieces. Whether writing poetry, fables, persuasive letters, or fiction, fourth graders are given the opportunity to make decisions like authors.

In math, fourth graders work both individually and cooperatively to identify patterns and solve problems grounded in mathematical and real-life contexts. They develop multiple strategies, explaining their reasoning, and hearing that of others. Using manipulatives, calculators, games, mental math, and pencil and paper, students investigate the operations of multi-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; the number system; fractions and area; data collection and analysis; and graphing and problem-solving with time, money and distance.
 
Social studies involves a study of American history beginning with the early colonists through the U.S. Civil War. Field trips to area nature centers and museums add to this year long curricular unit.
 
Science, Spanish, art, music, technology and physical education are also integrated into the curriculum.

Fifth graders expand and integrate skills and knowledge learned in the lower grades. They develop an openness to learning and a willingness to consider new ideas. In independent work as well as in cooperative groups, the emphasis is on language arts, math, science and social studies concepts and strategies needed for the successful transition to middle school. An emphasis on reading and writing throughout the curriculum make connections among those content areas. Students use their writing skills daily. Quality literature is the basis of the reading program. Group discussions and projects extend the literature into meaningful learning experiences and develop critical-thinking skills.

Through problem solving, visuals and manipulatives, and by developing practical skills such as how to use a calculator, fifth graders continue to enhance their math vocabulary and their critical-thinking skills. They come to understand how math is an integral part of everyday life. By performing diagnoses of concepts, they also develop abstract-thinking skills, as well as continue practicing basic computations. 

The fifth grade social studies curriculum includes the study of Greek and Roman civilizations and cultures. Students begin to understand the basis for the government of the United States by drawing comparisons. Students also engage in research through numerous field trips and using the World Wide Web. They then put these opportunities to use in group projects, hands-on activities, individual reports and through reading and outlining of texts.

In addition, students receive instruction in Spanish, art, music, technology and physical education.