Elementary
Curiosity Comes to Life
In elementary school, the love of learning starts early.
Paideia’s Elementary school offers engaging multi-age classrooms that focus on the academic, social and emotional growth of students. Classrooms honor children’s developmental stages by providing the ideal structure to meet students where they are and to build bridges to more advanced material.
The Power of Two
By having two teachers in each classroom, we maintain a low student-teacher ratio and prioritize seeing, hearing and caring for our students. Each room’s academic focus ignites a love of learning, solidifying the student’s ability to read and write skillfully, apply mathematical concepts and engage in real-life problem-solving as it relates to the world around them.
Sixth Grade
Sixth grade is a special time at Paideia. By including sixth grade in our elementary school, we better celebrate their maturity, while also preserving their childlike wonder. Our oldest elementary students take great pride in being the leaders of many elementary traditions. Additionally, they hone the increasingly complex skills needed to navigate their schoolwork and friendships without the added pressure of trying to find their place among older middle schoolers.
Junior High sports with seventh and eighth-grade students are available to all of our sixth-grade students.
Central Subject
At the heart of Paideia’s Elementary academic program is central subject, an in-depth, thematic study designed by each classroom’s teaching team. Inspired by the principles of progressive education, central subjects spark broad curiosity and invite deep exploration. Teachers set central subjects in motion with a story, or an object to investigate, and then allow classroom momentum to propel them forward. We intentionally forge new paths as students bring their own ideas, reflections, questions and conclusions to the room. As a result, our students make deep connections between learning and life.
Building a Strong Foundation
Elementary Writing
Elementary Reading
Reading & Writing
A central focus for the elementary is developing and sustaining a deep interest in and love for reading. Of course, reading acquisition comes differently for each child. Every class focuses on word recognition and reading fluency, comprehension and a passion for books. Teachers recognize where each student is on their reading path and offer a tailored approach that best supports and challenges each student.
Writing instruction builds confidence in students’ communication and reasoning. Through daily journaling and writing stories and essays, students learn different styles of writing and how to express themselves creatively and thoughtfully.
Math
Paideia uses The University of Chicago’s Everyday Mathematics curriculum, which emphasizes reasoning, problem-solving and conceptual understanding. Our approach to math is personalized and flexible, allowing teachers to differentiate instruction to challenge advanced learners and support students who may need more time and assistance.
Science
In science, curiosity drives learning. Students design experiments, make observations, test hypotheses and practice differentiating fact from opinion. The elementary science specialists and classroom teachers collaborate to create curricula that emphasize inquiry, understanding of change, pattern recognition and the scientific method.
Art & Music
Creative expression is an integral part of the Paideia experience. In art, students work with a variety of media and techniques to explore principles of design, color theory and art history.
Music begins in lower elementary with joyful exploration through poems, rhymes, games, songs and dances. Older elementary students sing in chorus, and by fifth and sixth grade, they learn to play an instrument as part of the band or orchestra programs.
Elementary Music
Elementary Art
Technology
We consistently evaluate the role of technology in the lives of our youngest learners. We teach our students to be responsible digital citizens, mindful creators and critical consumers of digital content. Our elementary classrooms are equipped with iPads. In lower elementary (grades K-2), students primarily use them to support academic skill development. In the middle and upper elementary (grades 3-6), each student is assigned a personal iPad to help organize and submit their assignments.
Homework
In elementary school, homework takes approximately 10 minutes per night per grade level. (Ex: 2nd grade = 20 min) By the time students are in the upper elementary, they will have approximately one hour of homework a night. In addition to regular homework, students are asked to read for 20-30 minutes per night.
An important part of being an elementary school student is learning how to balance homework and other after-school activities. Teachers work with students to plan their days and time, helping them to formulate a plan to complete their assignments.
Learning Support
In the elementary, our full-time learning specialist works hand-in-hand with teachers and families to support each child’s unique learning profile. At this level, students also benefit from a dedicated math coordinator and reading interventionist.
Parent Involvement
Parents remain a vital part of the day-to-day life of our elementary school. By reading to students (or listening to them read), leading small group activities, distributing lunches and chaperoning field trips, Paideia parents help strengthen our school community. Regardless of how parents choose to volunteer their time, we eagerly welcome families into the elementary school to partner with us and share in the joy of learning.
Elementary at a Glance
- 1:9 teacher student ratio
- Multi-age classrooms
- Strong family partnership
- Lower Elementary, ages 5 ½ - 9 (grades K-3), meets every day from 8:15 a.m. - 2:40 p.m.
- Upper Elementary, ages 9 - 12 (grades 3-6), meets every day from 8:15 a.m. - 2:50 p.m.