Lower School

At Friends Academy, we believe the ability to communicate and express our ideas, both verbally and in writing, as well as actively listen and consider the ideas of others is essential.

Pre-K through Grade 3 utilizes Wilson Fundations, a renowned, multisensory approach to phonics, that helps students develop the tools to be active readers, writers, and meaning-makers.

Readers and Writers Workshop (Kindergarten through Grade 4) fosters children's love of language and supports children's growth as they become critical and analytical thinkers who joyfully dive deeply into texts. The classroom is intentionally curated as a literacy-rich environment. Students develop reading and writing skills through one-on-one teacher conferences, peer-to-peer conferencing, and collaborative small group work. All of these opportunities propel students to the next level of their learning.

Our Social Studies curriculum builds upon itself as children progress, and is focused on helping children develop a healthy sense of self and belonging as an individual in their family, school, local community, and in the global community. Students grow in their ability to conduct research, analyze and evaluate primary and secondary sources, and develop an understanding of multiple perspectives in both modern and historical contexts. The celebration of diversity and commitment to inclusion supports children in seeing how their unique gifts contribute to the greater good of their community and the world.

At Friends Academy, the study of mathematics is much more than arithmetic. By instituting a Problem-Solving Approach to Mathematics, referred to as the CPA Approach (Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract), children learn to construct their own meaning and develop personalized strategies in order to solve challenging problems. Our full-time Lower School Math Specialist works with all students, and individualizes math instruction by offering enrichment and support for Lower School mathematicians. 

Lower School science at Friends Academy is a time to engage in scientific inquiry. Using a phenomena-based approach to learning, students are encouraged to ask questions, make discoveries and develop connections about the natural world. They utilize engineering practices to design solutions that address the phenomena of study.  In addition to hands-on exploration, students must read texts, analyze and evaluate their findings, reason and hypothesize in order to explain and defend their theories both orally and in writing.

In the arts, students are encouraged to lead with curiosity by being offered “challenges” whereby they experiment with multiple ideations. Throughout their tenure in the Lower School, artists engage in multiple arts disciplines, including visual, music, theater, and dance.

All students in the Lower School participate in the World Languages and Cultures program. In an effort to lay the foundation for communication, Early Childhood through fourth grade students study the Spanish language and culture. The instructional goal is to develop listening skills, auditory discrimination, auditory processing, speaking skills, and linguistic awareness. Learning takes place through concrete experiences such as visuals, manipulatives, and hands-on activities that are integral components of instruction accompanied by aural-oral language use.