May. 09, 2008 Main Profile
Lower School Program
The lower school at Aiken Prep is dedicated to providing a well-rounded academic program. The program provides a foundation of basic skills and enhances that learning with a multitude of exciting and enriching activities. The curriculum concentrates on thorough mastery of skills in reading, language arts, and math. It also provides a solid and sequential introduction to the studies of science, social studies, foreign language, physical education, computer technology, and the fine arts. Instruction is provided in ways that appeal to the various learning styles of children. Innovative, hands-on activities are combined with traditional instruction to enhance the learning experience.
Kindergarten Program
The kindergarten program at Aiken Prep is comprehensive and challenging, but developmentally appropriate. Students learn the basics of reading, math, and science in a caring, enriching environment. Teachers understand that each child is unique and that they learn in different ways. For this reason, lessons are presented in a variety of ways to address all of the different learning styles.
Reading:
Reading is critical to students as it is the cornerstone of performing well in all subject areas. In 4K and 5K, students learn the basics of reading through the phonics-based Open CourtReading program. This program carefully and methodically introduces students to the basic skills that are the foundation for reading. Story time is important in kindergarten, as students need to hear good reading in order to become good readers themselves. Writing is also a crucial part of the program; students are taught the basics of letter formation, sounding out words, and writing sentences.
Mathematics:
Teachers lay the foundation for success in math by presenting the basic concepts of numbers to the students in 4K and 5K. Math is best understood in context, as opposed to just learning rote facts. For this reason, math instruction often includes the use of games and real-life activities. There are few math worksheets, but many hands-on activities.
Science:
Science instruction caters to the natural sense of wonder that most four- and five-year-olds have. Science is taught by starting with what students already know about a subject such as plants, animals, or colors, and expanding on that knowledge. Science is explored through many hands-on experiments, field trips, and on-campus explorations.
Specials:
Students in 4K and 5K attend various “special” classes throughout the week including computer, physical education, library, Spanish, music, and art. These classes give students the opportunity to shine in areas outside the classroom, and they learn valuable skills along the way.
Public Speaking:
Public speaking begins in the kindergarten program. Each student in the school learns a poem or speech for the yearly Declamation contest. A preliminary competition is held in each classroom, and the finalists recite their pieces in front of the entire student body. Students also have opportunities to perform in school plays and classroom productions during the year.
Student relationships are very important in 4K and 5K. Aiken Prep is a place where the youngest students feel as if the students in high school are some of their best friends. Younger students work with older students on a variety of projects and the relationships that are built may last a lifetime.
Aiken Prep’s kindergarten program focuses on the whole child. Students are taught basic academic skills and basic life skills simultaneously. Students learn how to be part of their classroom community by sharing, helping, following the rules, and contributing in their own special way. Students are taught good manners and are expected to use them no matter where they are in the school. The teachers at Aiken Prep know that they are not just teaching for today, because a lifetime of learning starts here.
1st Grade- 5th Grade
Reading:
In grades 1 and 2, the Open CourtReading program is used for reading and language instruction. A combination of phonics and whole language instruction gives the children the tools they need for success in reading. The emphasis on phonics ensures that students have a secure understanding of the connection between letters and sounds. Once this foundation is built, students are immersed in literature. In grades 3–5 the focus is on the use of literature to expand the student’s knowledge in diverse curriculum areas and on the correct use of the English language. Teachers also read aloud to students daily and provide books and materials to stimulate beginning and intermediate readers.
Writing:
Lower school students write on a daily basis. Activities include journals, stories, reports, and pen pal letters. Written language is held to standards appropriate to the child’s grade level. Students use their writing skills in all subject areas and practice the critical writing processes of prewriting, writing, revising, and rewriting. As the students advance through the lower school, grades are given both for mechanics and for creativity. A portfolio of written work is compiled for each student and travels with them from grade to grade, allowing the receiving teacher to take students from their current writing level to the next.
Mathematics:
The Chicago “Everyday Math” program is used for formal instruction in all lower school grades. This program builds math concepts using a spiral curriculum. Concepts are introduced, but not necessarily mastered the first time. Students move on to other concepts, but revisit earlier topics throughout the year, mastering skills at their own pace. Other methods of instruction include games and real-life activities.
Science:
The scientific process is taught using the young students’ natural curiosity about the world around them. An emphasis is placed on learning through hands-on experiences and observations. Lower school students have the opportunity to work with older students on many science activities. Field trips are also an integral part of the science program, including several visits to the RuthPatrickScienceEducationCenter at the University of South Carolina-Aiken. In grades 1 and 2, the FOSS/Delta Education Science program is used for formal instruction. This teacher-guided, hands-on curriculum encourages exploration, the use of the scientific method, and the recording of data. A science text is added in grades 3-5. Students use Aiken Prep’s on-campus science labs and participate in the school’s “Science Explosion,” a day dedicated to presenting and exploring various science exhibits.
Social Studies:
Social studies instruction helps students become aware of what it means to be a part of a community. In grades 1-2 students are expected to contribute to their classroom community by following the rules, cleaning up after themselves, and being good citizens. Formal instruction begins in grade 3 with a study of South Carolina History. In grades 4 and 5, students study American history and geography using the MacMillan/McGraw Hill Adventures in Time and Place series. All grades learn about history through discussions and activities about holidays such as Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Presidents Day.
Foreign Language:
Spanish is studied in all of the lower grades. Classes are taught twice a week to students in grades 1-4 and three times a week to students in grade 5. Students practice the sounds and vocabulary of the language and explore Spanish culture and heritage. Songs, crafts, and games are an important part of instruction, and the lower school classes demonstrate their proficiency at Aiken Prep’s Spanish Fair held annually in the fall.
Physical Education:
Because movement and exercise promote wellness, develop gross and fine motor skills, and enhance learning, physical education is an integral part of Aiken Prep’s curriculum for all lower school students. Classes are scheduled twice a week and allow students to explore their physical talents and athletic abilities. Limited participation in competitive athletics is open to students in grade 5. All students have the opportunity to compete in the school’s annual spring Field Day.
Drama:
The study of drama in the lower school begins in the classroom as students do classroom presentations. Some classroom presentations are shared with the entire student body during full-school assemblies. Lower school students also have other opportunities to perform, including a holiday musical in December and a Spring Concert. Students memorize lines, learn songs, dance, play instruments, and perform for an audience of the middle and high school students, parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors. All students also participate in the annual Declamation Contest, where they memorize a piece (a poem or a speech) and recite it for a panel of judges.
Music:
Lower school students have music instruction on a weekly basis. Music is taught through song, movement, use of rhythm instruments, and listening exercises that develop an appreciation for various types of music. Students learn classic songs, as well as songs that reinforce basic academic skills. Additionally, students in grades 3-5 have the chance to participate in Aiken Prep’s Minstrels, a choral group which performs for assemblies and at various community events. The Minstrels and individual lower school musicians compete annually at the SCISA Music Festival.
Art:
Students in grades 1-5 attend weekly art classes in Aiken Prep’s art studio. They explore various media including clay, watercolors, chalk, charcoal, and ink. They are encouraged to expand their understanding of art and to use their artistic talents to complete various projects.
Computer:
Lower school students spend time each week in one Aiken Prep’s computer labs. They may practice reading or math skills, learn keyboarding, or work on various projects and activities intended to develop computer literacy and enhance curriculum goals.
Library:
Lower school students visit the school library weekly. Their time there may involve learning library etiquette, listening to a story, or receiving instruction in the use of reference materials. Older students may use their library time to select reading materials or to do research for class assignments.
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