LOWER SCHOOL
CURRICULUM SUMMARY I THE STEWARD SCHOOL
Thejourney
of a Lower School student spans a wide range of skills and development as the children learn about themselves, their communities, and the world. Our experience shows that with our small classes and high degree of personal attention, students can be introduced to a broad spectrum of content at a young age, learning to ask questions, apply reason to their problem-solving, and think critically.
Director of Lower School
Becky Groves, who joined the Steward faculty in 2011, earned her B.A. in English education from The College of William & Mary and her M.Ed. from The University of Virginia. In addition, she earned a certification as a Structured Literacy Interventionist from the Center for Effective Reading Instruction and is a certified reading specialist. From 20152023, Mrs. Groves served as Lower School Academic Dean at Steward; she has served as Director of Lower School since 2023. Mrs. Groves is passionate about the power of play as a guidepost for early childhood education and the need for joyful learning experiences for all students.
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LANGUAGE ARTS
Reading and writing, the cornerstones of education, are the focus of our language arts programs in Lower School. We take pride in seeing how our students’ storytelling and drawing skills evolve into confident reading and writing abilities. Our classroom environment fosters choice and challenge, ensuring each student’s unique journey in literacy.
Our reading program is structured as a workshop, with instruction designed within units of study that can be personalized to meet each student’s needs. At the
younger grade levels, students apply their newly acquired phonics skills to decodable texts. As they progress, the focus shifts to leveled readers and then to chapter books within genre studies. We prioritize student choice and ‘just right’ books, teaching reading skills and strategies explicitly and systematically.
Our writing program follows the writing workshop format. It allows students to nurture their identities as writers and teachers tailor instruction to best meet all students’ needs. Units of study are genre-based, and grammar studies are incorporated throughout the writing process.
Our word study program utilizes methods and strategies from the Orton-Gillingham framework. This direct, explicit, and sequential curriculum ensures a strong foundation in both phonics and vocabulary acquisition.
Our handwriting instruction follows the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.
MATHEMATICS
Throughout Lower School, the math curriculum prepares students to be independent learners, problem solvers, abstract thinkers, and accurate computers. Strong number sense is built through manipulatives, problem-solving
strategies, varied methods, and a spiraling review of previously introduced material. Algebraic concepts, geometry, and math vocabulary are introduced early in the Lower School curriculum; problem-solving activities, math talks, and math journals are tools that enrich students’ mathematical understanding. The Hands-On Equations program for balancing algebraic expressions enriches the fifthgrade curriculum and bridges middle-school math concepts. Upper elementary math courses focus on multiplication, division, fractions, and decimals with increasingly more complex numbers.
UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD
Our social studies curriculum guides students to develop an understanding of the responsibilities of good citizenship and to appreciate historical events and influences. Active, responsible students and citizens live, learn, and work together. Lessons include history studies (local, regional, national, and international), economics, and geography. Social studies units are closely integrated with science, language arts, and mathematics units, and field trips highlight as many aspects of the relevant topics as possible. Spanish instruction is part of the curriculum beginning in junior kindergarten and fosters an understanding of both the language and culture.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENGINEERING
Curiosity is the key to our science curriculum during the Lower School years. Whether the students
are studying the Earth and its resources (our environment), plants and animals (biology), motion and mass (physics), or conducting experiments (chemistry), they are learning to ask questions and absorb facts. Interactive lessons around campus, including the Bryan Innovation Lab and its surrounding gardens, allow students to make real-world connections as they investigate principles related to the natural world. Children’s engineering lessons support the science curriculum through design and systems thinking models, and the scientific method is introduced as early as first grade so that young minds are trained to think in logical steps.
EXPRESSIVE ARTS
Self-expression is vital to the development of young minds.
K-5 students participate in five-week theatre sessions that culminate in grade-level plays. These plays focus on confidence in public speaking and are tied into other disciplines of study in each grade.
Visual art is an essential component of a foundational education, and these lessons allow students to express themselves in various artistic mediums.
Music is an area our students love because they enjoy participation through singing, playing instruments, performance, and learning to spread joy.
COMMUNITY STEWARDS
At Steward, we believe that all children can be leaders if they find something they are passionate about. We’ve developed our Fifth Grade Leadership Program to help nurture these passions. Fifth graders have the opportunity to self-select any of the available leadership opportunities, including serving as community stewards, program speakers, Bryan Lab ambassadors, and members of the school spirit committee.
The thing we love most about Steward is that our daughter is engaged in the classroom in a way that makes her excited to go to school every day. The support and acceptance she feels from the school community at Steward have encouraged her to try new things and feel comfortable in her skin. Helping students THRIVE is what Steward does best!”
– STEWARD PARENT