Language Arts is taught through reading, writing, listening and speaking.  In the lower grades, teachers implement a balanced approach to teaching reading that incorporates language experience, guided reading strategies, phonics and multi-sensory approaches to language.  These increase student involvement and motivate further exploration and growth.  In upper grades, children are exposed to a literature-based reading program that includes a variety of nonfiction and reference materials as well as works of fiction.  Skills, strategies, and literary techniques are taught within the context of the reading program across all grade levels.

Writing occurs daily in the classrooms through the use of various forms such as labeling, dictation, journal writing, research reports and learning logs.  A writing workshop approach is used at all grade levels.  Students work through all the phases of writing, from brainstorming to producing a final draft.

Grammar instruction takes place within the context of reading, writing, and speaking.  Formal, weekly instruction in grammar begins in grade two and teachers in grades two through six use the Daily Grammar Practice program, which is designed to help students understand the basics of grammar and mechanics through repetition so that they can get the most out of lessons in usage and writing. New concepts are broken into small parts and introduced as part of the daily lesson.

Inventive and phonetic spelling are encouraged for beginning writers.  Grades one through three use the How To Spell Series as well as other materials to build children’s spelling success.  The spelling program is based on phonemic awareness.  Students learn and practice rules for spelling the sounds that make up the English language.  In grades four, five and six, teachers use Rebecca Sitton’s Sourcebook for Teaching Spelling and Word Skills, a research-based instructional model with which teachers can target instruction based on students’ needs and development.

The Curriculum Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics, developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), have been adopted as the guiding principles of our math program.  The math series correlate with the NCTM Standards.

The Mathematics Their Way program is used in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. The focus of Math Their Way is pre-number concepts and skills, number operations, place value and critical thinking.  Students begin work with concrete manipulatives and then move into connecting and symbolic levels.

The Children’s School uses the Everyday Mathematics program for kindergarten through sixth grades.  Everyday Mathematics recognizes and builds on children’s capabilities by expanding the range of their mathematical experiences and ideas. Children learn mathematics by doing mathematics.  Broad topic categories for grade levels include: numeration; operations and relations; data collection and analysis; geometry; measures and reference frames; money; and patterns, rules and functions. The program has built-in extensions and flexibility that allow it to be tailored to the needs of students of every ability.  The Everyday Mathematics program is very closely aligned with the NCTM standards.

Teachers introduce science through exploration of the natural and physical world. Older and younger students are encouraged to solve problems using process skills that include observation, classification, record keeping, making hypotheses, experimentation, consideration of variables, and drawing conclusions. The program uses a hands-on, investigative approach that is correlated to the developmental needs of students. The program is designed for students to gain concept and topic knowledge as well as science skills as they progress. Our science lab enables our students to have more hands-on, interactive science experiences. It provides a stimulating environment to enhance the science program. Periodically throughout the year, students attend science enrichment classes that enhance our existing science curriculum.

The overall goals in the social studies program are to equip students with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values for responsible and effective participation in all aspects of a global society, to improve students’ abilities to make intelligent and socially responsible decisions, and to assist in developing informed attitudes towards controversial issues. Six themes are stressed: cultural studies; history; civics; geography; economics; and science, technology and society. In each of these areas, there is an expanding progression of topics moving from self, family and home to world issues and cultures. The instructional program provides for children’s active involvement in their learning process. It is interactive with other areas of the curriculum and encourages taking learning beyond the classroom, including community service projects.

The character education curriculum is called Building Character and Community. We believe that as a school and a community, we are responsible for the social, emotional, intellectual and academic growth of each child. We care not only about children’s growth while they attend our school, but also as they move beyond our school and ultimately, into their adult lives. We intend to work in partnership as an interrelated community of faculty, administration, students and parents to provide our children with the strong character traits they will need to be successful, responsible, and compassionate citizens in a complex world.

The Children’s School makes an intentional effort to teach values to our children that will help them to be caring and productive citizens. It is important that these values be reinforced at home. Our counselor has put together resources to help support our families continue our Character Education program at home.

The Children’s School’s philosophy includes a strong emphasis on community service. One of the goals of the school is to help each student understand his or her responsibility to make a contribution to society. It is a part of the curriculum at every grade level. In addition to school-wide service projects, each class selects at least one beneficiary and plans and implements a service project.

Each sixth grader must perform 30 hours of community service in order to graduate. An award is presented at graduation to the sixth grader who has completed the greatest number of hours of community service.

Each year there are opportunities for families to participate in projects sponsored by local service organizations throughout the community.

The health curriculum encompasses building self-esteem and coping skills, building decision-making and relationship skills, body awareness and hygiene, becoming informed about drugs, sexuality education and AIDS education. Health education takes place through day-to-day informal discussions in the classrooms as well as particular units of study throughout the school year.

Students in grades three through six go on fall or spring overnight camping trips to a variety of state parks. Teachers integrate each trip into grade-level curricula through classroom study and on-site activities. The trips are planned and sequenced so that over a four-year period students can develop skills and competencies in camping, hiking and canoeing as well as familiarity with the ecology of mountains, barrier islands, cypress swamps and rivers. Our Outdoor Education program is unique among elementary schools in the Atlanta area.

Technology instruction is integrated with subject areas in the curriculum as well as taught separately in our computer lab. Classroom teachers and the technology specialist work together to find appropriate software to support academic subjects in the classroom, where students have access to computers. The computers in the classroom learning centers allow students access to technology for both group and individual projects. Beginning in kindergarten, students receive formal instruction in the computer lab. The instruction in the computer lab enhances classroom lessons and strengthens technology literacy of individual students. By the time students graduate at the end of sixth grade, they will have familiarity with drawing and typing programs, the Microsoft Office suite of programs, Adobe Photoshop, web design, and Lego Robotics. We have a words-per-minute typing expectation for fifth and sixth graders and they are encouraged to practice their keyboarding skills at home.

Foreign Language specialists teach Spanish to students in pre-primary and pre-kindergarten once per week for 20 minutes, to students in kindergarten through grade three two days per week for 30 minutes each period and 40 minutes twice a week in grades four, five, and six. Our goal is to provide a sequential language learning experience that works toward confidence in the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students gain exposure to the language as well as to Hispanic cultures, countries and famous individuals.

All students visit the media center weekly. The program focus is on literature appreciation and information literacy skills. The media specialists work closely with classroom teachers to incorporate classroom studies into the media program. Beginning in pre-kindergarten, students may check books of their choice out from the library.

At all levels, the visual arts program strives to give children meaningful, enjoyable experiences with art. Children progress from exploratory experiences toward growing expertise with a variety of media. Children meet with the art specialist weekly. Projects range from free use of imagination to structured activities.

The Children’s School uses an eclectic approach to music instruction. This approach affords the opportunity for students to sing, dance and listen and to express themselves musically. Students enjoy music within their classrooms and meet with a music specialist once a week. Students in grades four, five, and six are offered the opportunity to participate in two after-school music programs, the chorus and the band.

Within the physical education program, students develop fitness and wellness, experiment with creative movement, play multicultural games and develop leisure and sports skills. Students meet with a physical education specialist twice a week.