Curriculum

First Grade

Lower School students embark on many “firsts," and these “firsts” can be some of the most exciting. Immersed in our family school lifestyle, the students experience Opening Exercises, have some fun with field trips, and participate in our annual traditions during their initial year in the Lower School.

The journey has just begun!

List of 8 items.

Language Arts
- Reading and writing workshops
- Comprehension, accuracy, and fluency in vocabulary
- Creating personal narratives, friendly letters, and crafting responses to poetry
- Hands-on phonics lessons
Mathematics

●     Explore a variety of strategies for solving computation problems
●     Begin to master the skills of addition and subtraction
●     Find patterns, make generalizations and develop mathematical creativity
Science

●     Experiment with the laws of attraction by observing the properties of magnets
●     Infer patterns of electric currents as their first glimpse of technology
●     Explore solids, liquids and gases
●     Tackle botany with units on seeds and seed germination
Social Studies

● Discover the values of community and country by studying aspects of families starting with their own and branching out to families around the world
● Learn about communities, neighborhoods, and their needs and wants
Visual Art

●     Emphasize fine motor skill development and visual manipulation with creative projects
●     Craft works of art using nature, found objects, familiar places, art history, and family and friends as sources of inspiration
●     Spearhead art projects by learning the fundamentals of planning and executing
Music

●     Develop kinesthetic (muscle sense) awareness through dance, step, march, and tap
●     Gather inspiration from a variety of cultures to hone in on the assortment of musical range
●     Study the process of interpreting symbols as a representation of pitch and rhythm
●     Improvise with their voices and create music of their own on instruments of their choosing
Physical Education

●     Mature motor skills, body management, rhythmic awareness, and movement patterns
●     Foster locomotor movements through games of tag and gymnastics
●     Develop coordination and spatial awareness with beanbag tosses, hula-hoops, and jump ropes
Library

●     Become familiar with library procedures
●     Encounter many authors and illustrators
●     Explore and compare fiction and nonfiction, fact and opinion
●     Complete two project-based research projects

Second Grade

Our second graders spend the year becoming fluent readers, tackling mathematical algorithms and learning about the world’s cultures. Building on their first-grade studies of families around the world, second graders “travel” to a variety of countries including Kenya, Mexico, and China, and experience the culture, food, geography, and way of life. Second graders are often found cooking customary dishes in our kitchen, playing a traditional game or acting out folk tales.

List of 8 items.

Language Arts

●     Reading and writing workshops
●     Write personal narratives, fiction, nonfiction and poetry
●     Word study to explore phonetic patterns and introduction to cursive
Mathematics

●     Learn addition and subtraction with regrouping
●     Addition and subtraction word problem
●     Explore concepts of time and money
●     Apply adding and subtracting within 1,000 using a variety of strategies
●     Begin learning multiplication concepts
Science

● Explore the concept of chemical reactions by testing different variables
● Learning more about colored solutions
Social Studies

●     Immersion in the study of a variety of countries
●     Compare and contrast traditions and customs
●     Learn and identify continents and oceans
Visual Art

●     Learn to make specific decisions in their own artwork regarding line, color, and other visual elements
●     Discover the origin and function of various types of art in terms of everyday life
●     Gain a better understanding of artists’ purposeful use of subject matter, mood and visual elements
Music

● Continue to focus on movement, singing on pitch, critical listening and playing instruments
● Become conscious of pitch relationships in solfege and staff notation, while learning dance in a more complex manner
Physical Education

●     Develop individual athletic skills
●     Fine tune coordination and motor development
●     Collaborate with partners and small groups
Library

● Learn alphabetic order
● Complete the “Nokemon Challenge” (nocturnal animal research)
● Learn how to use OPAC, the school’s online card catalog system

Third Grade

Third grade calls for increased independence and expectations as students expand their skills and abilities. Third graders conduct long-term research projects, immerse themselves in Native American studies, explore complicated math concepts, read longer and write more!

List of 8 items.

Language Arts

● Reading and Writing Workshop
● Narratives, informational pieces, nonfiction, poetry, and note-taking through writing workshops
● Concentrate on writing mechanics featuring the conventions of text layout, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
Mathematics

●     Apply computation strategies when solving addition and subtraction problems
●     Understand multiplication and division
●     Multiply and divide with fluency to 100
●     Introduction to fractional concepts
Science

●     Study the concept of living and nonliving things
●     Perform activities and projects based on the unit of “Identifying Materials”
●     Continue botany studies by diving into the study of plant nutrition
Social Studies

●     Study Native Americans
●     Understand why Europeans immigrated to the United States
●     Conduct a regional study of the United States
●     Know and label USA’s geographic landforms, states, and capitals
Visual Art

●     Identify themes within visual art and appreciate the various types and styles
●     Understand the process of art as a means to express an idea, feeling or nonverbal message
●     Become familiar with the concept of living with art in everyday life and develop the vocabulary necessary for describing, analyzing and interpreting works of art
Music

●     Vocally develop proper tone quality, pitch, breathing, diction, and ability to sing easy parts
●     Handle recorder instrumental work and more structured and intricate dance
●     Learn to sight-sing melodies, as well as sing solos or harmonize in groups
Physical Education

●     Participate in lessons that incorporate both team and individual skills
●     Appreciate the basics of soccer, football, volleyball, basketball, and floor hockey
●     Engage in a fitness-training program in both the fall and spring for a two-week time period
Library

● Begin learning the Dewey Decimal System
● Famous Persons research and iMovies
● Take part in Genius Hour (independent research project)

Enrichment

Enrichment opportunities offered within the school day foster an ever-growing learning environment that inspires creativity and confidence. Teachers enhance these opportunities with their passions and talents. From arts to technology to yoga and meditation to socially meaningful activities, we always offer something different and unique. Some of our programs are tied to certain subject areas, such as math fact practice or literacy clubs, while others aim to provide skills and strategies that translate to classroom learning. Encouraging our students to master their passions or create new ones, we designed our enrichment programs with our Daisy Values in mind.

Literacy

We work to cultivate a love of reading with all students, offering them a variety of genres to explore, so they can discover new interests. This club expands on that idea, offering students who love literature the chance to share their passion with peers and faculty. Through discussion and analysis, this club encourages collegiality and teaches kids how to engage in productive and respectful discussions where they value each other’s opinions.

Technology

Full STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) ahead! The Tatnall Tinker Lab provides the inspiration and physical space to create, to design, and to problem-solve. Teachers guide students through projects from inception to completion, encouraging them to work independently and form their own conclusions.

Service Learning

Our service learning programs provide our students opportunities to explore the power they have to make a difference. Partnering with various organizations, students perform services that fulfill needs within our community, and experience the satisfaction of giving back.

Academic

Our academic programs extend curricular learning beyond the classroom. Students meet in small groups to learn, practice, and explore a variety of topics and skills. These clubs inspire new ways of learning and additional practice that meet the needs of individual students.

Intramurals

Intramurals are an exciting and fun way for our students to demonstrate leadership skills, learn to play on a team, and practice the art of sportsmanship. Seasonal sports keep the students active and reinforce skills they learn in physical education classes while offering a chance to play with peers throughout the year.

Outdoor Learning

Outdoor learning experiences provide opportunities for students to enjoy Tatnall’s 110-acre bucolic campus and learn new skills. Students may find themselves fly-fishing, running, bird-watching, sledding, or following animal tracks. At Tatnall, “No child is left inside”!

Mindfulness Learning

Being mindful and employing techniques to control the body, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are lifelong skills. Practicing mindfulness decreases stress, improves attention, increases compassion and empathy, and improves sleep habits. The skills our Lower School students learn through our mindfulness practice will help them self-regulate and give them the confidence to take advantage of opportunities that are available during their time here at Tatnall.

First Grade

List of 8 items.

Second Grade

List of 8 items.

Third Grade

List of 8 items.

Enrichment

Fourth Grade

List of 8 items.

The Tatnall School