Grades 1 - 4

The KTS grade 1-4 program provides students with a strong foundation upon which their future academic studies build. We provide an individualized program that is guided by children’s interests to keep them engaged and continue to foster their natural love of learning. With an emphasis on the whole student, our program focuses on both academic and social development, as well as learning grace, courtesy, manners, and kindness. We offer students an inclusive and empathetic class and school community.

LANGUAGE

The grades 1-4 language program uses structured literacy to develop all aspects of language - reading, writing, speaking, listening and appreciation.

Beginning in Grade 1, students receive explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness (the ability to notice and manipulate sounds in words), phonics (the sound-symbol relationships or English “code”) as well as decoding and encoding words (reading and spelling based on knowledge of the sound-symbol codes and language structures in English).

Both the “Handwriting Without Tears” program to build students’ written communication skills and the “Wordly Wise” vocabulary-building program begin in Grade 1 and continue through the grades. In addition, the “Six Plus One Writing Traits Language Program develops voice, ideas, presentation, conventions, organization and word choice to achieve sentence fluency. As the students’ written and oral communication skills advance, they learn how to write and deliver speeches, with public speaking starting in Grade 1. They also read and study age-appropriate literature each year, leading to a Book Menu project in Grade 4, and engage in a variety of creative writing activities.

Elementary student working on a comic book project

MATHEMATICS

KTS offers an exceptional mathematics program that follows an established approach of incremental introduction to concepts, with foundations strengthened through continuous practice and assessment. Our program includes opportunities to learn mathematical concepts through the use of hands-on materials and manipulatives, as well as the use of online learning tools.

SCIENCE

Students are encouraged to grow as young scientists through hands-on activities and experiments. Students learn to follow the scientific method and apply this learning throughout their studies.

Elementary students playing a game of checkers

SOCIAL STUDIES

In grades 1-4, the social studies program cultivates the students’ understanding of who they are, where they come from, where they belong, and how they contribute to the society in which they live. Students develop a sense of connection between past and present, and learn about how they may make contributions to their local, national and global communities.

MUSIC

In grades 1-4, students learn how to play the ukulele and recorder. Our music program is taught by a captivating specialist music teacher who introduces students to the foundations of musical expression, appreciation, and performance.

VISUAL ARTS

In grades 1-4, the visual arts program focuses on exploration and the development of creative skills. Students are introduced to various art materials, tools, and techniques. They are encouraged to discover their unique talents while learning about some of the elements and principles of design and engaging in a variety of drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, and sculpting activities.

TECHNOLOGY

Starting in grade 1, our students have a technology class which focuses on STEM based learning. Students have access to laptop computers and our Maker’s Space and learn to plan, design, make, test and reflect while sharing their ideas and building their collaboration skills.

Art work by a grade 3 student. A stick planted in an apple, with things they are thankful for written on leaves

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Our students benefit from a Physical Education program that includes two classes per week to promote active learning, build physical literacy, enhance the students’ motivation and their ability to focus, and develop cooperation and sportsmanship.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND PLANNING SKILLS

Starting in grade 1, students are given weekly homework assignments. These assignments follow a familiar and predictable format, which helps students develop the organizational and planning skills needed in upper grades. As the students mature, homework expectations increase to include completing any unfinished work, doing projects (e.g., science or social studies projects), and preparing for tests. Importantly, in addition to increasing expectations of students, our teachers also focus on developing the skills needed to meet these expectations.