Lower School Academics

The lower school curriculum provides a strong foundation in reading, writing, speaking and listening to prepare students for a college preparatory curriculum in the upper grades.Teachers pay close attention to developing strong reading skills, not only in language arts, but in all subject areas with an emphasis on fluency and comprehension for not only fiction and poetry but nonfiction texts.  Students learn to write legibly in both print and cursive before learning to type. Each year, students complete focused units on narrative, opinion/argument, and expository writing. Small class sizes and smaller break out groups provide high levels of individual instruction in reading and writing, and the results of that attention are evident in students’ accomplishments and assessment results. In addition to reading and writing, the TMS instructional approach places emphasis on speaking in both small, informal settings and in formal presentations.  Students have the opportunity to present in front of their class and in front of the entire school community on numerous occasions each year.

Combining strands from physical and cultural geography, history, and civics, the lower school curriculum explores a wide range of topics to introduce children to the fascinating world of social studies.  Great personalities, fascinating civilizations, and myths and legends from around the world feed curiosity and build key knowledge. From the around-the-world study of geography and human needs in grades one and two to a focus on American history and government, to an in-depth exploration of cultures and world religions in grades five and six, students begin to form a picture of the world and how it has changed over time. Students learn from both social studies resources, including the Social Studies Alive/History Alive! series from TCI, and children’s literature related to their studies.  Additionally, students participate in activities, role-playing, and games that help to bring social studies to life. Field trips to Kelly Place to study Ancestral Puebloan Peoples, to Santa Fe to study early American history, and to Canyon de Chelly and Window Rock, Arizona to learn about contemporary Native Americans enrich the curriculum.

Students in the lower school develop curiosity and confidence in problem-solving and computation through a curriculum that emphasizes fundamental number sense, fluency in computation, and mathematical thinking and communication. In first and second grades, students continue to use the hands-on materials of the Montessori curriculum to develop their number sense in conjunction with paper and pencil exercises that lead them towards abstraction. Grades three through six use the highly regarded Ready mathematics program that emphasizes reasoning, modeling, and discussion while also developing computational fluency. Small classes and individual instruction, as well as supplementary online curriculum beginning in third grade provide individual support and challenge. As with all classes at TMS, teachers create opportunities to apply learning with real applications, and students participate in activities such as budgeting and planning a road trip, using fractions for baking, and measuring and building projects, such as birdhouses that were part of a kestrel study and a ball pit for the playground.

Lower school students begin to develop the skills, knowledge, and habits of minds that are central to studying natural science. Each year, students explore a range of topics from earth and space, life, and physical science.  Through hands-on experiments, discussions, and open-ended questions, students develop their curiosity and begin to understand the process, core ideas, and content of science. Most importantly, lower school students begin to develop the critical thinking that is necessary to evaluate information and build reasoned explanations and predictions based on evidence.  Of course, science is a subject that lends itself well to the active approach to teaching and learning embraced by TMS, and students participate in numerous hands-on activities and experiments. Field trips include a trip to Fruita for paleontology, to Canyonlands for geology, and to IslandWood on Bainbridge Island, Washington for environmental studies in grade five/six.

Students in the lower school study Spanish as a foreign language, typically meeting four times a week. Using the TPRS approach, students learn the language through speaking and storytelling before learning to read and write in Spanish.  By the end of the sixth grade, students can read novellas, write short stories and essays in Spanish, and understand simple spoken language. With this foundation, they move into a traditional high school Spanish I class as they start grade seven and prepare for the much-anticipated language immersion and homestay program offered in grade nine/ten. In addition to following the TPRS progression of speaking, listening, reading, and writing, students participate in songs, games, and activities that bring the Spanish language and culture to life. Favorite activities include producing short plays, writing songs, making crafts, and participating in a pretend Spanish market.

The lower school art curriculum blends instruction in the elements of art, opportunities to explore and create using different media, and projects that support learning in other subjects. Along the way, students develop the ability to reflect on their artistic process, communicate about their artistic decisions, analyze their work and that of others, and critique visual products using appropriate vocabulary.  One of the most important results of the art program is the development of artistic behaviors, including taking risks, persevering with projects, working with and through mistakes, and reflecting on one’s own performance— all behaviors that translate to other classrooms and life.

The music program for the lower school is offered through Rock and Roll Academy. Students form bands, choose their own music, collaborate, and problem-solve as they take their music from selection to performance on the stage.  Students typically learn to play more than one instrument during their lower school years, and they gain confidence both playing and singing for an audience. Twice yearly, students perform for the entire school community— at the holiday concert in the winter and at the spring music festival in June.

Students in grades one to six participate in physical education classes where they learn traditional games and physical skills during the fall and spring. From December till April, students participate in the Winter Sports Program that includes fifteen weeks of instruction in skiing, with occasional classes for cross country skiing, iceskating and snowshoeing. Fifth and sixth graders participate in a two-year program with Telluride Adaptive Sports Program where they learn to teach adaptive skiing and host students from St. Michael’s Association for Special Education, a school for disabled Navajo children.