Lower School

Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart’s language arts curriculum is an integral component for boys’ learning across academic disciplines and grade levels. Our boys have ample opportunities to explore texts, foster a love of reading and develop into independent readers and writers. As each boy experiences superior modeling of effective reading and thoughtful writing from their educators, our boys view themselves as readers and writers. Classroom instruction is designed to scaffold academic skills and knowledge gained in preceding grades in a way both developmentally appropriate and progressively stimulating. The wide developmental variation in boys is met through the use of leveled text in guided reading and reading workshop, with instruction occurring in whole and small groups, as well as individually.

Reading is an interaction between the text and the reader. Leaning on this vision, Princeton Academy places an increased focus on comprehension skills in each grade. Comprehension skills introduced include: metacognition, schema, inferring, questioning, determining importance, visualizing and synthesizing. Our writing workshop approach introduces boys to process writing, which mirrors how real writers write. Authentic writing for a variety of purposes and audiences throughout the curriculum strengthens the role of writing as a communication tool. Grammar and mechanics are introduced when developmentally appropriate.

Word Journeys and Words Their Way are developmental spelling and phonics programs in which the underlying philosophy is that the understanding of the printed word occurs in clear stages. Instruction is designed to meet the specific needs of each boy. Handwriting Without Tears delivers fine motor needs of boys through its clear, simple letter formation and interactive learning style.

Through our research on best practices for boys’ learning, Princeton Academy has implemented the Singapore Math program as the guidepost of our Lower School math curriculum. The Singapore Math program provides a scope and sequence for our boys to work with number concepts using manipulatives, models, measuring instruments and other tools leading to symbolic real-world applications. Our aim is to equip boys with sound concept development, critical thinking and efficient problem-solving skills. The program calls for direct instruction and focuses on mathematical thinking with immediate application of the newly acquired skills to problem solve.

By encouraging our boys to investigate, approach, and solve problems in a variety of ways, Singapore Math stretches the mind and promotes understanding of the way mathematical processes work. Recognizing it is difficult for one program to meet all of our boys’ needs, we also draw instructional support and enrichment from various other programs and resources in order to best serve them.

Our social studies program aims to expose Princeton Academy boys to the wealth of diversity within their communities and environments both locally and globally. By studying the people (traditions, cultures and faiths), geography, current events and history of specific regions and time periods, our boys gain a greater appreciation for differences, recognizing that there are many commonalities and parallels that bind together people of all backgrounds. Leaning on an interdisciplinary model, our social studies program overlaps with academic opportunities in science, math and language arts. A hands-on constructivist approach within the program fosters many unique signature learning experiences within each grade level.

An inquiry-based approach to science affords our boys the opportunity to develop skills of observation, documentation, data collection and analysis. Research skills evolve as students learn to identify appropriate resources and evaluate the validity of information. Scientific tools and equipment are introduced to boys at age appropriate levels and are described as instruments that assist in the safe and productive facilitation of learning. Making use of our beautiful 50-acre campus, it is not uncommon to find a Lower School science class exploring our lush woods, cultivating our geodesic greenhouse, or venturing through our many fields, all in the spirit of science, exploration and discovery.

Counting Comparing and Writing Numbers

• Identifying coins and their values, pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters
• Skip count by 5’s, 10’s, to 100 (starting at 0) and 2’s to 20
• Count forward to 100 and backward by 1’s from 50
• Compare and/or order whole numbers up to 10 (without using using >, <. and = symbols)

Addition and Subtraction Algorithms

• Represent addition and subtraction with objects or pictures
• Solve addition and subtraction word problems involving numbers within 10
• Representing numbers in multiple ways including words, tally marks, set, ten-frames
• Fluently add and subtract within 10

Geometry and Measurement

• Identify and classify three-dimensional objects (cube, sphere, rectangular prism, cylinder, and cone)
• Tell time on both an analog and digital clock to the hour
• Describe and compare attributes of measurements (length, size, weight, height)
• Describe objects and sort by characteristics (size, color, shape, pattern)

Data and Statistics

• Comparing quantities in bar graphs
• Construct a bar graph with given information
• Use information from a bar graph to extend meaning and make predictions

Counting Comparing and Writing Numbers

• Skip counting by 2’s to 100
• Compare and/or order whole numbers up to 100 (using >, <, and =)
• Utilize coins to make a small purchase under a dollar including making change
• Identify basic fractions as being part of a whole and write the fraction (top number is the number of pieces and bottom number is total number of equal piece)

Addition and Subtraction Algorithms

• Recognize and utilize the vocabulary of math for addition and subtraction word problems including one more, one less, before and after, how many, in total, all together, and difference
• Using addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems (up to 3 whole numbers)
• Addition and subtraction properties (Commutative and Associative properties)
• Understand place value, tens and ones, and utilize to add and subtract two-digit and one-digit numbers without renaming

Geometry and Measurement

• Tell time and write to the hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour on an analog clock
• Composing two-dimensional shapes (triangles, squares, and quadrilaterals, hexagons, octagons and circles)
• Identify three dimensional shapes including sphere, pyramid, cone,cylinder, cube and prism
• Counting money, pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters including coins exchange (i.e. two nickels equal 1 dime) up to one dollar
• Measuring to the nearest inch

Data and Statistics

• Use information from table or bar graph to extend meaning and make predictions

Counting Comparing and Writing Numbers

• Understands place value up to hundreds and relate and interpret three digit numbers with respect to place value
• Counting Money, including change, including quarters and dollars ($5, $10, $20, $100) up to $100
• Recognizing, naming, and writing fractions of the whole including ½, ⅓, and ¼
• Making a whole with two or more fractions with the same denominator

Addition and Subtraction Algorithms

• Addition and subtraction algorithm with renaming
• Word problems addition and subtraction (part-whole concepts.)
• Using a missing number strategy find missing numbers for addition and subtraction equations
• Utilize strategies for adding/subtracting to ones, tens, or hundreds up to a three-digit number

Geometry and Measurement

• Solve time-elapsed problems with ½ hours (analog and digital no within 12:00 – no passing 12:00)
• Identify best unit of measurement for objects
• Create and decompose composite figures based on common shapes, half circles and quarter circles
• Identify angles in different polygonal shapes and identify the shapes (quadrilaterals, triangles, pentagons, hexagons and octagons)

Data and Statistics

• Read and interpret picture graphs and bar graphs
• Construct a picture and/or bar graph with given information
• Solve problems involving money in tables, charts and graphs

Multiplication and Division

• Use equal groups, and objects/drawings to illustrate multiplication
• Use rectangular arrays to illustrate multiplication
• Divide by sharing equally from a group, grouping by a specified number
• Solve multiplication and division for the 2’s and 3’s tables
• Demonstrate accuracy in multiplication/division facts for twos, fives and tens tables

Counting Comparing and Writing Numbers

• Read, write, compare and identify place value in four-digit numbers
• Utilize mental math strategies to add and subtract three-digit numbers
• Utilize understanding of sums and differences and part-whole models to solve one step and two step word problems
• Demonstrate understanding of the meaning of a fraction, compare and order fractions, find equivalent fractions and find the simplest form of a fraction
• Measure to a fraction of a unit and express whole numbers as a fraction

Addition and Subtraction Algorithms

• Demonstrate mental math strategies for addition within 1,000
• Demonstrate understanding of sums and differences including part-whole models, comparison models (more than and less than) and inequalities through pictorial representation and numeric equations
• Solve four-digit addition and subtraction with renaming once and more than once
• Solve two-step word problems

Geometry and Measurement

• Demonstrate complete understanding of money denominations (coins and bills) up to $100 converting between dollars and cents, making change, and writing amounts in both words and figures
• Measure and estimate in yards, feet and inches
• Understand and identify right angles
• Find perimeters of two-dimensional figures and compare area and perimeter

Data and Statistics

• Use information from a pie chart, table or bar graph to extend meaning and make predictions
• Graph data or complete a graph given the data (bar graph or pictograph – grid is provided)

Multiplication and Division

• Properties of multiplication- identity property, multiplication property of zero, and utilize distributive property as a multiplication strategy
• Find quotients and remainders using a vertical format
• Secure understanding of multiplication and division facts for 6, 7, 8, and 9’s
• Multiply and divide a number within 1,000 by 6’s, 7’s, 8’s, and 9’s

Counting Comparing and Writing Numbers

• Comprehend the concept of multiples by listing them for a one-digit number as well as determining whether a whole number is a multiple of one-digit numbers, and explore divisibility rules
• Compare fractions and write equivalent fractions identifying the simplest form of a fractional value
• Understand a mixed number as the sum of a whole number and a proper fraction, read and interpret number lines involving mixed numbers, and order mixed numbers

Addition and Subtraction Algorithms

• Adding/subtracting utilizing mental calculations to and from 10, 100, and 1,000, then add/subtract using appropriate algorithm, and estimate to check answer
• Add/subtract like fractions including solving word problems involving adding/subtracting of like fractions
• Adding/subtracting mixed numbers including word problems that involve mixed numbers
• Add/subtract tenths and hundredths to numbers having up to two decimal places

Geometry and Measurement

• Distinguish and identify points, lines, line segments, rays and angles
• Recognize quadrilaterals by their properties
• Recognize triangle types (isosceles, equilateral, scalene, right, obtuse and acute) by their properties
• Find the perimeter and area of a composite figure made up of rectangles and squares

Data and Statistics

• Represent data in tables and bar graphs and interpret bar graphs including double bar graphs
• Generate and interpret data such as measurement data on line plots including fractions of a unit. Solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions by using information presented in line plots

Multiplication and Division

• Solving multiplication of one-digit numbers by three-digit numbers and two-digit numbers including estimating the products
• Solving division problems by one-digit numbers and a three-digit or four-digit number including estimating the quotient
• Multiplying a fraction by a whole number
• Understand the relationships between fractions and division
• Familiar with using bar models to solve word problems and to extend the use to fractions, especially mixed numbers