Our Primary Curriculum (Grades K - 1)
At Vine, we know that the earliest years of a child’s education set the course for a lifetime of success in learning! Customization is critical in the primary years, as there is a naturally wide range of development at these ages. With the appropriate amount of challenge from subject-to-subject, each child can begin to experience the deep joy that learning offers!
For some subjects, our primary program is mixed-age, consisting of kindergarten and first-grade students. For others, the students are separated into smaller grade-level groups, setting the stage for targeted, individualized instruction. Here are the classes that our primary students participate in daily:
Reading: (80 minutes)
Our reading program is designed to help students develop specific skills to become confident and fluent readers. We teach reading through systematic, sequential, phonics-based, multisensory instruction.
For forty minutes each day, our students are divided into grade-level groups of six for customized reading instruction. In this class, they follow a schedule that’s uniquely designed to their specific needs and skill sets, beginning with decoding and working up the skills pyramid. Some skills are taught independently while others are performed in small groups. Students learn to follow a routine to work independently on these skills.
Additionally, we bring all our primary students together daily for a forty minute group reading class called “Working With Words.” In this class, they practice encoding by engaging with nonsense words and other related games and activities.
Writing: (40 minutes)
In writing class, students meet in grade-level groups of six to focus on letter formation, writing sentences, basic grammar and punctuation, and writing with more detail. Our primary writing program is highly customized and moves at each child’s pace.
Primary students receive individualized assignments, prompts, and feedback daily from their teacher as they grow as writers right from the start!
Math: (80 minutes)
In our primary math program, we want our students to develop a strong number sense and a deep understanding of how numbers work before and as they begin learning and following algorithms. Because of this, our core six-student, forty minute math class is uniquely designed so that children can be taught individually by our primary math teacher. Students learn to follow a routine to work independently on the skills they are taught, learning and growing at a pace that keeps them challenged and moving forward at their own pace.
A second math class is taught each day that is designed to immerse our primary students in the joy of math! This K-1 group class, called “Math Games,” is made up of activities such as choral skip counting, purposefully designed games with playing cards, and other group-based games designed to foster a love of learning math.
Social Studies & Science: (40 minutes each)
Our kindergarten and first-grade students’ ceaseless curiosity is celebrated and encouraged at Vine! Their social studies and science classes, taught as a K-1 group, introduce new content daily about the world around them. It is through these classes that we also focus on teaching the specific skills of group classroom behavior.
Our social studies curriculum covers topics such as community, holidays around the world, citizenship, money, landforms, biographies, and map skills.
Our science curriculum puts a strong emphasis on observing how the natural world works and noticing its details through classification and observation.
Fine Motor Skills:
Multiple times a week, our students take part in a fine motor group class in which they participate in activities which strengthen their fine motor coordination. These are essential for writing, proper handling of tools, turning pages, and many other tasks our students will encounter and use consistently throughout their education.
The activities are fun and purposeful: Perler beads allow for imagination and pattern-following, zentangle coloring pages give students a challenge while building sustained focus, lacing activities can lead to learning how to tie shoes… the list goes on and on!
As the students practice these enjoyable activities, their pincer grasp and fine motor skills strengthen, and they become more and more prepared for the challenges and classes that lie ahead.
Circle Time:
Every day, our primary students gather together for a traditional primary circle time led by one of our primary teachers. This special time typically includes a focus on the calendar, specific Vine values, and story time.
Art, Music, and Fitness:
Our primary program also includes regular art, music, and fitness!
Art:
Students engage in art classes led by our art teacher, Ms. Kim, every-other-day. Through these classes, they are exposed to the elements of art through hands-on projects and experimentation. The students are very proud of their artwork and love to display it at our regular school showcases!
Music:
Our music program, taught by Mr. Ryan, is instrument-based and allows the students to learn music experientially. The end-goal of our music program is for our students to learn how to read and play music.
Fitness:
Our primary students participate in a forty minute fitness class, led by Ms. Orla, every other day. This functional-based fitness program includes lots of games that build the students’ skills of agility, gross-motor, and coordination.
Lunch & Recess:
Each day, students are given forty minutes at lunchtime to eat and play. Weather permitting, the students go outside for unstructured playtime on our playground equipment. In inclement weather, the students play games in the classrooms.