A Salmon Mosaic Art Project
Across each grade, teachers at The Valley School strive to design an integrated curriculum, creating language, math, science, social studies, or art lessons around a central theme or unit. Driven by interest from the students and formed with careful thought by the teachers, units are comprehensive, interesting, and engaging.
The pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes are rich environments where art and music are essential everyday parts of the classroom experience. Our inspiring outdoor environment is an integral aspect of the pre-primary program and, combined with student interest, is central to creating meaningful units of study. Integrated throughout the day, the emphasis of the child-centered teaching is on “learning by doing.” Creating experiences and encouraging investigation provide a foundation for the students to build upon. 
The pre-primary grades present the opportune time to focus on social skills and, by delaying forced instruction of reading and writing, the school is able to craft a true kindergarten experience whereby children develop and use language to problem-solve and build skills that will support their growth as students. Academic readiness of language arts and mathematics in kindergarten remains developmentally appropriate with a holistic approach to words and an introduction to letter sounds as well as math activities using manipulatives at a very concrete level.
Formalized instruction of reading and writing begins in the primary grades. Teachers use an eclectic range of methodology and practice to create a balanced and grounded language arts program. Looking at language holistically provides a basis of success for children to progress to carefully crafted readers as they will then have a strong foundation of necessary sight words. Teaching phonics directly to each individual student, when developmentally appropriate, is an important aspect of all the primary grades. With emergent writers, illustrations are a crucial aspect. Allowing for the two mediums of the written word and pictures to work hand-in-hand is vital to the success of primary student writers. By the end of first grade, students are using their own ideas to write full sentences and stories that may continue for many pages. Math in the primary grades is comprised of hands-on activities that help children develop conceptual understanding of a topic which can then be linked to its symbolic representation. Students solve real problems by manipulating real objects, furthering the notion that children learn best by doing.
The upper grades work to motivate and prepare students for life beyond Valley. In language arts, children graduate from basal readers to trade books that they read aloud in small groups organized according to individual abilities. Writing in the upper grades is a careful balance of teaching the necessary rules required while continuing to instill a love of the craft begun in the primary grades. The math curriculum loosely follows the scope and sequence of SRA Real Math; however, teachers are expected to supplement lessons to create a balanced approach in order to cover all the necessary topics in an engaging manner. A true depth of understanding is enhanced by experiential learning and so hands-on activities are as vital in the upper school program as in the pre-primary and primary grades.
