Primary School Curriculum
Our primary program is structured to meet the needs of students in first through third grades through direct instruction and a multi-sensory approach to learning. The day begins with a morning meeting as students say the flag salute, sing a song, and move to music. Skill Building encourages students to strengthen academic skills in fun and creative ways. Instruction follows the NC Standard Course of Study in the following classes: reading, English, math, science, social studies, specialists, and enhancement.
Language Arts
Reading is taught using Wilson Reading, a method that teaches phonics using direct instruction. Students’ reading abilities are assessed at the beginning of the school year so that they may be placed into the appropriate reading class based on their academic needs. Writing is taught using The University of Kansas’ Fundamentals of the Sentence Writing Strategy. Reading classes are kept at six students or smaller.
Math
Math is taught using a multi-sensory approach. Class begins with a review of previously taught skills through class discussion, dictation, and daily facts practice. Saxon Math is the primary text used, however, teachers use other materials when appropriate. There is a focus on learning math facts, and students are assigned flash cards each night to aid in their memorization. Hands-on activities are used whenever possible.
Science/Social Studies
Students rotate every two weeks between science and social studies. The curriculum changes each year but is always targeted towards the academic needs of the students.
Specialists
Students follow a rotation schedule that includes PE, drama, art, and music. Drama and music performances are held at school on a regular basis. Please see the “Arts” menu for more information about these classes.
Enhancement
Primary students attend enhancement as their last period of the day, which incorporates dance, keyboarding, library, guidance, life skills, and community service.
Guidance
There are two guidance counselors at Guilford Day School. Students are assigned to one counselor who is available for many different needs. The counselor meets with all students several times each semester as a class to cover the guidance curriculum. She is also available for one-on-one or small group counseling sessions. Please see the “Guidance” tab under the “Academics” menu for more information on our guidance program.
Other key features of our primary school are organization, ORB, the advisor/advisee relationship, and the Academic Plan.
Organization
Since disorganization often goes hand in hand with ADHD and other learning disabilities, we have many strategies to address this problem. Primary school students carry the “Perfect Notebook” to all of their classes. The Perfect Notebook is a strategy that is enforced across the board, as all teachers make sure that all handouts are hole-punched, and they leave time at the end of class for students to file their papers before leaving class. Another key part of the Perfect Notebook is the assignment book. At the end of each class, students are responsible for writing down their assignment. Teachers come to each student and initial that the assignment is written down correctly. Click here for a sample assignment book page. At the end of the day, all students attend checkpoint, a seven minute period with their advisor. The advisor’s job at checkpoint is to make sure that students have been signed off in each of their classes and that they have all the materials packed that they need to get their homework done.
Outside Reading Book (ORB)
Every night, students are assigned 15 minutes of ORB, during which time students read a book of their choosing. The rationale behind ORB is that the more exposure students get to text that they are interested in, the better readers they will become, with higher rates of fluency and increased vocabulary. Parents are encouraged to be involved with students’ ORB, by reading together and talking to their child about what they have read.
Advisor/Advisee
All students are placed into an advisee group for the year. Students are arranged into advisee groups by grade. In most cases, the advisor teaches his/her advisees in at least one other class. Students see their advisors at the beginning of the day and return to them at the end of the day for checkpoint. Since advisors see their students so many times during the day, they get to know them very well and can often identify and address global emotional and organizational needs. Advisors usually act as advocates for their advisees and are also often the teacher who is in closest contact with the family.
Academic Plan
An Academic Plan is written for each Guilford Day School primary student. Academic Plans include student strengths, classroom modifications, current levels of performance, and an academic checklist for study skills, reading, English, and math. Evaluation measures include observations, anecdotal information, formal and informal tests, teacher generated tests, and work samples. Parent-teacher conferences are held twice per school year to review progress on the Academic Plan. As students progress into fourth grade and higher, their Academic Plan changes into an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that is more specific to their individual learning disabilities.
Click here to learn more about the "Guilford Day Way"