"Far Brook begins by educating a child in the midst of nature
in all seasons and weather. The buildings are one story.
They open directly onto woods and nature. Light comes in
through two or three sides of a room. Each nature cycle is
lived and loved over and over, like the falling leaves."
—The Roots of Excellence
Learning in the early years is deeply rooted in experience where knowledge becomes relevant as it is put to use. In the Nursery and Kindergarten, children explore the world around them in a balanced daily program. They have opportunities for indoor and outdoor learning; active and quiet play; and time for reflection, experimentation, and involvement in the learning process.
Throughout the Lower School, students experience an enriched sensory motor and language curriculum that emphasizes the development of sound basic skills and problem-solving processes. They master skills sequentially in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. In enriched classroom environments, open-ended activities emerge from theme-centered studies. The Nursery and Kindergarten themes may include a study of birds and owls, the families of musical instruments, penguins, butterflies and insects, and a collaborative study of the Middle Ages with the Sixth Grade. By First Grade, themes expand to form a single core curriculum for the year. First Graders focus on Patterns, Second Graders on Child and Universe, and Third Graders on Native Americans.
The Language Arts curriculum in the Lower School focuses on listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Language experiences occur throughout the day in all aspects of the curriculum. Teachers encourage language development through intentional and meaningful experiences both oral and written. Reading is developed in a comprehensive way through a combination of a strong phonics program and guided reading. Literature and poetry are carefully chosen and include works by authors such as Dylan Thomas, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson, and Carl Sandburg for the power of their language, word imagery, and nuances. These works serve as models for children’s writings. Students learn the pleasure of creating their own texts, shaping and turning words into poems and stories that are uniquely their own, while at the same time learning handwriting, spelling, and language arts.
Mathematics is taught through experiences which enable children to explore, question and reason, and problem-solve. Through a variety of concrete activities, teacher-designed materials and texts, careful attention is given to the exploration and investigation of mathematical concepts and their application. Students begin to see math as a living discipline as they investigate mathematics in real world experiences such as cooking and measuring shadows, or use of geometry and symmetry in making Kachina masks. The Lower School is aligned with standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
The Science curriculum in Lower School introduces the scientific method through observation, formation of hypotheses based on experiences, and recording of discoveries through discussion, drawing and writing. Our wooded campus and schoolyard habitat/wetlands are used as an outdoor laboratory to explore, discover and observe and compare and contrast patterns in nature. Science is integrated into the curriculum in all Lower School classes and in addition each class meets with a specialist to focus on the topics of plants and animals, physical science, and ecology. The Third Grade science program adds a lab science class.
Complementing our classroom studies, all children are encouraged to express themselves creatively through the arts. Children in the Lower School have classes in music, art, dance, library, computer, woodworking, physical education, and French taught by specialists in their fields who often integrate their programs into classroom studies.