Lower School

Penn Charter’s Lower School curriculum is a program of cognitive and character development rooted in a rich knowledge-base of research that tells us how young children learn best.

We know that children learn better when ideas are connected. Consequently, interdisciplinary or “thematic learning” in which teachers apply one theme in reading, writing, math, art and social studies is integral to our program.

We know that learning is enhanced when new ideas progress from the concrete to the conceptual, and that children learn by doing — so, many of our Lower School activities are hands-on.

Because we know students can learn from each other, we emphasize collaborative learning in which students have partners or work in groups. As a result, while learning to read and write and perform mathematical functions, students also learn to communicate and cooperate. They learn to ask questions, think critically, write effectively, listen carefully, and put all those pieces together.

Lower School Newsletter