Lower School

Grades 1-5

Spanning Grades 1–5, the Lower School serves as the entry point to the AIM learning community and introduces students to the essential skills and strategies they will use throughout their scholastic journeys.

What Learning Looks Like in Lower School

Learn how AIM teaches literacy through systematic, direct instruction.

In our classrooms you’ll see students reading out loud, practicing new skills in small groups, and receiving feedback right away from teachers who truly know them. The day feels organized and purposeful, and students understand what they’re working on.

Our approach, grounded in the science of reading, helps students build literacy skills step by step. They are not left to guess or figure things out on their own.

In this supportive environment, students learn how language works, gain confidence in their abilities, and begin to see themselves as capable, independent learners.

Inquiry & Creativity

Our elementary curriculum celebrates inquiry and creativity as pathways to meaningful academic and social-emotional growth.

Relationships That Matter

Nurturing classroom experiences and positive relationships between teachers and students are the bedrock of our program.

Active Learners

We strive to create a school culture that invites children to reflect on their unique learning styles and to take active roles in acquiring new knowledge.

A Strong Foundation for their Academic Journey

Developing crucial foundational skills in reading, writing and math is the main focus of instruction in the Lower School. To accomplish this, individualized goals are set for each student, progress is monitored and assessed weekly, and instruction is adjusted to ensure academic achievement.

In order to enable students to learn more easily and to retain concepts more effectively, teachers also present information using visual, auditory and kinesthetic techniques. In addition, students are immersed in classes that mimic real-world situations and require them to find solutions to real-world problems.

Progress Monitoring
Teaching Techniques

Progress Monitoring

Example of Progress Monitoring in Action

In the fall, all students participate in benchmarking assessments to determine appropriate placement for reading, writing, math and Wilson Language Training® instruction. If it is determined that the child will benefit from phonics instruction, he/she will join a Wilson Language Training® reading group. If the assessments show that a child would benefit from more intensive instruction in reading comprehension strategies, the student will take a Comprehensive Literacy class that focuses on higher order thinking skills, including visualization and inferencing strategies.

Learn More About Progress Monitoring at AIM

Teaching Techniques

All Lower School students participate in daily Interactive Humanities classes in which history, social studies and geography concepts are learned through multi-sensory instruction and activities. Classrooms are transformed to mimic the time in history being studied and students assume the role of historical characters wearing historically appropriate costumes. They engage in opportunities to apply what they learn as they solve problems and interact with their classmates to make and use simple tools, to trade cattle in return for food, or to guard their castle from a hostile takeover.

"Having worked in public, private, and charter schools over the course of my career, I can confidently say that there is something magical about AIM. Evidence of joyful learning and boundless student engagement is visible everywhere you look - from the music room to the Makerspace!"

- Maura Pritchard, Head of Lower School

Lower School Curriculum

Our talented and tireless teaching team in the Lower School uses research-informed practices to ensure that all students receive systematic, explicit, and multi-sensory instruction in foundational skills.

What happens when imagination meets engineering? In the Lower School Makerspace, students explore, experiment, and create as they lay the groundwork for future design, coding, and robotics learning at AIM.

Explore Innovation in the Lower School