Lower School – Lancaster, PA

Dayspring Lower School Curriculum

• Core subjects include Math, Science, Bible, Language, Literature, Reading, History, and Geography
• History is learned through Ephesians 1:9-10 which concludes: “All human history is culminated in Christ.” We teach students that God is sovereign as He governs in the affairs of men and nations, because He sees the past, present, and future—He orchestrates events to accomplish His plan (that all men may know God the Father through Christ the Son.)
• With a Providential View of History in mind, each grade level focuses on a different point on the timeline of History. It begins with Creation and includes the chain of Christianity moving westward. From Moses and the Law to Jesus Christ, from Paul to the Bible in English, from Columbus to the Pilgrims, from the Patriots to the Pioneers, and concludes with the restoration of America. Students are taught this to understand the truth of history and for Whom our nation was built.
• Math: Hybrid Learning is a system that rotates students through three learning stations within the math class to enable personalized learning. Students engage in the learning process through the use of direct instruction, which has a small group interacting directly with the teacher for more individualized teaching with each student. Another station includes collaborative activities, where students work in a group on real-world problems that relate to the material covered in class. The final station is independent learning, which takes place on a computer. It helps students to master each step in the problem and give immediate feedback to the teacher to let them know where each student may need further direction. The Hybrid Learning method enables students to have multiple ways of learning a lesson to enable mastery and to meet students’ varied learning styles.
• Students begin Spanish in first grade and Latin in fourth.
• In-depth field studies are taken at every grade level, including a four-day study in Plymouth, MA, for third-grade students. Fifth grade experiences a two-day study of ocean life in New Jersey. Field studies can be viewed for each grade level on our Field Studies page.
• Public speaking is an important focus of our curriculum, so students participate in speech meet in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and up through fifth grade.
• Orations: To develop the ability to research, write, and defend their work, students begin writing orations in second grade and presenting in third grade.
• STEM Director, Mary Stauffer, teaches robotics and computer coding using robots to students in grades K-5. These same classes will also use the Engineering is Elementary program to teach students to solve engineering challenges like designing a container to safely ship live plants to a store, clean up an oil spill and assess the environmental impact, and design a production line to make potato chips.
• View our complete Course Catalogs for elementary school
• Art, Music, Physical Education are incorporated into our elementary school schedule
• Elective activities including our annual Lower School Musical, Lower School Athletics Clinics, and other opportunities exist for elementary-aged students. Visit our Student Life page to learn more.
• Average class size is 24. Grades 1, 2, and 3 have teachers aides to assist with learning.
• View our Course Catalog and Grading Scale here!