If 1st and 2nd graders attend only half days, how do they learn what is necessary?
First, we maintain extremely low student-teacher ratios: 8:1 in first grade and 10:1 in second grade. Second, we require that parents commit to a very high degree of involvement in their child s education. Third, we focus the curriculum in the early grades on reading, writing, and math. Though these areas are the focus, a thematic approach is used in which students read and write about themes related to science or social studies. These 3 factors combine to allow students to learn more in a shorter period of time.
