Elementary Grades (1-4)

Performing Arts: Students explore music, theater, and movement in fun and engaging ways. They learn to use their voices, bodies, and imaginations to tell stories, make creative choices, and work collaboratively with peers. Students learn about different artists and study how they evaluate and refine their work. Students also focus on mastering stage presence and staying in character. Through singing, rhythm, improvisation, and ensemble activities, children build confidence, self-expression, and a joy for performance that extends beyond the stage.

Visual Arts: Students explore the elements of art and principles of design to communicate information, emotion, and more. They delve into portrait work and explore patterns using clay, printmaking, and drawing from reference. Art activities are closely connected to classroom activities, allowing children to translate their learning into creative expression while building on art concepts.

In First through Fourth Grade, we focus on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension when teaching literacy. Teachers use the Orton-Gillingham approach, providing direct, multi-sensory, and sequential lessons that build strong foundational literacy skills.

As students progress through the Elementary Grades, they participate in reading and writing projects that support classroom learning. In First Grade, students master letter-sound correspondence, proper lowercase letter formation, and short vowel sounds, and practice writing through penpal letters. Second Graders explore various poetry styles, read fiction, and engage in reflective writing. Third Graders focus on fiction and historical fiction, deepen their reading comprehension, and expand their vocabulary, including a study of Patricia Polacco's books and the influence of culture and family on her work. By Fourth Grade, students read and discuss novels in multiple group settings, analyze character, plot, and theme, and examine author style. Daily activities include writing about what they are reading, taking notes from mini-lessons, tracking reading progress, and practicing five-paragraph essay writing.

We use a multi-sensory approach to help students explore math in hands-on, engaging ways, building early number sense, reasoning, problem-solving skills, and strategies while encouraging academic risk-taking and the ability to explain their thinking. 

Throughout the Elementary Grades, we use the Illustrative Math curriculum to build strong mathematical understanding. Lessons move from concrete to abstract thinking, helping students strengthen mental math strategies and expand number sense. Math concepts are taught using hands-on activities, games, and real-world problems, encouraging students to explain their thinking both verbally and in writing. Collaborative work and discussion are emphasized, making math engaging and relevant to students’ lives.

We value the whole child, and movement is an essential part of their growth and development. Our Physical Education Program gets students moving in a variety of fun and creative ways, helping them build motor skills while discovering the joys of fitness and sports. Interscholastic sports begin in Fifth Grade, giving students the opportunity to take their skills to a team setting and continue developing confidence, teamwork, and a lifelong love of movement.

Our science curriculum centers on the process of sensemaking, which engages students in the same practices scientists use: asking questions, conducting investigations, analyzing data, and using evidence to support their conclusions.

Throughout the Elementary Grades, science instruction emphasizes hands-on exploration, observation, and inquiry-based learning. Students investigate life cycles, physical forces, seasons, ecosystems, and energy through experiments and real-world connections. Lessons build scientific thinking and problem-solving skills, encouraging curiosity and collaboration as students learn about the natural world and their impact on it.

First Graders study butterflies and life cycles, balance and motion, and seasons, light, and shadows. Second Graders focus on biomes, exploring local biomes such as the Chesapeake Bay, and learn about the diversity of plants and animals. Third Graders become increasingly curious about the “why” behind how things work, showing a deepening interest in exploring the natural world through inquiry and investigation. Students also explore physical science concepts such as magnetism. Fourth Grade Science focuses on how and why things work, related to changes in the physical Earth, different types of energy, and plant survival. Students classify and identify rocks, experiment with different forms of energy, and create experiments to test conditions for plant health.

At Capitol Hill Day School, social emotional and academic growth are woven together, each supporting the other. Across the Elementary years, social emotional learning is woven into daily routines and classroom life. Students practice perspective-taking, learn language for healthy social negotiation, and build skills for working collaboratively in groups. Clear routines, expectations, and thoughtfully structured transitions help children feel grounded, while ongoing conversations about flexibility support their growing independence.

Classrooms emphasize the importance of community, encouraging kindness, empathy, and respect as shared values. Through group discussions and conflict-resolution practices, such as using “I statements” and reflecting on multiple perspectives, students strengthen self-awareness and learn to navigate social dynamics. Throughout the year, children set personal goals and engage in reflective conversations that help them understand their role in creating a supportive classroom and school community.

In the Elementary years, social studies invites students to explore how people, places, and cultures shape one another. Students examine how environments contribute to daily life, compare cultural practices across regions, and learn to interpret and create maps to better understand the world around them. Projects rooted in local fieldwork, from studying the Capitol Hill neighborhood to studying immigration, build an understanding of how communities function, what they value, and how individuals contribute to them.

Throughout the Elementary Grades, students continue to explore language and culture. They learn about traditions and holidays, study family structures and identity, read novels, and more. Students expand their vocabulary and grammar skills through writing assignments, class discussions, and collaborative projects. Our Spanish Program helps students build confidence and proficiency in Spanish while encouraging curiosity about the wider world.