On the Road to Independent Learning
Making Transitions
Students encounter many changes as they move from second to third grade at
Belmont Day School. In addition to new teachers and new classrooms, they begin
to learn French, and they take on the new responsibility of homework. We have
discovered that our third graders relish these new demands for performance;
they stretch their thinking and dive into research projects, technology explorations,
and extended sports activities with enthusiasm.
Widening Perspectives
Fourth graders build on these skills and extend them. Their writing becomes more
detailed and dense, their subject matter more abstract and conceptual. When it comes
time to explore ancient civilizations, they turn their classroom into a cave and
create paintings on the walls. When Egypt is the center of their studies, they
create the inside of a pyramid and explore the complexities of ancient Egyptian
philosophy. When they study Greece, the Odyssey is outlined on the walls of the classroom,
illustrated with life-sized paintings and maps.
In their science room, the fourth graders construct a South American rain forest
and create its flora and fauna. They buckle down to focus on complex logic problems
and strengthen their math skills in preparation for their first foray into
standardized testing. Fourth graders internalize the importance of practice,
attention to detail, good organization, and responsible note taking. They memorize
poetry and write their own. And they savor performances of all sorts, bringing to
our weekly Sharing Assemblies all manner of dramatic presentations. Fourth grade learning
activities encourage increased independence in our students, providing a strong foundation for
entry into middle school.
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