Charleston Collegiate’s Lower School program serves students age 3 through grade 5. Three- and four-year-olds are grouped together in the school’s preschool classroom. In the Lower School, children are offered a curriculum that stresses basic skills yet nurtures each child's social and creative skills as well. In the early elementary grades, our goal, in the words of educator Dr. Lillian Katz, is to “enhance the child’s disposition toward learning.” The small class sizes allow teachers to give individual attention and assess each child’s learning style. All students study the core curriculum of reading, language arts, mathematics, science, global studies, and Spanish. In addition, students take art, music, computer, and physical education classes.

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Preschool
The preschool curriculum fosters exploration, discovery, and experimentation in young children. Students learn to make choices, interact with each other, resolve conflicts, care for classroom materials, and become responsible individuals in a caring, fun-filled environment that fosters social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth.

A thematic approach integrates all areas of the curriculum, allowing the children to experience naturally the wonders of their world as they play, speak, and listen. Students engage in activities to enhance letter and number recognition, the days of the week, weather, and counting. Learning centers such as art, writing, dramatic play, blocks, math, language, small manipulative, science, sand/water table, outdoor play, and library are available on a daily basis and provide challenging and creative skill reinforcement activities for the children. Students also are introduced to Spanish, music, character education, and physical education.

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Kindergarten
The kindergarten curriculum reflects the belief that learning is an interactive process for five- and six-year-olds. Social skills are reinforced and peer interaction is encouraged while children are supported in developing self-esteem and respect for the unique strengths, backgrounds, and talents of others. The kindergarten curriculum focuses on reading, phonics, writing, spelling, mathematics, science, global studies, learning centers, and social awareness. Students continue to take Spanish, music, drama, art, character education, and physical education.

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Grade 1
First grade students experience a school program that includes instruction in reading, phonics, writing, language, science, global studies, art, physical education, music, character education, library, drama, and Spanish. Students in grade one continue to build the foundations for fluency in language.

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Grade 2
The development of independence in each student is a year-long goal of second grade. Children are encouraged to assume increasing personal responsibility for their assignments and their materials. The components of the second grade curriculum are mathematics, language arts, global studies, science, art, character education, library, music, drama, computer, Spanish, and physical education.

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Grade 3
The third grade curriculum reinforces and expands the solid foundation built in the early elementary years and offers an array of enrichment activities to promote inferential thinking, reasoning, and creativity in students. The third graders are exposed to cooperative learning, as well as whole class and small group instruction and discussion. In addition to the core curriculum, students participate in art, character education, computer, Spanish, physical education, music, drama, and library classes. The third grade curriculum focuses on reading, vocabulary, writing, language, spelling, mathematics, science, South Carolina history, and global studies.

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Grade 4
The fourth grade curriculum offers many activities and experiences that enhance a successful transition into the fifth grade. Students continue to learn and use appropriate study skills such as note taking, organization skills, logging of assignments, and time management. In addition to the core curriculum offerings, fourth graders have Spanish, art, library, music, character education, computer, drama, and physical education classes. The fourth grade curriculum focuses on reading, vocabulary, writing, language, spelling, mathematics, science, and global studies.

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Grade 5
The fifth grade offers many activities and experiences that help prepare students for the transition to Middle School. In addition to the core curriculum, students study Spanish and take classes in art, music, character education, computer, library, drama, and physical education. Learning appropriate study skills is an essential component of the fifth grade experience. Students are taught and practice note-taking strategies, binder organization, and time management skills to assist the transition into the sixth grade, where they will be part of a departmentalized program. The fifth grade curriculum focuses on reading, vocabulary, writing, language, spelling, mathematics, science, United States history, and global studies.