While each classroom’s schedule reflects the needs of its students and current areas of study, a typical Elementary day includes:

• Soft Start and transition into the school day
• Morning Meeting and social-emotional learning
• Outdoor time and snack
• Literacy, including reading, writing, and word study
• Read-alouds, comprehension instruction, small-group learning, individual practice, and assessment
• Lunch and rest
• Mathematics, including number sense, operations, measurement, data, geometry, problem-solving, and application
• Inquiry-based learning through science, social studies, research, and project work
• Specialist learning experiences
• Outdoor learning and movement
• Closing Circle for reflection and community connection

Our daily rhythm balances focused academic learning with movement, relationships, exploration, reflection, and opportunities for children to practice growing independence.

Soft Start

Soft Start provides children with an intentional transition into the school day through open-ended, playful, and exploratory experiences.

This time gives children opportunities to reconnect with teachers and classmates, make choices, explore ideas, and settle into the classroom community before more structured learning begins. Play and exploration support creativity, reasoning, relationship-building, problem-solving, and readiness for the learning ahead.

Morning Meeting

Morning Meeting brings the classroom community together at the beginning of the day and gives teachers an opportunity to connect with students before focused academic learning begins.

Students may:

• Greet one another and practice meaningful social connection
• Share news, ideas, experiences, or information related to classroom learning
• Participate in activities that strengthen cooperation, inclusion, and classroom community
• Read and discuss a morning message highlighting the day ahead
• Practice social-emotional skills through authentic classroom experiences

Closing Circle

At the end of the day, children come together again to reflect on their experiences.

Students may consider questions such as:

• What went well today?
• What challenged me?
• How did I solve a problem?
• What did I learn?
• What might I try differently next time?

This reflective practice helps children develop self-awareness, responsibility, problem-solving skills, and the ability to recognize their own growth.

Literacy at Chance develops through intentional instruction in reading, writing, word study, listening, and speaking, with opportunities for children to practice and apply skills in meaningful contexts throughout the school day.

Students learn through a combination of explicit instruction, teacher modeling, small-group experiences, one-on-one support, independent practice, discussion, and exploration.

Reading

Reading instruction includes read-alouds, decodable and leveled texts, comprehension strategies, and opportunities to engage deeply with literature.

As students grow, their reading work progresses from foundational skill development toward increasingly sophisticated analysis. Literature circles and other small-group experiences invite students to compare and contrast texts, examine an author’s choices, explore different genres and perspectives, develop vocabulary, and communicate their thinking.

Word Study

Word study supports both reading and writing development through intentional work with:

• Orthographic mapping
• High-frequency and sight words
• Vocabulary
• Sentence structure
• Spelling
• Punctuation
• Grammar and language conventions

As children grow, word study increasingly incorporates investigation and inquiry, helping students recognize patterns and apply their understanding independently.

Writing

Children write for a variety of authentic purposes and audiences. Students develop skills across genres including:

• Narrative writing
• Informational writing
• Opinion and persuasive writing
• Poetry
• Research and other forms of written communication

Writers learn to generate and organize ideas, draft, revise, edit, and publish while developing an increasingly strong and individual written voice.

Explore Kindergarten Literacy

See how reading and writing develop through intentional, developmentally responsive instruction in the early years at Chance.

▶ Kindergarten Literacy: How Reading & Writing Develop at Chance

Mathematics at Chance is designed to help children develop not only computational skill, but also a deep understanding of mathematical ideas and the confidence to use them.

Our spiral approach revisits important concepts over time, adding complexity and providing repeated opportunities for students to strengthen and apply their understanding.

Areas of mathematical learning include:

• Number sense and operations
• Patterns, functions, and sequences
• Measurement
• Currency and time
• Geometry
• Data and probability
• Mathematical reasoning and problem-solving

Instruction moves thoughtfully from concrete experiences with manipulatives and visual models toward increasingly abstract mathematical thinking.

Students learn through whole-group and small-group instruction, guided practice, independent application, math games, literature connections, investigations, and real-world problems.

Enrichment and extension opportunities encourage students to think flexibly, explain their reasoning, consider multiple approaches, and recognize how mathematics connects naturally to other areas of learning and everyday life.

Inquiry is central to the way children learn at Chance.

Students explore meaningful topics in science and social studies by bringing together curriculum standards, children’s questions and interests, research, discussion, hands-on experiences, and collaborative project work.

Rather than simply receiving information, students learn to ask thoughtful questions, seek reliable information, make connections, evaluate ideas, solve problems, create, and share new understanding.

Inquiry experiences often include an element of stewardship, giving students opportunities to use what they learn to care for their school, community, and natural environment in relevant and authentic ways.

The Guided Inquiry Process

Guided Inquiry provides a framework for organizing investigations, research, exploration, and project-based learning.

1. Open
An activity, experience, provocation, or exploration sparks curiosity, activates prior knowledge, and invites initial questions.

2. Immerse
Students build background knowledge through experiences and resources while discovering areas of interest.

3. Explore
Students investigate broadly, encounter new ideas, and begin identifying possibilities for deeper study.

4. Pause & Identify
Learners clarify an inquiry or essential question and establish a direction for further investigation.

5. Gather
Students conduct deeper research, collect information, evaluate resources, and construct new understanding.

6. Create
Learners determine how they will organize, represent, or communicate what they have learned.

7. Share
Students share new knowledge with an authentic audience.

8. Evaluate
Learners reflect on both their work and the learning process, considering what they discovered and what goals or questions might come next.

Through inquiry, children develop research skills, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, creativity, and the confidence to pursue complex questions with increasing independence.

Art

Art gives students opportunities to think creatively and communicate ideas through a variety of tools, materials, and artistic processes.

Children explore drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, printmaking, fiber arts, and other media while developing artistic vocabulary, technique, visual awareness, and an appreciation for art across cultures and history.

Science

Science invites students to investigate the world through firsthand exploration, observation, experimentation, and inquiry.

Hands-on experiences—including learning throughout our outdoor campus—help children develop scientific thinking, ask meaningful questions, make predictions, collect and analyze information, solve problems, and deepen their understanding of living systems, physical science, earth and space science, and environmental stewardship.

Physical Education

Physical Education supports healthy bodies, confidence, coordination, cooperation, and an understanding of lifelong wellness.

Students strengthen movement skills, balance, endurance, and physical fitness through individual and group activities, skill development, games, and age-appropriate challenges. Students also practice teamwork, sportsmanship, healthy decision-making, and thoughtful risk-taking.

Music

Music gives students opportunities to sing, play instruments, create, perform, listen, and develop an appreciation for music across cultures and history.

Children build musical vocabulary and understanding while exploring rhythm, notation, instrumentation, performance, and creative expression.

Media, Library & Technology

Media learning combines literature, research, digital citizenship, information literacy, and age-appropriate technology.

Students learn to locate and evaluate information, research effectively, use digital tools thoughtfully, practice safe and responsible online habits, and create and communicate using technology.

Our library supports a love of reading and inquiry through a continually developing collection that includes high-quality literature, research resources, and books representing a wide range of identities, cultures, perspectives, and lived experiences.

Language & Culture

Language and Culture experiences broaden children’s understanding of the world and help students develop curiosity, respect, and appreciation for cultures beyond their own.

Children encounter language and cultural learning through specialist instruction, classroom studies, traditions shared by Chance families and teachers, and experiences designed to build cultural awareness and connection.

By the completion of the Virginia Chance School Elementary Program, students are developing the knowledge, habits, and skills to:

Social & Emotional Development

• Build healthy relationships with peers and adults
• Communicate needs, ideas, and feelings with growing clarity
• Resolve disagreements and navigate interpersonal challenges with increasing independence
• Recognize personal strengths and areas for growth
• Set goals and persevere through challenges
• Take responsibility for words, actions, choices, and behavior
• Regulate emotions and behavior across different settings
• Show empathy, compassion, fairness, and respect for others
• Respect different families, traditions, cultures, beliefs, identities, and perspectives
• Care for personal belongings, shared spaces, the natural environment, and the broader community
• Participate responsibly and collaboratively within a group

Literacy & Communication

Students develop the ability to:

• Read and understand a wide variety of texts
• Apply comprehension strategies and prior knowledge when interpreting new information
• Analyze, compare, summarize, and discuss literature and informational texts
• Develop an increasingly rich vocabulary
• Select books, authors, and genres independently for both learning and enjoyment
• Write clearly for different purposes and audiences
• Use the writing process to generate, organize, revise, edit, and publish ideas
• Communicate effectively through narrative, informational, opinion, research, poetry, and other forms of writing
• Listen thoughtfully and critically in one-on-one, small-group, and whole-group settings
• Follow increasingly complex directions independently
• Speak with confidence, clarity, appropriate vocabulary, and expression
• Articulate ideas, questions, opinions, and feelings in a variety of settings

Mathematical Thinking

Students develop:

• Strong number sense and operational understanding
• Experience with algebraic thinking, geometry, measurement, data, probability, patterns, and relationships
• A range of strategies for solving computational and real-world problems
• The ability to explain mathematical reasoning and justify solutions
• Confidence using discussion, writing, visual representation, and mathematical tools to communicate thinking
• An understanding of how mathematics applies to authentic situations and other areas of learning

Inquiry, Science & STEAM

Students learn to:

• Ask meaningful questions and pursue answers through research and investigation
• Distinguish among fact, fiction, opinion, and evidence
• Gather, organize, interpret, and communicate information from multiple sources
• Put research into their own words and present new learning clearly and creatively
• Read and interpret maps, charts, graphs, data, and other informational tools
• Use age-appropriate digital tools and technology to research, create, organize, and communicate
• Work collaboratively while investigating problems and interpreting information
• Observe, measure, experiment, quantify, analyze, predict, and draw conclusions
• Understand and apply the scientific process
• Recognize connections among science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics, social studies, and the natural world
• Apply critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, communication, and problem-solving across disciplines
• Develop an ethic of environmental stewardship and responsibility

Physical Development & Well-Being

Students develop:

• Coordination, balance, strength, endurance, and physical confidence
• Competence with a range of movement and motor skills
• Experience participating in individual and group physical activities
• Strategies for cooperation, teamwork, and fair play
• Increasing responsibility for personal wellness and healthy choices
• Confidence taking appropriate risks and learning through practice and persistence
• Fine-motor skills needed for writing, creating, manipulating materials, and using learning tools

Arts, Media & Specialist Learning

Across specialist areas, students build:

• Confidence expressing ideas creatively
• Experience using a range of artistic materials, processes, instruments, media, and tools
• Appreciation for art, music, literature, and creative expression across cultures and history
• Skills in research, information literacy, library use, and responsible digital citizenship
• The ability to use age-appropriate technology to research, create, organize, and communicate
• Musical understanding through performance, rhythm, notation, listening, and instrumentation
• Cultural awareness and respect for perspectives and traditions beyond their own
• Scientific curiosity and an understanding of the natural world
• An appreciation for movement, wellness, teamwork, and lifelong physical activity