This article was provided by Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School.
Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Lower School students benefit from a tailored learning experience that identifies each student’s areas of strength and provides support for their areas of growth.
With a team of seven learning specialists providing both support and enrichment, an innovation center, integrated 1:1 technology, reading for both Hebrew and English that are rooted in the research around the science of reading, and fluid skill-based groupings that reflect the needs of students, the Lower School learning experience is intentional in its approach to meeting their students’ needs.
“What we know about children is that they will rise to the challenges set before them and show strength in different ways and at different times. As educators, it is our job to give them the platform to blossom and the time and space for them to unlock their potential,” says Lower School Principal Dr. Elana Weissman, citing the philosophy of the Lower School’s intentional learning approach.
Learning Specialists
With an academic support team comprised of learning specialists assigned to each grade, the Lower School has expanded and enhanced its “whole child” educational approach.
“We are a school where we prioritize knowing our students as individuals and are looking for what’s in the best interest of each child,” says Weissman. Each grade’s learning specialist works with students to identify opportunities for strengthening skills.
Innovation Lab
The Innovation Lab, now under renovation, will also enhance the Lower School learning experience, providing a space using STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — to implement design thinking for kindergarten through fourth grade students. The Innovation Lab will serve as a hands-on learning lab where students use the design process to think through and solve problems using everyday items.
Teachers will also use this space to introduce new topics, encourage further exploration of a current unit and discover ways to use that knowledge in the “real world.”
Technology Integration
Technology is an essential learning tool in our Lower School, each student being provided with an iPad to be used within the classroom.
“We know that technology is an enriching educational tool but are conscientious about how, when and why we use it throughout the day,” says Weissman.
Prioritizing digital citizenship, the use of technology in the Lower School is carefully curated with an emphasis on offering opportunities for individualized formative assessment, resources for higher-level learning, options for review and for comprising a learning portfolio.
Reading and Writing Curricula
The Beth Tfiloh Lower School approach to reading and writing is at the forefront of the academic experience. With a dynamic approach to learning, taking into consideration the elevated demands of the dual curriculum, the Lower School remains committed to focusing on the skills and standards that students need to develop and master.
By using the multitude of teaching and assessment resources available to them, teachers and specialists continuously identify what each student needs so that their learning is tailored to meet those needs. Assessment of skills is built into the infrastructure of the Lower School program with each grade using developmentally appropriate assessment tools.
The small group instruction model is a key to the success of Lower School learning experience. By teaching and learning within smaller groups, students can benefit from tailored instruction that targets their particular needs, whether it be extension and higher level thinking opportunities or repeated exposure to foundational skills.
Skill-Based Small Group Learning
Based on the understanding that children develop in fits and spurts, these groups are fluid throughout the school year and are based on the individual needs of each child. The small group framework allows for teachers to continuously assess students’ skills and identify learning gaps in an effort to meet each child where he or she is on their academic journey.
The Beth Tfiloh Lower School offers a unique experience for students, allowing them to thrive at their pace and flourish in an environment that meets their individual needs. The Lower School has remained steadfast in its commitment to providing resources to both teachers and students to customize the learning experience to meet the needs of their classrooms and their individual students.
The Lower School experience is one that nurtures both the academic and social/emotional needs of each child, laying the groundwork for their future learning success.
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