Linda Pryor is Head of the Lower School. Levels 3, 4, and 5 are located in Liberty Hall.
Upon entering Level 3, students experience the thrill of moving into Liberty Hall, where the excitement of learning is enhanced by a family of supportive, caring teachers who continue to reinforce perseverance, while fostering students' growing independence as lifelong learners.
At Levels 3, 4, and 5, the curriculum builds with extensive grammar instruction, writing essays and reports, studying Greek and Roman history, developing an appreciation for America's heritage, and understanding the role of scientific inquiry. Young scholars develop self-reliance as learners, while reading independently and pursuing topics of personal interest.
The fine arts program develops both individual creativity and an appreciation for musical and artistic history. To further develop language skills, French is introduced at Level 3 and studied through Level 5.
Students develop an ear for French while acquiring correct French pronunciation through the repetition of songs and poems, as well as daily dialogues. Using context clues students acquire a basic conversational vocabulary.
Because of the emphasis placed on grammar at BA, the fundamental principles of French grammar are readily taught. Students are easily able to note similarities and differences in the structure of the two languages. This creates a solid base for all future foreign language learning.
Students participate in individual, partner, and group learning activities designed to have them using and responding to French in meaningful ways. The primary focus is on speaking and listening comprehension. The secondary focus is on recognizing the written word(s).
Math is a core subject at Brookfield Academy, beginning with the fundamentals in all levels of the Primary and Lower School. Math concepts are taught in an engaging yet traditional manner, with the focus on learning and mastering basic facts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in the early years.
Singapore Primary Mathematics materials are used in Levels 1-5. Math instruction includes students working with manipulatives in sample problems for each new concept. This is followed by visual representations of concrete examples of how number operations work. In solving both one step and multi-step problems the Singapore math method of model drawing is used. Logical reasoning is emphasized as students develop into abstract mathematical thinkers.
At Brookfield Academy, the history and geography curricula motivate and excite students to learn. Throughout the Primary and Lower School, students explore a wide variety of topics. The lessons range from colonial American life to famous Americans to immigration to an intense study of the framing of the US Constitution of the United States. Democratic principles of freedom and a focus on the star of heritage are themes throughout the Primary and Lower Schools. Map reading skills are introduced and developed during these years and every Lower School scholar learns US geography with an emphasis on Wisconsin.
In Levels Four and Five the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome are studied as well as the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China, attentive to their influence on western civilization, particularly in the United States.
At Brookfield Academy, reading and writing are at the core of learning in the Primary and Lower School. Acquiring this skill, which is a pre-requisite for so much later learning, receives a great deal of attention in the Academy's foundational divisions. All teachers share literature with their students each day.
Students are taught to read using phonics, and comprehension skills are fostered through direct instruction of reading strategies. Reading time-honored classics extends each student's knowledge of good literature. Vocabulary lists are generated from the classic books read at each level. The weekly spelling words used in all levels emphasize the relationship between phonics and spelling. The Six Traits of Writing are the foundation for the writing curriculum which includes creative writing, personal narratives, research papers, and 'how-to' compositions. Grammar instruction is rigorous and includes the eight parts of speech. Understanding grammar usage, including clauses, verbals, and gerunds, is demonstrated by diagramming sentences.
Earth Science, Physical Science, and Life Science are explored at each level in the Primary and Lower School curriculum. Teachers seek to capitalize on the student's innate curiosity about the world.
Our experience has taught us that enthusiasm for science is driven by observation and experiments and our students have plenty of opportunity with both. The scientific method is taught and followed whether with plants or planets, simple machines or the laws of motion, ecosystems, electricity, or energy. Scales, microscopes, telescopes, electrical circuits give the "hands-on" experience students love and from which they learn about the world around us.
Students in Level 3 continue to develop library search skills, which include sequencing, alphabetical order, the Dewey Decimal System, and using the computer catalog. Levels 4 and 5 develop research skills that incorporate the use of print and electronic media. By the time they leave Lower School, students can find magazine articles, use an almanac, utilize an atlas, and search through printed lists and the computer catalog. Most important, they become responsible and capable library users and lovers of reading.
Given that technology plays an expanding role in modern life, Lower Schoolers are exposed to computers through meaningful games and skill driven exercises which engage their growing minds. Students use laptop and desktop computers in both the computer lab and their classrooms. In Levels 3 through 5, students work on keyboarding and word processing. Here, as elsewhere in the Academy, computer technology supports the curriculum and student work in the classroom.
Homework is an important part of the Brookfield Academy program. Parents in Lower School sign their children's homework, so they're aware of their child's progress through the curriculum and can help encourage good study habits. All parents are welcome to visit classes to share special knowledge and skills with students.
Brookfield Academy's small classes and family atmosphere make it a nurturing and safe environment for learning. The teachers are caring. They strive to model good citizenship to their scholars and a genuine concern for the needs of others. Outside the classroom, students learn to play together and build lasting friendships.
The Narnia program provides supervised care and enrichment from 3:15 pm until 6:00 pm. After-school lessons in foreign languages, music, and enrichment activities are available in the After-School Enrichment Program. Click here for more information.
See and hear why parents to choose Brookfield Academy as the perfect fit for their student. Learn about who we are and what we believe as a school, and hear comments from parents and students who know our program firsthand. Discover all the exciting things about BA!
To view our Lower School video, click here.
At Brookfield Academy, the curriculum is challenging, yet teachers are there to support students along the way. Experienced, caring, creative teachers inspire successful young learners!
To learn more about our Lower School teachers, click here.
