An Interwoven Approach

Research proves time and again that when meaningful content meets relevant context, it sticks. Whether your child is reimagining the debates of ancient Greece, expressing what they know about binary code in art, designing and prototyping an invention, or reenacting the Oregon Trail experience, learning comes to life at Meadowbrook-in vivid, lasting detail.

And at Meadowbrook, nothing your child learns exists in a vacuum. Quite the opposite-our passionate, collaborative team of teachers ensures each lesson connects seamlessly not only with what your child experiences in every other class, but also in what they are discovering through life beyond the classroom.

Academics

No other school can know your child like Meadowbrook...

For over 100 years, we've been purposefully scaled so that no one in the Meadowbrook family goes overlooked or unnoticed. Because of our intimate size, our nurturing culture enfolds your child and builds them up-meaning everyone, yes everyone, gets to know your child and works with them to define their gifts.

...and everyone counts.

At Meadowbrook, we celebrate the fact that our differences are poignant contributions. Our school family is one of the multilayered diversity-in talent and interest, culture, race, and ethnicity, and in learning styles. Here, your child partners closely with others to see their viewpoints, too. And because of our intimate size, we engage with conflict resolution in a uniquely thoughtful way when the need arises. By graduation, our students cultivate the ability to approach situations from a place of more holistic understanding and authentic empathy.

SMALL BY DESIGN

Early Childhood

We believe that the Early Childhood Education and Kindergarten programs are our stepping stones to a successful elementary experience. We strive to help each child develop positive attitudes towards school, learning, and self. We encourage and support each child's imagination and curiosity through the use of poetry journals, class books, show and tell, and creative play. Our older buddy/younger buddy programs are a great support system for the children, communicating caring and sharing across the grades. The primary emphasis of our Early Childhood Education and Kindergarten programs is to expose children to a nurturing yet academically structured environment that introduces students to school through a developmentally appropriate program.

We look forward to providing your child with a fun and nurturing classroom, which will stimulate their creativity and instill a love of learning. The Three-Year-Old curriculum is a child-centered, developmental program, which provides experiences promoting social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth in a warm, loving, and safe environment.

NOTE: We do require Preschool students to be potty trained before beginning our program.

Year at a Glance:

Themes: All About Me, Family, Community Helpers, Safety, Five Senses, Good Health, Literature, and Holiday & Seasons

Language Arts: Introduction to letter recognition and sounds, Pre-writing activities, literature activities, and class books.

Math: Number recognition, number concepts, shapes, colors, graphing, patterning, sequencing, and comparing & contrasting

Specials:

Art: 1 day a week

Physical Education: 2 days a week

Library: 1 day a week

Music: 1 day a week

Science: 1 day a week

Computers: 1 day a week

World Language: 1 day a week for Spanish

Traditions & Special Events:

Trip to Kohler Farm

The Gingerbread Breakfast

Teddy Bear Day

100th Day

Graduation Performance

The Pre-K classroom is set up to feel like home. We want your children to see their artwork, feel comfortable in their surroundings, and most importantly know that they are loved and cared for as they walk through our doors. We hope to stimulate their learning, pull from their strengths, and bring out the best in each individual.

Phonics: The Pre-Kindergarten phonics program is based on The Land of the Letter People. The students are introduced to a new letter person each week and many activities revolve around that specific letter. There is a story, poem, song, and puppet that goes along with each letter. There are also centers that focus on that letter throughout the week.

Handwriting: In Pre-Kindergarten, we use the Handwriting Without Tears Program, which is a developmental program focusing on correct pencil grip and both letter/number formation. There are small pencils and crayons used to promote the correct use of finger placement. We also use manipulatives and tools to guide the students. There is a text that goes along with this program as well as chalkboard slates for extra practice.

Writing: We introduce Kid Writing in Pre-Kindergarten; however, we do not expect that the children master this skill. We encourage them to listen to beginning and ending consonant sounds as they attempt to correctly form the letters we have learned in the Handwriting Program. We also have them make a connection with their text with an illustration to instill the art of storytelling. Imagination and creativity are key ingredients.

Pre-kindergarten uses the Fountas & Pinnell literacy program designed to support whole-group, small-group and independent learning opportunities including: interactive read-aloud; reading mini-lessons; writing mini-lessons; shared reading; phonics, spelling, and word study; guided reading; book clubs; and independent reading collections. Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ is rich with authentic texts, lessons or conferring cards, minilessons and professional learning tools for a systematic, transformative approach to literacy instruction.

In addition, we use the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum. Phonemic awareness is the ability to understand that spoken words are made up of individual sounds called phonemes, and it’s one of the best early predictors for reading success. Heggerty Phonemic Awareness is designed to provide daily instruction in eight phonological and phonemic awareness skills. Students practice blending, segmenting, and manipulating words, syllables, and phonemes each day. With daily lessons, students are able to build the necessary foundation to become automatic decoders of print. The 10- 15 minute lessons are fast-paced and completely oral.

Math: Monthly Math journals to go along with our thematic approach. Concepts include greater/less than, counting skills, shapes, colors, patterns, and simple addition. A big part of this technique is to introduce whole group instruction and to encourage following simple directions while covering basic math concepts.

Social Studies: Pre-Kindergarten program uses a thematic approach. Each month, we use literature and visual aids to teach about concepts the students will learn about in the world. Some of our themes include seasons, holidays, traditions, the five-senses, animals, hibernation, transportation, our bodies, the five senses, kindness, self-exploration, and friendship. Art is centered around these themes as well as other center activities.

Specials:

Art: 2 days a week

Physical Education: 2 days a week

Library: 1 day a week

Music: 1 day a week

Science: 1 day a week

World Language: 1 day a week for Spanish

Traditions & Special Events:

5th grade Readers & 6th grade Buddies

Trip to Kohler Farm

The Gingerbread Breakfast

Teddy Bear Day

Thanksgiving Show

ABC Video Presentation

Graduation Performance

The Kindergarten classroom is a welcoming and supportive space that emphasizes responsibility, indepedence, and respect for others.

Language Arts: The Kindergarten reading program develops a strong foundation for reading skills, and focuses on the early literacy skills of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, sight/trick words, and reading comprehension. Our read-alouds include both fiction and non-fiction in a variety of genres.

Handwriting: We use the Kid Writing Program, which allows the students to use their knowledge of phonemic awareness. This enables them to begin the writing process by writing the sounds they know in the words. Handwriting is taught with hands-on activities and multisensory teaching strategies that build good handwriting habits. We focus on numbers, upper and lowercase letters.

Math: Math is incorporated into our day in a variety of techniques. Not only do we have an excellent math series, but we use manipulatives to teach math lessons. We focus on representing, counting and writing numbers 1 through 20, addition, subtraction, numbers through 100, geometry (identifying 2D and 3D shapes), and measurement and data (length, heights, weights, and sorting).

Social Studies: Using literature and visual aids, our program involves discussions about famous figures, holidays, rules, community, all about me, voting, wants and needs, growth mindset, animals and habitats, as well as life and social skills.

Specials:

Art: 2 days a week

Physical Education: 2 days a week

Library: 1 day a week

Music: 1 day a week

Science: 1 day a week

World Language: 2 days a week for Spanish

Traditions & Special Events:

5th grade Readers & 4th grade Buddies

Merrymead Farm

Kindergarten VIP

Cookie Election

Gingerbread Decorating Event

Teddy Bear Day and Osito Bear

ABC Countdown

Graduation Performance

100th Day of School Celebration

Pumpkin Picking in Preschool

Fire Safety & Truck Visit
for Early Education

Lower School

The Lower School is designed to provide sequential learning from first through third grades. There are many exciting hands-on activities to provide solid learning experiences for our students. Read more about individual grade experiences.

First grade is the year when a child begins to realize and explore their independence. They thrive on the opportunity to make choices, be a leader, and have responsibilities. We, at The Meadowbrook School, guide them in this period of development through a growth mindset. Our day is planned in order to provide optimal opportunities for the unfolding of the whole child, which includes their social, emotional, and academic skills and development using an interdisciplinary and inquiry-based program.

ELA: As we nurture a curiosity and a love for learning in our literacy program, the classroom library is filled with books that expand their knowledge related to the thematic units being taught across the curriculum. Reading quality literature to the class, guided reading groups, and independent reading are all elements that build confidence in becoming a strong reader. Using multiple curriculum resources, we continue to focus on pneumonic awareness in tandem with developing comprehension skills and strategies. Journaling, writing responses to literature and transcribing and memorizing poetry are used to assist in proficiency. As the students gain confidence in these skills, projects, and oral presentations in varied subject matter offer a platform for further mastery of new knowledge and confidence as an individual.

First grade uses the Fountas & Pinnell literacy program designed to support whole-group, small-group and independent learning opportunities including: interactive read-aloud; reading mini-lessons; writing mini-lessons; shared reading; phonics, spelling, and word study; guided reading; book clubs; and independent reading collections. Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ is rich with authentic texts, lessons or conferring cards, minilessons and professional learning tools for a systematic, transformative approach to literacy instruction.

We also use Fundations®, a multisensory and systematic phonics, spelling, and handwriting. Key features include letter formation, phonological and phonemic awareness, sound mastery, phonics, word study, and advanced word study, irregular (trick) word instruction, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension strategies, written composition (spelling and handwriting).

Math: Using Houghton-Mifflin’s “Go Math” curriculum that encompasses mastering algebraic concepts through varied learning modalities, we guide the student through the following: number sense, addition, subtraction, telling time, measurement, data, and geometry. The concepts are taught using a variety of teaching methods and manipulative materials, technology programs, and real life applicable experiences to practice and demonstrate understanding. By implementing a systematic methodology, the program provides additional support for the student needing further reinforcement or greater challenges during the school year.

Social Studies: The foundation of our social studies curriculum starts with our students' understanding of individual development and identity. Students expand their understanding of themselves, their families, their community, and their world. First grade students study animals and research all different facts about them. We take a field trip to the Philadelphia Zoo to help us connect our research to real life experiences. Students explore cultural diversity and how to care for the people and environment they inhabit. We explore the progress of our world, holidays around the world, and how to care for our earth and the animals that are endangered of becoming instinct. Participating in a special traditional study of life during the medieval times with the sixth grade class, each student becomes a page or princess.

Traditions & Special Events:

Second Grade Friends

Intramurals with Second Grade

Reading to Preschool

Pages and Princesses of the Medieval Festival

The 2nd grade curriculum is focused on building upon the knowledge gained in 1st grade through a series of multi-subject units. These include a career unit which includes establishing and running a school postal service. Another unit focuses on feelings and features a special tribute to mothers with a Mother's Day Breakfast with original poetry, stories, and songs. Each of these units is composed of concepts and activities that reinforce the mastering of math, reading, writing, social studies and problem-solving skills. The 2nd grade language arts curriculum builds upon the language arts skills presented at the 1st grade level. The 2nd grade program endeavors to develop and nurture a positive attitude through the discovery and enjoyment of reading, writing, speaking and listening. We strive to develop thoughtful and critical readers and writers.

ELA: The 2nd grade language arts curriculum builds upon the language skills developed in 1st grade. The 2nd grade program endeavors to develop and nurture a positive attitude through the discovery and enjoyment of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Word recognition is learned through the study of long, short and irregular vowel sounds, consonants, consonant blends, consonant digraphs, and rhyming. Students expand vocabulary through the study of new words for basal stories and chapter books. The study of characters, setting, main idea, problem, solution, and plot helps students learn to analyze fictional writing. In 2nd grade, students learn the steps of the writing process, sentence types and correct use of punctuation marks. Through research reports and book reports, students learn to record information and to summarize. Students are also introduced to cursive handwriting. Students begin developing public speaking skills by presenting their written stories, poetry and reports to the class. Students present information in assembly either as a group or individually. The "Star of the Week" program allows children to express their thoughts and help foster respect towards classmates. Through verbal experiences, students also utilize and expand their comprehension skills.

Second grade uses the Fountas & Pinnell literacy program designed to support whole-group, small-group and independent learning opportunities including: interactive read-aloud; reading mini-lessons; writing mini-lessons; shared reading; phonics, spelling, and word study; guided reading; book clubs; and independent reading collections. Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ is rich with authentic texts, lessons or conferring cards, minilessons and professional learning tools for a systematic, transformative approach to literacy instruction.

Math: The Meadowbrook School uses the GoMath series Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. The 2nd grade math curriculum builds on the skills taught in 1st grade. Students learn through a variety of hands-on materials to aid their concrete thinking. We follow the principles and standards set forth by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; and the various enrichment materials available in the classroom.

Social Studies: The 2nd grade social studies curriculum develops an awareness of the self and others in the child's immediate world and in the community. By studying family structure, the school, and the community, the students understand the value of mutual respect, cooperation, and responsibilities within a group.

Traditions & Special Events:

Apple Festival

Star of the Week

Parent Careers: Parents visit the classroom to talk about their careers
Community Map: Created by the students & presented to the school
Entrepreneurship Program: Students create & present their own business

Career Doll Project
Second Grade Post Office

Mother's Day Breakfast & Presentations

Field Trips to Apple Orchard & Post Office

Third grade is a special time in a Meadowbrook student's life when learning is not restricted to the book but is made to come alive in new and interesting ways. 3rd grade is full of activities that utilize learning outside of the classroom. Throughout the year, we take many trips to enhance each unit of study. Some examples are a trip to Pennsbury Manor to visit the home of William Penn and traveling to the city of Philadelphia as part of our Pennsylvania unit.

ELA: The focus of the 3rd-grade language arts curriculum is to create a classroom of community readers and writers. We continue to develop an appreciation of various authors' works, styles of writing, and genres of literature and apply these words effectively in both written and oral contexts. Students learn how to apply skills such as in-depth character understanding and development of plot through the study of short stories and novels. In order to further their level of comprehension, students learn to identify themes, problems and solutions, main ideas, and drawing conclusions. Students will develop greater fluency and increase their motivation to read. Written language skills are practiced and refined as the students write predictions, dialogues between characters, and sequels to stories. Students learn to express themselves freely through various journals, letter-writing, and poetry-writing exercises. In order to continue the development of their confidence in speaking publicly, students practice various oral presentation techniques such as storytelling, poetry reading, and description of personal experiences. Throughout the year, students have multiple opportunities to speak in front of small groups and school-wide assemblies.

Third grade uses the Fountas & Pinnell literacy program designed to support whole-group, small-group and independent learning opportunities including: interactive read-aloud; reading mini-lessons; writing mini-lessons; shared reading; phonics, spelling, and word study; guided reading; book clubs; and independent reading collections. Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ is rich with authentic texts, lessons or conferring cards, minilessons and professional learning tools for a systematic, transformative approach to literacy instruction.

Math: The Meadowbrook School uses the GoMath series Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. The 3rd-grade math curriculum stresses the belief that math is a skill used every day. To emphasize this, math is taught in a real-life manner using manipulative and genuine examples from the world in which we live. This approach enables students to see math as more than merely a content area but as a key to solving problems in their daily lives.

Social Studies: The 3rd-grade curriculum is divided into two major themes: the State of Pennsylvania and the importance of friendship. These themes are intertwined throughout the year with the language arts programs to provide an integrated language arts-social studies curriculum.

Traditions & Special Events:

Redeemer Village Buddies
Intergenerational Pen Pals
Second Grade Buddies

Group Art Projects

Second Grade Apple Festival
with Advertising & Marketing

Third Grade Egg Drop Project

Upper School

Upper School at Meadowbrook is comprised of fourth, fifth and sixth grades. The emphasis is to continue a strong educational program that helps to accentuate learner's strengths, help build and support them when challenged, and develop strong leadership qualities. Classes and activities remain hands-on and keep learning alive and exciting. Read more about the grades in Upper School.

Colonial Action Week in

Fifth Grade

Fourth Grade Coding

Cuneiform Tablets in Sixth Grade for Mesopotamia Unit

The curriculum for 4th grade is rich in content and meaningful to students. The projects in each subject area are related across the curriculum so that students make connections within all areas of learning. By the time students leave the 4th grade, they will have developed the skills to assess mathematical problems using exploration, reasoning, drawing inferences, and employing a variety of mathematical methods. Students will understand the importance of heritage, community, and the diversity around them. Students will also develop strong research skills through a variety of engaging projects in the classroom and at home.

ELA: The 4th language arts program continues to develop and nurture a positive attitude towards reading while improving students’ reading skills. Our goal is for students to read for enjoyment and discovery as well as literary experience and to gain information. In addition, we want to expand and extend their understanding and use of the English language so that students will be able to speak and write with confidence and accuracy. Students will learn strategies to improve their comprehension through reading and discussing a variety of themed novels. A multitude of activities enables students to improve their ability to predict, evaluate, and infer, as well as to understand figurative language and character development. Through student-created activities, the children express their understanding of the different authors’ intent. The writing curriculum for 4th grade focuses on poetry, expository, persuasive, narrative, and imaginative writing. As the year progresses, each student moves from writing simple paragraphs to more complex creative stories. They learn to express thoughts clearly and precisely using appropriate vocabulary, metaphors, and similes. The students learn each stage of the writing process from brainstorming and development of rough drafts through editing the final copy of their stories. The students will also demonstrate their understanding of poetry by writing poems about their own life, including haikus, triplets, and rhymed riddles.

Fourth grade uses the Fountas & Pinnell literacy program designed to support whole-group, small-group and independent learning opportunities including: interactive read-aloud; reading mini-lessons; writing mini-lessons; shared reading; phonics, spelling, and word study; guided reading; book clubs; and independent reading collections. Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ is rich with authentic texts, lessons or conferring cards, minilessons and professional learning tools for a systematic, transformative approach to literacy instruction.

Math: The Meadowbrook School uses the GoMath series Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. Instruction in the 4th grade is based on the why and how of mathematics. Students will not only learn to grasp the key concepts, but they will also learn how words and symbols are used in the context of mathematics. A variety of problem-solving and reasoning exercises provide opportunities for students to explain their thinking, justify a solution, or identify a more efficient strategy for solving the problem. Children are encouraged to explore, reason logically, draw inferences, and apply the mathematical methods they learn to everyday life.

Social Studies: The focus of the social studies curriculum in the 4th grade is the United States geography and awareness of the culture and economy of the different regions of the country. Through the study of heritage and immigration, students will develop an understanding of their own multicultural heritage and how heritage shapes the communities they live in. Throughout the year, students discover and discuss the importance of current events in their everyday lives and learn the characteristics of good citizenship in the school and their communities.

Traditions & Special Events:

Kindergarten Buddies
Heritage Day

Travel Agency

Fifth grade at Meadowbrook is a year that offers a fulfilling academic experience with ample opportunities for individual creative expression and enrichment augmented by guest speakers, field trips, activities and special events that bring the curriculum to life. Through an integrated curriculum, our 5th graders see that subjects are connected. Stories, poems, essays, skits, and diaries are written on various themes from our social studies subjects ranging from the Vikings and the Age of Exploration through the Civil War. While our 5th graders' academic growth is extensive, they also grow in responsibility through their contributions both inside and outside of our school community.

ELA: There are three main areas of focus in the language arts curriculum in 5th grade. First is the continued development of reading skills while instilling an appreciation for good literature including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and plays. The second area of focus is the on-going maturation of each student's ability to communicate confidently, effectively, and creatively in all verbal and written communications. The third focus is the integration the use of language arts skills into all other subject areas. Students learn to identify figures of speech used in each novel and short story that is read. Exercises designed to increase understanding of inference, character development, and other critical comprehension reading skills are an integral part of the program. These exercises encourage students to become more thoughtful readers and to utilize higher level thinking. Each student is encouraged to be creative in their mode of expression by using various methods of presentation to show their comprehension of the story. Students develop their ability to write for an audience by using sophisticated vocabulary, descriptive language, and figures of speech. All steps of the writing process are learned and practiced with an emphasis on revising and proofreading. Students learn to use unified paragraphs to compose essays and creative short stories on a variety of topics. These essays, stories and skits are often connected to history, social studies, or other language arts topics.

Fifth grade uses the Fountas & Pinnell literacy program designed to support whole-group, small-group and independent learning opportunities including: interactive read-aloud; reading mini-lessons; writing mini-lessons; shared reading; phonics, spelling, and word study; guided reading; book clubs; and independent reading collections. Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ is rich with authentic texts, lessons or conferring cards, minilessons and professional learning tools for a systematic, transformative approach to literacy instruction.

Math: The Meadowbrook School uses the GoMath series Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. 5th grade math builds on the students' skills learned in previous years moving onto higher level concepts and computational proficiency. We strive to develop a strong understanding of mathematics and its uses in everyday life. Considerable emphasis is placed on various methods of problem-solving while expanding conceptual understanding.

Social Studies: The 5th grade social studies curriculum explores our country's history from the first explorers to its survival as an indivisible nation after the Civil War. Through this study, children develop an understanding of and appreciation for the uniqueness of our country and the different ideas and cultures that shaped it. By connecting our knowledge of historical events and people to the present, we give our students an understanding of their future responsibilities as citizens.

Traditions & Special Events:

Preschool Buddies

Reading to Early Education Students

Colonial Action Week

We regard our 6th graders as special individuals who have grown to become our leaders and are now about to embark on the next stage of their journey. As leaders of our community, the 6th graders have many responsibilities such as helping to create their Meadowbrook School Yearbook pages, establishing close ties with their younger buddies, participating in D.A.R.E., assisting younger students during ice-skating sessions, and leading school assemblies and special events. The journey through 6th grade provides a smooth transition from an elementary school environment to that of middle school.

ELA: The 6th grade language arts program builds on the skills learned in previous years. We continue to develop the students' reading skill while encouraging an interest in good literature. Emphasis is given to the students' ability to communicate effectively and confidently in both spoken and written form. We reinforce that language arts is an enabling skill that traverses all disciplines and translates into meaningful personal and academic outcomes. Students explore science fiction, mystery, biography, adventure, comedy, historical fiction, classical Greek mythology, and fantasy. As in previous years, students read, analyze and discuss a variety of novels, poems, and stories to practice strategies that enhance comprehension skills. By reading stories independently and completing novel projects, students' reading skills are enhanced. Students develop their style of writing through daily journals, essays, and more! Students focus on elements such as character assessment, comparison and contrast, and opinion statements.

Sixth grade uses the Fountas & Pinnell literacy program designed to support whole-group, small-group and independent learning opportunities including: interactive read-aloud; reading mini-lessons; writing mini-lessons; shared reading; phonics, spelling, and word study; guided reading; book clubs; and independent reading collections. Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ is rich with authentic texts, lessons or conferring cards, minilessons and professional learning tools for a systematic, transformative approach to literacy instruction.

Math: The Meadowbrook School uses the GoMath series Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. 6th grade mathematics involves a variety of instructional approaches which allow students multiple opportunities to gather, analyze and apply information in solving problems. Students are exposed to a variety of problem-solving strategies. In these exercises, students must choose the appropriate methods of computation and be able to communicate the rationale for the mathematical choices they make.

Social Studies: In 6th grade, students develop an understanding of human interaction and communication through an emphasis on history, citizenship, and geography. Students learn the impact of different cultures and civilizations at different times throughout history. Their classroom travels will take them back to Mesopotamia, Egypt, through the classical cultures of Greece & Rome, and finally end in the Medieval Times. They learn about cultural similarities and differences as well as historical unifying themes. Sixth graders come to understand that history is the study of human past with chronological sequences, continuity and change, multiple causes and effects, and changing interpretations of the past.

Traditions & Special Events:

Pre-Kindergarten Buddies

Hobby Show

Gods Atop Mt. Olympus

Sparta vs. Athens Debate

Medieval Festival

Trip to New York City

Sixth Grade Medieval Festival