Grades 1-4
Lower School in Miami
General Philosophy
The Lower School (grades 1-4) nurtures students’ innate abilities through a variety of learning activities, hands-on experiences, and developmentally appropriate practices. Throughout these years, students grow in their social-emotional and academic skills through direct instruction and purposeful practice. Elementary School classrooms at Gulliver Prep are joyful, future-ready spaces of learning where students collaborate with peers, creatively solve problems, share their thinking, and make meaningful connections that enrich learning for everyone.
Guided by standards for each content area, students explore and practice skills in mathematics, language arts, social studies, science, and world languages. Whenever possible, core content areas are interwoven with special area classes to deepen and extend opportunities; students apply their knowledge to answer real-world questions and connect classroom learning to life beyond it.
At Gulliver, success is whole: measured by what you achieve and who you become. Rooted in the energy and diversity of Miami, our Lower School empowers students to seek the challenge, feed their curiosity, and grow into greatness. Here, every child discovers their spark while building the confidence and character to forge their own path.
Social Emotional Learning
Responsive Classroom®
- Following the tenets of “Responsive Classroom®,” our students come together each morning to greet each other, learn about the day ahead, share, and engage in an activity.
- RC is a nationally recognized, evidence-based approach to teaching that emphasizes engaging academics, positive community, effective management, and developmental awareness. This purposeful approach models the behaviors we want students to practice in school within a guided, structured, and supportive environment.
- Through consistent and supportive conversation, students build confidence in their classroom community and become more comfortable taking risks and sharing ideas with the group. These skills extend when students work with their teacher to problem-solve situations and develop strategies to face challenges together.
Second Step® Program
To support students in navigating their feelings and relationships, Gulliver Prep adopted the Second Step® Program. This program proactively and explicitly teaches skills so students are equipped with the language to identify feelings, the language to talk about situations, and strategies to support resolution.
In addition, students learn mindfulness techniques, such as belly breathing, to calm themselves when challenges arise. Families are made aware of these techniques through parent communication, provided by Second Step and shared through the classroom portal or communication folders.
Elementary School Academic Curriculum
Through experiential learning, we cultivate independent thinkers. Students are immersed in a literacy-rich environment, developing listening and critical thinking skills as well as creative problem-solving strategies to approach math questions. Technology is interwoven throughout the program so students understand how to use devices as tools for learning and self-expression.
English Language Arts
Lower School lays the foundation for Gulliver’s robust English language arts curriculum, helping students grow into confident readers, researchers, and writers across all content areas. Aligned with the Science of Reading, the program builds strong skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Research-informed instruction emphasizes structured literacy – oral language, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Writing spans informative, narrative, and opinion pieces supported by evidence-based arguments. Guided Inquiry Design fosters curiosity and critical thinking through purposeful research.
Math
Our math curriculum blends hands-on activities, games, and daily routines with problem-solving and critical thinking. Students connect math to real-life situations, apply multiple strategies, and use tools to justify their thinking. Repeated exposure builds mastery, while varied resources and research-based practices keep learning engaging. Differentiated instruction ensures every student is challenged and supported, creating a strong foundation for future success.
Social Studies
In the first six weeks, students learn their role in the classroom community, setting expectations and practicing collaboration through the Responsive Classroom approach. Each grade explores how people, places, and history shape communities over time. Through projects, field trips, and real-world simulations, students connect personal, local, and global perspectives while building problem-solving skills and empathy.
KOMPAN® Playgrounds
Gulliver’s KOMPAN® playgrounds are designed with children in mind, built on three pillars: health, learning, and environment. The equipment encourages safe, student-centered play that helps children navigate real-life experiences through active exploration.
Approach to Technology
Students use technology to express themselves and solve problems through projects integrated with classroom learning. Over time, they apply a variety of programs, starting with iPads in grade 1 and transitioning to Chromebooks in grade 2.
The Lower School Experience Includes:
- A thoughtfully crafted and dynamic curriculum
- Opportunities for hands-on science labs and experiments
- Discovery Lab experience including coding and creating ePortfolios
- Spanish for heritage and non-heritage speakers
- Weekly art and music classes
- Daily physical activities including recess on our Kompan Playgrounds and unique physical education options like yoga and tennis
