Our curriculum is inspired by various teaching philosophies such as constructivism, Reggio Emilia, Primary Baccalulareut Program (PYP), Multiple Intelligence Theory, and a myriad of educators such as Montessori, Piaget, and Gardner among others. It is constantly modified to meet the changing needs of the students and society. Assessment is qualitative and emphasis is placed upon the process not the product. Students’ feedback aims to help them improve upon their work. It is also a way for teachers to evaluate their own teaching. No grades are assigned to students up to grade six. Homework is a way to connect schoolwork with home. It is not meant to be a burden on families or students. Often, homework is project based and family oriented. Homework supports study skills and builds the organization habits needed as students get older.
Students begin primary school with a range of reading abilities and we accommodate all levels. Our teachers use a combination of phonics and whole language approaches in both Arabic and English to ensure development of solid reading and critical thinking skills. Read alouds are an important part of our daily routines. Students visit the library weekly and each class is equipped with a mini library with a range of reading levels and subjects to draw all students to the joy of reading.
Students at ANS are all authors. We follow the Writers’ Workshop approach developed at Colombia University for both English and Arabic language. Children write personal narratives, essays, non-fiction books, fiction stories and poetry in both Arabic and English. We work on developing the craft of writing as well as writing mechanics and spelling to ensure proper usage of language.
We believe math is best understood through real life experiences. Students use manipulatives as well as real life objects such as money, clocks, and thermometers to explore numbers and functions. Math starts at the concrete level and moves toward the symbolic and abstract levels. Math skills are reinforced with games and class activities. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and mathematical problem solving in all grade levels. We enrich our math program with activities drawn from a variety of resources such as Math in Stride, Singapore Math, Investigations, and Everyday Math from the University of Chicago.
Students are scientist exploring the world around them. Science is inquiry based, concrete, and hands on. Students are encouraged to use the scientific method where they make observations, form predictions, and draw conclusions. Students use their journals to document and reflect upon their work.
Music, art, and drama are integrated throughout the curriculum. Students visit the art studio twice a week where they explore a variety of techniques such as drawing, painting, collage, and sculpture. They are introduced to a variety of artists at each grade level. In music, children sing, dance, play instruments, and learn basic music skills such as notation and solfege. Beginning fifth grade, students choose an instrument to play such violin, guitar, or keyboard.
We follow the Bank Street model to teaching social studies starting from the “here and now” and moving to “long ago” and “far away”. For example, first graders learn about their school, friends and neighborhood, second graders learn about their city Amman, third graders learn about Jordan, fourth graders learn about the Arab region, and so on. Global and multicultural education is an important aspect of our social studies program. Diversity and respecting differences are core values in our program.
PE is an important aspect of our program as we believe exercise should be part of every child’s life. Younger children have PE classes three times a week. They learn basic motor skills as a way to stay healthy and fit throughout their lives.