Lower School
Strong foundations, growing independence
The Lower School years are a period of significant academic and intellectual development, and a gap, if one appears, is closed before it grows.
Students move from acquiring foundational skills to applying them with increasing fluency, independence, and sophistication. Reading becomes a pathway to knowledge and, when a student is ready, an introduction to literature. Writing becomes a vehicle for communication and critical thinking. Mathematics develops from numeracy toward reasoning, problem-solving, and abstraction, all within a personalized, student-centered environment.
- Grades1st through 5th grade
- Tuition$32,000 a year for grades 1 through 4 and $34,000 for 5th grade in 2026-2027, plus registration, materials, and technology fees. The full picture
- Scholarship$8,745 for grades 1 through 3 and $8,140 for 4th and 5th this year
- The dayArrive by 8:10 a.m. Morning care from 7:30 a.m. Clubs at 3:00 p.m., Homework Club until 5:00 p.m.
- AdmissionAn academic assessment finds the right starting points, and a student may spend a day in a classroom. How it works
Taught to mastery
Reading, writing, and mathematics follow a personal pathway. Students are generally expected to show approximately 85 to 90% mastery of essential skills before progressing.
Reading, and the transition to literature
Decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, inferential thinking, and increasingly advanced strategies, with foundations secure before complex texts are introduced. Students who master the foundations begin the study of literature: character, setting, conflict, theme, perspective, and author's purpose, supported by evidence from the text. A student who is ready for more isn't held to a fixed grade-level sequence.
Writing
Sentence structure, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, paragraph development, organization, revision, and the writing process, across narrative, informative, persuasive, and creative writing. As students mature, writing becomes increasingly connected to thinking: organizing ideas, explaining reasoning, and communicating with clarity and purpose.
Mathematics
Computational fluency and conceptual understanding through a carefully sequenced curriculum. Teachers use formative assessment to catch misconceptions and provide targeted remediation or greater challenge, and students learn to explain their reasoning and apply concepts in unfamiliar contexts.
Learning in community
Science
Inquiry, observation, investigation, experimentation, and discussion, as students develop scientific vocabulary, interpret evidence, and connect concepts to the natural world.
Social studies
History, geography, civics, culture, and the development of communities, examining cause and effect, chronology, perspective, and primary and secondary sources.
World languages
New vocabulary, pronunciation, cultural traditions, and increasingly sophisticated listening and speaking.
Physical education and the arts
Physical education every day, plus art, performing arts, and electives for creative exploration, self-expression, and collaboration.
By the end of Lower School, our goal is for students to show strong foundational competencies, growing independence, intellectual curiosity, and readiness for the greater analytical demands of Middle School. Request a visit
We'd love to meet your child
The best way to know whether Killian Oaks is right for your child is to walk the campus on a school day, watch a lesson, and talk with the people who would teach them. Tell us your child's grade and we'll set a time.