Early / Lower School

Davidson Hobson | Head of School | 704.864.7744 ext.116

Lower School (Grades Preschool – 4)

Because children love to explore and embrace the world using all of their senses, instruction extends beyond the classroom walls. Frequent field trips, special guest speakers, and virtual tours give students firsthand experiences that bring classroom lessons to life.

Discovery and challenge are the hallmarks of the pre-school and lower school programs at Gaston Day. Students and teachers work together to discover new concepts, master skills, learn important facts, and weave them all together into an exciting “tapestry of knowledge.”

Language arts and mathematics provide the basic structure for the academic day. Specific blocks of uninterrupted time are devoted for instruction and mastery in these areas, combining a myriad of activities to allow for individual, small group, and whole class instruction.

Our multisensory approach to education extends to the world of fine arts, where lessons in music, art, and drama are coordinated with units of study in the classroom.

Through a deliberate program of character education we encourage our students to become caring and empathetic toward their peers, the community in which they live, and their global neighbors.

Every task is designed to help them take intellectual risks and become confident, knowledgeable, reflective, and open-minded.

Learning Academy

The Learning Academy provides students an environment where teachers and specialists are devoted to helping them excel.

Coordinate Program

The Coordinate Program is designed for students at Gaston Day who are diagnosed with a specific learning disability or a significant attentional disorder needing the Language Arts/Math Curriculum presented in an individualized instructional setting. Students work to remediate and strengthen skills for a transition back to the mainstream of Gaston Day School. Academy teachers work closely with the classroom teacher, family, and student to provide the support needed. Daily Academic Coaching is included for students enrolled in the Full Coordinate Program. A student enrolled in Coordinate Language Arts or Coordinate Math is provided three days of Academic Coaching.

Early Reading Intervention/Early Math Intervention

The Early Reading and Math Intervention Program provides an individualized, multi-disciplinary, diagnostic, prescriptive program designed to meet the specific needs of each child with a diagnosis of a learning disability/attention disorder.

Academic Coaching

The Academic Coaching Program is designed to meet the needs of students who have difficulty keeping track of assignments and organizing school materials. It can also provide short-term tutorials to reinforce concepts presented in the classroom. The Academic Coach serves as an advocate and lends help with studying, reviewing, note-taking, test preparation, and other academic needs.

Student Services

The Student Services Program is designed to meet the needs of students in upper school who have difficulty keeping track of assignments and organizing school materials. The Student Services faculty serves as an advocate and lends help with studying, reviewing, note-taking, test preparation, and other academic needs.

Single Course Tutoring

The Single Course Tutoring program is designed to serve students in grades 9-12 enrolled in The Learning Academy who are experiencing difficulty in a single subject area (math and language arts).

Occupational Therapy

Sessions may include fine and gross motor coordination training, therapeutic exercises, self-care training, sensory integration training, visual motor training, neuromuscular re-education, cognitive therapy, adaptive equipment training, or child/caregiver education. A licensed physical therapist will work with children one-on-one or in small groups.

Speech and Language Therapy

The Speech & Language Program provides support to students who need additional help in articulation, fluency, voice, or language. Children work individually or in small groups with a certified speech and language pathologist. In addition to developing verbal skills, speech pathologists play a key role in the prevention of literacy problems.