The Dalton Plan in the First Program

List of 3 items.

• House

  The First Program views House, the first component of the Dalton Plan, as the basic organizational unit for all children, a gathering place that serves as each student’s home base. Following the guidelines established by Helen Parkhurst, the school’s founder, and articulated in Dalton's K-3 Curriculum Guide, the House Advisor and Associate Teacher in each House create a stimulating, academically rigorous curriculum in the language arts, mathematics, and social studies disciplines, in conjunction with specialists in Spanish, chess, dance/theater, science, music, art, physical education, and library. In addition, reading and math specialists work with students individually or in small groups to provide support and enrichment. While the academic work is paramount, the purpose of House is to provide a safe, secure, learning environment that encourages risk-taking and promotes community building. House at the First Program is comprised of students in the same grade. The House Advisor and Associate Teacher in each First Program classroom maintain close, ongoing contact with parents, informing them as to the social, emotional, and academic growth of the students throughout the year. They also meet formally with parents on designated conference days in the fall and winter terms.

• Assignment

  The Assignment is the second component of the Dalton Plan and offers children a range of choices for exploring and learning concepts, activities, and skills within a subject area. Students learn to structure and plan their work time, and they receive frequent feedback from their teachers. The Assignment provides practice of foundational skills and allows students to pursue lines of inquiry of their own design.

• Lab

  The word “Laboratory” best describes the educational atmosphere that Dalton strives to create, which combines study, research, and collaboration. “Lab” refers to the one-to-one and small group sessions between students and teachers, which augment the classroom experiences. At the First Program, children are presented with opportunities to make educational choices about their learning and in the process discover how to identify their interests and how to learn more about them.