Lower School
Students in grades 1-5 receive daily individualized instruction in Hill’s reading, writing, and math methodologies in a 4:1 student-faculty ratio.
Using a systematic, multisensory approach that is Orton-Gillingham based, Hill’s methodology strengthens foundational skills through direct instruction and high engagement with students frequently reviewing content and working toward mastery.
Students benefit from the use of hands-on manipulatives, positive peer interactions, thoughtfully integrated technology, and flexible pacing. Events and activities throughout the year build social-emotional and executive function skills.
Breaking Down the Hill Methodology
Hill’s reading methodology (HillRAP) is Orton-Gillingham based and teaches core reading skills from the basics of identifying letters and initial sounds to fluently reading and comprehending texts with multi-syllabic words. Skills are taught and reinforced through 6 components:
Drill, Phonological Awareness, Word Attack, Fluency, Vocabulary, & Comprehension
Through these components, students learn key reading skills, including:
- Learning letters, sounds, syllables, and rhyming
- Decoding words through phonics rules
- Reading fluently with increased speed, accuracy, and proper expression
- Expanding vocabulary knowledge and strategies to learn the meaning of new words
- Applying decoding and fluency skills to texts
- Processing texts for understanding and application to prior knowledge
Hill’s writing methodology (HillWrite) teaches core writing skills from the basics of writing initial letters sounds to organizing and writing multi-paragraph essays. Skills are taught and reinforced through 5 components:
Drill, Oral & Written Spelling, Copying/Dictation, Handwriting, & Written Composition
Through these components, students learn key skills, including:
- Breaking spelling words into parts orally to help associate the sounds with letters
- Learning to spell words from phonetic and sight word lists
- Increasing speed and accuracy with notetaking
- Strengthening capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and proofreading skills
- Improving letter formation, reduce reversals, and correct word spacing
- Developing writing skills through an emphasis on breaking down the writing process and supporting students through each stage
Hill’s math methodology teaches core math skills from the basics of identifying numbers and counting to multi-step problems. Skills are taught and reinforced through 6 components:
Fluency, Number Sense, Review, Problem Solving, Curriculum, & Reflection
Through these components, students learn key mathematical skills, including:
- Accessing math facts fluently through recall or learned strategies
- Understanding relationships between numbers
- Thinking flexibly about numbers and using prior knowledge to solve problems
- Learning strategies for solving word problems
- Using a CRA approach to learning mathematical concepts:
- Concrete: hands-on learning with manipulatives
- Representational: using visuals to “see” the math
- Abstract: symbolic stage utilizing numbers and symbols
Video Feature
Hill Students Belong
In the Lower School and throughout all of Hill Programs we want every student to feel like they belong. From feeling good on campus to feeling confident with their learning differences, if a student feels like they belong they will excel.
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Life in the Lower School
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