Grade levels

Kindergarten (ages 3-4 years)

Kindergarten is an extremely important year for each child. It is often the first time he or she has attended school and spent any length of time away from parents and family. It may also be a student’s first exposure to a school setting in which a regular pattern of lessons and activities fills the day. Acquisition of language, mathematical skills and creative/aesthetic understanding, as well as development of physical control and coordination, are important to a young child’s progress in Kindergarten.

Transition (ages 4-5 years)

Transition is a significant year for a student. As the name implies, Transition bridges the developmental period between the nursery-style aspect of Kindergarten and the early Elementary Years. In Transition, students are taught the fundamental principles that underlie what they will study throughout their lives. Different styles of learning are explored, and a broader view is gained of the surrounding community and a student’s own special place within it.

Grade 1 (ages 5-6 years)

Grade 1 is the starting point for the Elementary Years. Using the experience and skills developed in Kindergarten and Transition, Grade 1 students build upon the foundation of their future learning. They explore phonics, reading and writing in greater depth. They pursue concepts in mathematics and fine-tune number skills. Basic elements in science and social studies are investigated. Grade 1 students exercise more independence, accept greater personal responsibility, and begin to develop organizational and research skills that will last a lifetime.

Grade 2 (ages 6-7 years)

Grade 2 students build upon past success by continuing with the next step forward. They examine reading and writing as communication tools and apply basic mathematical concepts to real-world situations. They explore with cumulative knowledge the mysteries of science and the special events of history. Grade 2 students exercise increasing personal autonomy, accept more personal accountability, and begin to make informed choices based on growing rational understanding.

Grade 3 (ages 7-8 years)

Grade 3 students continue their advancement by examining ever-more challenging reading opportunities. They learn and independently apply both reading and writing strategies and use punctuation, spelling and grammar rules with greater accuracy. Students use increasingly sophisticated problem-solving strategies to express number and apply mathematical concepts to practical, real-world situations. They also explore deeper scientific understanding and examine both cause and effect in history. Grade 3 learners expand their awareness of social responsibility and personal development.

Grade 4 (ages 8-9)

Grade 4 students consolidate their reading, writing and speaking skills by producing projects, reports, letters and poems. They read for purpose and for pleasure. Grade 4 learners develop automatic recall of multiplication and division facts and expand and apply their knowledge of fractions and decimals. They are introduced to scientific process skills and learn to apply perspective-taking in social studies subjects. Students in Grade 4 begin to think about morality and the consequences of their actions and discern the various influences on their personal choices and decisions. 

Grade 5 (ages 9-10)

Grade 5 students are independent readers. They develop more thoughtful responses when speaking and writing. Their awareness of more complex issues encourages the development of opinions and values. In mathematics, they show fluency in computation of number combinations and use strategies to make predictions and to solve more complex problems and equations. Science process skills are applied in investigation work. Students examine historical data, identify social problems, and analyse economic systems. They apply methods to accommodate a variety of feelings in a constructive manner and identify the positive character traits that contribute to personal identity and interpersonal relationships.

Grade 6 (ages 10-11)

Grade 6 students demonstrate their reading skills in a more defined and critical way. They examine multiple perspectives through literature, determine bias in publications, and examine real and hypothetical situations (offering both oral and written solutions). They choose and use organizational strategies when writing. Mathematical work includes advanced use of number when estimating, measuring, and converting. Students work with integers, fractions, decimals and geometric forms. They describe, plan and implement investigations and experiments in science and explore chemical properties. Student 6 learners use primary sources to create written works in social studies and debate conflicting points of view on historical issues. During this last year of elementary school, students examine relationships regarding physical appearance and changes in the body, self-concept and esteem.

Grade 7 (ages 11-12)

Grade 7 students enter Middle School prepared by their IB PYP experience to encounter a program specifically designed to support their cognitive, social, physical and emotional development. The Middle School learning environment supports a transition from childhood to beginning adolescence where students are assisted and empowered by teachers and staff within the various disciplines. At the Grade 7 level students are offered mathematics, science, humanities, languages (English, Italian, Latin, Spanish), physical education, music, visual art and specialist courses in civics and digital applications. In tandem with learning through inquiry-based methods, students are encouraged to make cognitive connections between the material learned in their classes and real-life situations relevant to their personal growth and enrichment.

Grade 8 (ages 12-13)

Grade 8 students continue their Middle School studies by assuming new responsibilities as they face a time of increased self-discovery and expanding roles. The Middle School learning environment engages their diverse interests while also providing needed support into adolescence. At the Grade 8 level students are offered increasingly challenging and fulfilling courses in mathematics, science, humanities, language (English, Italian, Latin, Spanish), physical education, music, visual arts and a specialist course in innovative learning. Students in Grade 8 apply their knowledge and growing experience to self-empowering opportunities that enhance academic, social and personal development and independence.

Grade 9 (ages 13-14)

Grade 9 students reach the pinnacle of their time at LAAS by supporting their learning for successful completion of Primo Esame di Stato (Esame terza media – the Italian state exam for Italian students), the Cambridge Preliminary (PET) exam, and the Instituto Cervantes Spanish-language assessment. Moreover, Grade 9 students use their core knowledge to complete the LAAS Personal Investigation Project (PIP) on a topic of their own choice via interdisciplinary inquiry. Grade 9 students culminate their studies at LAAS with a sure foundation of knowledge that prepares them for any future field of studies.