Our Program

We believe children come to school with a great deal of prior knowledge and curiosity. They learn best when teachers build on this curiosity by helping them pose real questions about the world around them and subsequently conduct in-depth investigations to answer those questions. Our curriculum has two important aspects that provide for student learning needs: explicit and systematic instruction, in which teachers plan activities to help children acquire skills and strategies, and integrated project work, in which students conduct in-depth investigations of important topics and apply skills and strategies to solve real world problems. The Duke School curriculum is based on standards set by national professional organizations, such as the National Council of Teachers of English, National Council for the Social Studies, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the American Association for Advancement of Science. Classroom teachers use curriculum documents and benchmarks as a guide in providing responsive, stimulating learning opportunities for our students.