Lower School

Don’t let the name deceive you. The Lower School at Fort Lauderdale Preparatory School has nothing to do with status, and everything to do with academic growth and development.

Our Lower School (Grades 1-6) at FLPS features mixed-aged groupings. Student learning groups are divided among first and second graders; third and fourth graders; fifth and sixth graders. The students are paired by performance level in certain courses to build strong educational foundations.

By mixing the age groups, students interact and learn in an environment similar to that of a typical family or neighborhood. It offers a twist on traditional instruction that helps young students develop academically and socially.

When children are young, it’s often counterproductive to form study groups by chronological age. There can be wild fluctuations among individual academic and social development among students. Because of this, FLPS educators favor grouping students by stages of cognitive development for maximum learning impact.

Break-out groups of FLPS students are formed according to student performance levels for computative math and reading. Students remain with their grade-level peers for pure content subjects, such as science and social studies.

Freed from the limits of being secluded with kids their own age, new learning alliances form and appropriate learning takes place. But that’s not where the innovation ends at FLPS Lower School. Our teaching style features cooperative learning and individual projects. The mix of these disciplines helps students grow more comfortable with their own achievements, while also learning how to work as members of a successful team.

Just as in a traditional family or neighborhood, students learn, play and interact constantly with peers of various ages. This is part of the learning process and helps reinforce stronger connections between environment and knowledge. By encouraging interaction, students can sharpen their competitive and curious nature, grow in confidence with their own abilities, and become leaders and valuable contributors to something larger than themselves.

FLPS Lower School students are held to high standards – ours and yours. Here’s just some of what they are expected to accomplish. Each student will:

- Develop self-management skills

- Constantly strive for higher achievement

- Develop and sharpen communication skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing)

- Encourage and heighten thinking and reasoning skills

- Build computer and Internet competencies

- Further develop foreign language skills

- Promote focused organizational and study habits

We’re proud of how our FLPS students grow within the Lower School. They “learn how to learn” and develop skills that serve them well at higher grade levels. And the next few years are crucial.

Our experiences show us that Middle School is a challenging transition for many students. Grades 7-8 can be a time of great exploration. It can also be a time of angst.

That’s why Fort Lauderdale Preparatory School gives our 6th grade students another precious, valuable year in the Lower School program. There they can benefit from the supervision of one primary teacher as they strive to develop their changing academic and social lives.

FLPS recognizes the delicate nature of this age group and gives them the confidence, support and academic discipline they need to succeed as students. We understand the academic and life challenges that affect students in different ways. We will partner with our students to help overcome them and move forward into a brighter future.

In time, our 7th and 8th grade students will be introduced into the Upper School program. This is where they’ll embark on the journey that will lead them to college and into the advancements and adventures of the rest of their lives. Our goal is to prepare them well for what lies ahead.

Fort Lauderdale Preparatory School. Where students of all ages and backgrounds believe and achieve.