Lower School · Kindergarten – Grade 5
Lower School
“Confidence Grows Here.”
At Royce, the Lower School is where confidence takes root and blossoms. Every child is encouraged to be their authentic self, discovering the joy of learning in a safe, nurturing environment.
K-5
Grades
7:1
Student-Teacher Ratio
OG
Certified Faculty
Where It All Begins
Every Child Belongs Here.
With small class sizes and faculty who know each student deeply, children are guided to explore, question, and create with curiosity and courage. Through hands-on discovery, collaborative play, and meaningful relationships, students build resilience and develop a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.
Our students are bright, capable learners who need more explicit, structured, or multisensory teaching than what typical classrooms provide.
We begin with each child’s brain – how it processes, how it remembers, how it learns best.
Our Approach
How We Teach.
Every lesson in our Lower School begins with the child — how their brain processes, how it learns, and what it needs to thrive. Instruction is designed from that starting point.
Evidence-Based
Orton-Gillingham Reading
Every Lower School teacher is trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach – a structured, multisensory reading method that builds phonological awareness, decoding, and fluency from the ground up. Proven effective for students with dyslexia and all learners who benefit from explicit instruction.
OG-Based
Multisensory Math
We use Marilyn Zecher’s Multisensory Math approach – an Orton-Gillingham based framework that teaches mathematical concepts through touch, movement, and visual representation. Students build genuine number sense, not just memorized procedures.
Whole Child
Social-Emotional Learning
Academic skills and emotional skills grow together at Royce. Our Lower School weaves SEL throughout every day – building self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, and the communication skills that help students form strong friendships and navigate challenges with confidence.
Daily Life
What a Day in Lower School Looks Like.
No two days are identical, but every day at Royce is built around the same foundation: intentional instruction, genuine relationships, and the freedom to learn at your own pace.
Mornings
Structured Learning
Mornings are focused on core academics — reading, writing, and math through structured, multisensory instruction in small groups where every student is seen and supported.
Midday
Hands-On Discovery
Science, social studies, arts, and project-based learning bring the morning’s skills to life. Students collaborate, create, and connect knowledge to the world around them.
Afternoons
Community & Connection
Afternoons build community — enrichment activities, outdoor time, and the kind of connection with classmates and teachers that makes students feel truly at home at Royce.
Life at Royce
Confidence Grows Here – See It in Action.
Real moments from our Lower School community. Every experience is designed to help students build the confidence to try new things, ask big questions, and discover the world.
Community · Events
The Royce Holiday Extravaganza: A Celebration of Courage, Creativity, and Community
Community · Giving Back
Learning, Giving, and Growing: Mrs. Hearn’s Class Supports Ronald McDonald House
Come See It For Yourself
See Where Confidence Grows.
The best way to understand what makes the Royce Lower School different is to walk through the door. Visit our classrooms, meet our teachers, and let your child feel the difference.