A Typical Day in Primary
 

8:30-9:15 a.m. LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE: This large group period is a favorite for our students, who gather in groups of 5-10 to listen to various genres of children’s literature read aloud, from classic fairy tales to stories from Greek mythology. Everyone enjoys doing an art activity, making a special treat or putting on a skit about the story of the week. 

9:15-10:00 READING: The children work with teachers on basic reading skills in small, ability-based groups. This arrangement enables the teachers to target individual needs for instruction in reading skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading comprehension and reading fluency. Children identified as struggling readers work with teachers trained in administering the SPIRE program for at-risk readers. In this program, the children work in small groups on specific decoding skills to help them learn to be successful readers. 

10:00-10:30 PHYSICAL EDUCATION: Gym class, or PE,  is a favorite time for many CID students. Children in the CID primary department have PE daily and follow a general education physical education curriculum taught by an experienced teacher. Games, gross motor skills, endurance, sportsmanship and fun are all part of the PE curriculum at CID.

10:00–11:00 SPECIAL ACTIVITIES: Art, music, computer and social skills are special activities offered depending on the day of the week and the age of the child.  Some of the teachers for these subjects come from outside of CID and are certified in their specific areas.  We have art teachers from the Center for Contemporary Arts and a trained music therapist.  Not only is it fun for the children to gain experience in all of these areas, it gives them a well-rounded background similar to that experienced by their hearing peers attending mainstream schools.

11:00–11:30 Speech and auditory training: Experienced teachers of the hearing impaired target work on speech and listening skills to meet the individual needs of children gathered by ability in small groups of 2-3.

11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. LANGUAGE:  Whether it is conversing about their weekend, learning a new language structure or participating in a pragmatic language activity, the children are encouraged to converse as they learn new language skills. For this subject, children are once again grouped by ability. 

12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. Lunch AND  recess are supervised by Washington University School of Medicine graduate students working on their master’s degrees or doctorates in deaf education or audiology. Students have recess time either at the playground next to the CID school or in nearby Forest Park, which contains beautiful scenery, walking and running paths, playing fields and state-of-the-art children's playgrounds among its many attractions.

12:45–1:30 MATH: CID math classes use the same general education curriculum used by many of the schools in the St. Louis area. Math skills are taught using a hands-on approach with concentration on critical thinking skills, language and vocabulary. Because the children are grouped by ability, teachers can concentrate instruction to meet their individual needs.

1:30–2:00 SCIENCE: CID students are introduced to a variety of experiences to help them learn basic science concepts for their grade level. Hands-on experiments, field trips and class projects give the children opportunities to learn about science concepts using many real life experiences.

2:00–2:30 SOCIAL SCIENCES: Children learn best by doing and in CID social sciences class, children participate in real life experiences to help them understand basic social studies concepts.  Building their own neighborhood or taking a trip to the local grocery store helps the students learn about the world they live in.

2:30–3:00 WRITING: Using a variety of up-to-date curriculum materials, teachers help students learn the writing skills they will need to succeed academically in the mainstream.