The Lower Elementary program (grades 2-3) at FCMA allows students to expand their knowledge in a wide range of academic subjects – building on the skills and social abilities that they developed in the Early Elementary (kindergarten and first grade) program. Academic subjects are integrated into a program designed to allow children to learn at their own pace. Freedom of movement, open work areas and uninterrupted blocks of time for individual and group projects help to support the 7-9-year-old’s drive toward autonomy. Students are guided through a rich and challenging curriculum as they continue to work both individually and in small groups. The program permits a variety of approaches using colorful manipulatives that make sense of abstract principles.