CAS Lower School

The Lower School at Casablanca American School includes Preschool (K3-K5) and Grades 1-6.

The Lower School is a busy place with a lot of learning taking place. We proudly offer the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) , which empowers students to explore and inquire about the systems and processes around them. We believe in educating the whole child and strive to develop social and emotional skills, in addition to academic skills and knowledge, so students are ready to tackle the more complex learning in their school journey and later, the ever-changing world.

Each Lower School section has a lead teacher and teaching assistant with grades 5 and 6 sharing an assistant. The utilization of instructional assistants enable individualized instruction to meet student needs. Our pedagogy emphasizes differentiation and support. We offer English Language Learner (ELL) support as well as literacy and math intervention.

At Casablanca American School, we follow the Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) from Columbia University in the United States. The curriculum is grounded in research and based on the Common Core State Standards. The program ensures a consistent literacy framework, vocabulary, and processes throughout the Lower School.

In line with TCRWP, CAS believes in the following tenants with regard to reading and writing instruction.

Reading
Writing

Reading

Readers need teachers who demonstrate what it means to live richly literate lives, wearing a love of reading on their sleeve.
Readers need long stretches of time to read.
Readers need opportunities to read high interest, accessible texts of their own choosing.
Readers need to read increasingly complex texts appropriate for their grade level.
Readers need explicit instruction in the skills of proficient reading.
Readers need opportunities to talk and sometimes to write in response to texts.
Readers need support reading nonfiction books and building a knowledge base and academic vocabulary through information writing.
Readers need assessment-based instruction, including feedback that is tailored specifically to them. Struggling readers especially need instruction that is tailored to their specific strengths and needs, as well as extra time and help.
Readers need teachers to read aloud to them.
Readers need a balanced approach to language arts, one that includes a responsible approach to the teaching of writing as well as reading.

Writing

Writing needs to be taught like any other basic skill, with explicit instruction and ample opportunity for practice. Students receive at least 45 minutes of writing instruction daily.
Students deserve to write for real purposes, to write the kinds of texts they see in the world and to write for an audience of readers.
Children deserve to be explicitly taught how to write.
Children deserve the opportunity and instruction necessary for them to cycle through the writing process.
To write well, children need opportunities to read and to hear texts read, and to read as writers.
Children need clear goals and frequent feedback

We believe the successful education of a child is through a student, parent, teacher partnership.

Lower School Principal

Lower School Administration Contacts

Imane Laraichi El Kadiri

Departments: Administration

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CAS Lower School

The Lower School at Casablanca American School includes Preschool (K3-K5) and Grades 1-6.

Reading

Writing

We believe the successful education of a child is through a student, parent, teacher partnership.

Lower School Principal

Lower School Administration Contacts

Imane Laraichi El Kadiri