The goal of our curriculum is to increase the knowledge base of each individual child. We believe in steady, progressive, and developmentally appropriate growth in the education of the whole child. Researchers commonly agree that there are multiple types of intelligence, including emotional intelligence, musical intelligence, logical-reasoning intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, existential intelligence, kinesthetic intelligence, linguistic intelligence, intra-personal intelligence, and spatial intelligence. Keystone Adventure School believes in speaking to each of those types of intelligence in the process of educating the whole child. We believe it is not enough to simply fill a student's brain with facts; true learning occurs when the student uses the application of knowledge to give breath and life to thought. When application occurs, retention is real.

Teachers at Keystone lay the groundwork for successful learning by establishing an environment of trust and respect in all learning environments. Before children can be expected to unite to achieve academic goals, they must be provided the time to learn how to work together, respecting the different learning styles that exist in the Keystone community. These opportunities for problem solving provide them with life-long strategies and tools for learning.

Keystone allows students to grow and develop as individuals and as members of a close-knit community. In a supportive and stimulating environment, rich with interesting texts, technology, equipment, and materials, Keystone children experience the joy of learning both inside and outside the classroom.

Emotionally intelligent individuals stand out. Their abilities to empathize, persevere, control impulses, communicate clearly, make thoughtful decisions, solve problems, and work with others create friendships and create success. They work together to create a safe and comfortable classroom atmosphere, facilitating a memorable and enjoyable learning experience.

3-Year-Old Program
Keystone's 3-year-old program will introduce your child to the joy of learning with a safe, fun, hands-on environment, encouraging him/her to work within a group and independently. The three-year-old program lasts from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

4 and 5-Year-Old Program
Keystone’s 4 and 5-year-old program provides time for your 4 and 5-year-old to develop socially/emotionally/developmentally while being exposed to Preschool and Kindergarten fundamentals. The classroom curriculum is Fairy Tale based, which provides exposure to classic Fairy Tales integrated with the ABCs and numbers. Students learn to re-tell a story through puppetry and drama and journal-write about what they have learned with their own developmental spelling.

Math is interspersed throughout the day with Calendar activities in the morning and the Math-U-See program in the afternoon. Keystone’s beautiful campus provides students with Science activities throughout the year by observing seasonal changes and interacting with the pond, creek, organic garden, and animals! We use the Handwriting Without Tears program for handwriting and enjoy large group activities with the whole school, which incorporates Social Studies, Science and other subject areas. Above all, students learn how to get along with each other through play and by being a part of our "Keystone Family" in this wonderful, loving place!

Kindergarten and First Grade
“Quack!” and welcome to the Duck Pond. Keystone’s kindergarteners and first-graders work hard at writing, reading and math. Most of the time you will find them doing at least one of those activities in many different ways. Sometimes they hang out on the floor, and other times they work at their desks. They spend a lot of time focusing on writing and learning phonics through their own writing, whether in books or in journals.

Math is very important, as well. The kindergarteners and first-graders work with manipulatives and dice to facilitate learning of mathematics concepts, including quantities and place value. They learn to do math “in their heads” and problem-solving skills. Reading is taught after an in-depth understanding of phonics through writing. Most of the books students read are from Rigby and are written in predictable language and leveled for all readers.

2nd and 3rd Grade
In second and third grade, Keystone’s goal is to continue equipping each child to become the best he or she can be. It begins with every child being an active participant in establishing the dynamics of the classroom setting and learning about his or her own learning styles. From there, each child works at his or her own pace on a program specifically designed to meet one’s needs. A strong emphasis is placed on building a solid foundation in reading, writing, and math. Our desire is for children to become intrinsic, lifelong lovers of learning and view the world as their classroom.

Writing is a vital part of our day. Every day begins with children expressing their thoughts and ideas in journals and culminates in various writing and art projects. Each child's work becomes the basis for his or her individualized language arts program including spelling strategies, language mechanics and individualized reading programs, according to each child's interest. Art is incorporated in every facet of the classroom, especially reading, writing and math. It is a natural way for children to express their knowledge base. Art becomes a visual representation of what they have learned or know. Foundational math skills are taught through a variety of methods, hands-on-activities, art and lots of practice.

4th and 5th Grade
In fourth and fifth grade, learners have strengths and weaknesses that are often labeled in various ways. We do not focus on the label but on the learner and his or her thought process. Learning differences are real; allowing the learner to identify the triggers for challenging tasks and then to develop the skills needed to find success is vital to the way students learn in the classroom. The learner is involved in all stages of his learning and the curriculum is developmental. We solidify the developmental processes of learning to read and then move toward reading to learn. We emphasize reading comprehension strategies that modes of thinking to efficiently draw meaning out of text. This teaching theory also applies in the areas of mathematical reasoning skills that are critical to problem solving. Social studies and science content are used as vehicles in this constructive way of learning. Writing is an area that is integrated across the curriculum. Students in our upper class journal daily, expressing what they are learning and demonstrating the writing skills they are obtaining.

The Oklahoma state-mandated curriculum does not acknowledge vital parts of a learner's success: the social and emotional parts. Therefore, while we ensure our students will be provided opportunities and guidance to learn the academic content important for 4th and 5th graders across our nation and state, we also believe that a student’s emotional and social intelligence must be honed.

Students need self-assurance that they can learn anything other children their age can learn, and that is often the focus of our time with students. In the process of building academic skill, they will learn about their selves, how to work with others in a productive way, and how to set and achieve goals that will secure a foundation for learning successfully throughout life.