Elementary School

The Elementary School Program at the International School of Dakar serves children from preschool age, 3 years old, to fifth grade, 11 years old. In preschool, children are involved with the important pre-reading skills. The more formal process of teaching reading, writing, and mathematics begins with Kindergarten where children are five years old and will turn six during the school year.

The Elementary School believes that children need to be actively involved in learning by engaging students in activities that help to further their social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development. Process education is very important and helps children to think critically and understand the concepts of what they are learning.

“Education is what survives when what has been learned
has been forgotten.”
B. F. Skinner, New Scientist, May 21, 1964, US psychologist (1904 - 1990)


It is important to give children the tools by which they seek, learn, understand and produce. By using these tools, their education will survive, making them independent and life-long learners.

The ISD Elementary School believes that children learn best in a caring and nurturing atmosphere and that the caring and nurturing atmosphere works two ways. The children are learning in a culturally rich environment that enables them to be more sensitive to the world. We look to our students to be the world leaders of the future and we need to prepare them for this task.

Our curriculum places the child at the center of learning and therefore, it must work for each individual rather than the individual fitting into the curriculum. A good example of how we fit the program to the child is the implementation of the Four Blocks Reading Program. It is a program designed to meet the needs of all children and to build on their individuality. The ISD Curricula consists of standards, benchmarks, and indicators in each core area. A balanced education is also important for children and therefore, the children are not only engaged in the areas of reading/language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and French language instruction, but also into the visual arts, music, physical education and computer technology. Again, individual needs are addressed by our Optimal Learning Center that acts as a support for students who participate in the following programs: English Language Learner (ELL) serving students towards English proficiency, and the Resource Room serving students who are experiencing specific developmental learning difficulties.

The curriculum is based on an American Curriculum with an international influence. The students come from all over the world and bring with them another type of curriculum. The curriculum they bring is both culturally and intellectually rich. As a school, our challenge is to offer the students a secure environment where they are free to share their own curriculum with others. The rich environment gives our students a distinct advantage due to the diversity and knowledge they gain from each other. In addition to international issues, we also take advantage of being in Dakar with field trips of local interest. These field trips add not only to what the students are studying in class but give insights into life in Dakar.