Lower School Parent Resources

Additional Resources

Additional Resources

Executive Functions for Success with Dr. Spira

Organization, Time Management, and Planning: Key Executive Functions for Success in School and Beyond

The Leffell School was pleased to host this special Zoom presentation for Lower School families with Dr. Elana G. Spira, an Executive Functioning Expert (and former Schechter Westchester student!).

Curriculum Coffee: Executive Function

Curriculum Coffee: Executive Functioning Skills

Executive function skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention,
remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.

This Curriculum Coffee will help families:

  • Understand executive skills within the context of brain development
  • Be able to identify how executive skills impact school performance
  • Gain access to a repertoire of strategies to improve executive skills in children and to reinforce these skills in school and at home
  • Understand how executive functioning strategies are introduced and used in the classroom
Curriculum Coffee: Math Fact Fluency, gr. K-2

Curriculum Coffee: Math Fact Fluency and the Importance of Flexibility, Grades K - 2

This Curriculum Coffee will help families:
  • understand how number sense and fact fluency undergird efficient problem-solving and computation
  • recognize that what seems like “easy” math is building toward computational fluency later on down the line
  • be able to encourage their kids to “use what you know to find what you don’t know”
  • become familiar with games and materials they can use at home to support this work with their kids

Math Games Packet

Recommended Reading:
Mathematical Mindsets by Jo Boaler

Resource Download:

Curriculum Coffee: Math Fact Fluency in Multiplication, gr. 2-4

Curriculum Coffee: Math Fact Fluency in Multiplication, grades 2-4

This Curriculum Coffee will help families:
  • understand how number sense and fact fluency undergird efficient problem-solving and computation
  • be able to encourage their kids to “use what you know to find what you don’t know”
  • become familiar with games and materials they can use at home to support this work with their kids


Recommended Reading

Mathematical Mindsets by Jo Boaler

Curriculum Coffee: Using Bar Models in Math

Curriculum Coffee: Using Bar Models in Math, Grades 2 - 5

This Curriculum Coffee will help families:

  • become familiar with the strategy of using bar models to solve word problems.
  • understand bar modeling as a tool for problem solving and an introduction to algebraic thinking.

Resource Download:
Bar Modeling For Parents

Lower School Curriculum Guide