The core curriculum of Tara School is designed to develop creative and analytical thinking. It includes reading, language arts, math (with an emphasis on problem-solving), science, and social studies taught by classroom teachers.

Language Arts

Beginning with letter and sound recognition, children develop their reading skills through systematic instruction in phonics, sight-word recognition, and comprehension. In combination with sequenced readers, teachers use a wide variety of supplementary materials to make reading enjoyable and meaningful.

Careful attention is paid to spelling, grammar, and punctuation throughout the curriculum. Young children work on printing and writing; cursive writing instruction begins in the second grade and continues through the upper grades. Creative and expository writing are important parts of our curriculum at all levels.

Mathematics

Starting in kindergarten, children are introduced to number concepts, measurement, spatial awareness, and problem solving. These areas, in addition to computation skills, are progressively developed throughout the math curriculum. By the time children graduate from Tara, they have a solid understanding of computation skills, including fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios. The use of calculators is taught in upper grades, providing children with an essential tool for computation of more complex problems.

Teachers provide real, hands-on math experiences that promote math intuition. Math manipulatives play an important role in our program.

Problem-solving experiences that build analytical skills and confidence are built into the Tara math program. Beginning in second grade, the Singapore Math program is incorporated into the Tara curriculum. This challenging program that emphasizes problem-solving and higher-level thinking skills has been shown to improve students' math test scores worldwide.

Science

The science program develops children's process and inquiry skills. We encourage students to experiment and to investigate. Through hands-on learning situations, students gain exposure to four major disciplines: life science, physical science, earth science, and the human body. Lessons focus on the familiar in the students' environment: for example, plants and animals, sound and light, the water cycle, rocks and minerals, the desert, and electricity and magnets.

Social Studies

The social studies curriculum helps children understand their social and physical environment. Students gain an understanding of themselves, their world, and their heritage. Beginning in kindergarten and continuing through sixth grade, students study New Mexico in separate social studies lessons or integrated into other areas of the curriculum. Community service plays an important role in the Tara social studies curriculum. Through service projects with St. Elizabeth's shelter, the local community farm, animal shelters, and nursing homes, the children experience meaningful connections with our community.

In addition to the core curriculum, the Tara School provides instruction in Spanish and art. These enriching classes are taught by specialists in each field. Students receive instruction in each of these areas twice a week. Through these special classes, we aim for each student to find an area where he/she can shine.

Spanish

The Spanish program begins in the younger grades with recognizing sounds and words through games, songs, plays, and movement. It progresses to learning grammatical structure and idiomatic forms, reading , writing, and practicing conversational skills in the upper grades. Children are also introduced to the cultural influence of Spain and Mexico in the United States, and particularly in New Mexico.

Art

The art program introduces children to a range of media so that they may learn the skills of each discipline while expressing themselves creatively. Children receive instruction in drawing, painting, construction, working with clay, and sculpting. Children's work is frequently exhibited.