General Curriculum
Reading/English Language Arts
Our standards aligned curriculum focuses on students learning decoding, encoding and fluency skills while they build vocabulary for more complex texts and authentic literature. Students will read and respond to works of literature with an emphasis on comprehension, making connections among ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence. Teachers use a mixture of fiction and non-fiction texts for read alouds, guided reading and independent reading.
Spelling instruction focuses on high frequency words, regular and irregular spelling patterns and frequently misspelled words following the program Logic of English. Writing skills are incorporated into our literacy program so students progress from basic mechanics of writing to writing narratives, informational texts and opinion pieces to writing longer, more structured pieces. Students will learn to write for different purposes and audiences with an emphasis on writing a clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content.
Logic of English Overview
Mathematics
Our standards aligned curriculum focuses on developing students’ deep understandings of mathematical concepts, proficiency with key skills, and ability to solve complex and novel problems. Teachers blend direct instruction, structured investigation and open exploration. The curriculum taps into the intelligence and strengths of all students by presenting material that is linguistically, visually and kinesthetically rich. Seeing, touching and sketching ideas are strategies used to create pictures in the mind’s eye, helping learners construct, understand and apply mathematical ideas. Our curriculum incorporates increasingly complex visual models, including the Number Line and Array models, in a coherent framework across the curriculum.
Teachers use manipulatives, games/activities, word resource cards and daily practice activities called Number Corner. The Number Corner features short daily exercises that introduce, reinforce and extend skills and concepts related to the critical areas of study at each grade level. New pieces are added to that each day, providing starting points for discussions, problem solving and short written exercises. Students work on skills including estimation and counting, place value, measurement and time, using data, number sense, computational fluency, graphing, fractions, decimals, geometry and algebraic reasoning.
To better understand our Bridges in Mathematics program, please view this video created by our Kelly and Linntown staff: https://youtu.be/tFE4LYpzzG4
Social Studies
Our standards aligned curriculum includes geography, economics, history and civics. In 4th grade students learn mapping skills and Pennsylvania geography, Pennsylvania History (up until 1824) and Pennsylvania state government and economics. In 5th grade students learn about ancient civilizations, explorers, early America/colonization, the American Revolution, United States government and citizenship and current events.
Science
Our standards aligned curriculum focuses on energy, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations and designing solutions, planning and carrying out investigations, information processing, natural resources, coding, ecosystems, soils, rocks, landforms, embryology, maturation, magnification and force and motion.
Homework
Homework is assigned on a regular basis, and generally is to be about 10 minutes per grade level per night. For example, a fourth grade student can be expected to complete about 40 minutes of homework per night. Homework provides reinforcement of concepts, practice of skills, and study discipline. Done with care and diligence, it is an important ingredient for success in school. Therefore, students are required to complete and hand-in all assignments.
Although parents usually assist or monitor homework, the main responsibility for completing homework rests with the child. In the absence of self-discipline, the parent/guardian needs to structure the homework time.
Consider these suggestions:
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Have your child carry an assignment notebook to record assignments.
- Identify a quiet place for study in your home.
Identify a time for daily study.
- If your child says there are no written assignments, create a study routine.
- Stress the importance of ongoing review and avoiding the tendency to study only right before the test.
- Monitor the assignment log and help your child make good decisions about his/her study time.
- If your child is absent they should check their teacher's Canvas page for any homework or activities that were missed.