Our literacy vision and program is intentionally designed to attend to the five pillars identified by the National Reading Council - phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. In the Reading and Writing Workshops, we implement the various workshop components – independent reading/writing, shared work, read-aloud, guided work, word study (phonics), and high-frequency/sight words. Teachers and students are able to set personalized goals, as well as nurture an authentic love for reading and writing through independence, choice, and exposure to a rich variety of appropriately leveled reading and writing experiences. We cover various fiction and non-fiction genres throughout the year.
Reading and Writing
Math
Our math program is TERC Investigations, supplemented with Contexts for Learning Mathematics units. These math programs focus on hands-on, exploratory activities with real-life application. Students learn number sense, place value, addition and subtraction strategies and problem solving through the use of manipulatives and hands-on activities. We also focus on building students’ math vocabulary and math discussion skills, where students listen and try to understand others’ thinking, explain their own strategies, and discover more efficient strategies through critique of others’ work.