Reading: 105 Minutes Daily

Students spend time working in small groups at their instructional level while being guided by the teacher. Through work stations, students work on phonemic awareness skills, phonics, fluency, writing and comprehension. Teachers emphasize cooperative learning. During whole group literature-based instruction, teachers focus on story elements, sight words and word families. Students are also exposed to letter sound connections, blending and segmenting with the use of the McGraw Hill’s Treasure Reading Series.

Writing: 45 Minutes Daily

With the use of the Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop Model and Kid Writing, students work through the developmental stages of writing. They are encouraged to use inventive spelling, which allows them to stretch words to write what they hear. Teachers use this workshop model to teach mini lessons and students are asked to demonstrate their understanding of the lesson through their individual writing. Writing is incorporated through all transdisciplinary subjects.

Mathematics: 60 Minutes Daily

The Everyday Math curriculum focuses on numbers and numerations, computations, measurement, reading data, geometry and patterns through hands-on exploration and inquiry. Students are encouraged to reinforce these skills through the use of Everyday Math games.

Science/Individuals & Societies: 50 Minutes Daily

The FOSS modules Trees and Animals Two by Two are what teachers use to instruct students in hands-on, engaging inquiry-based lessons. They focus on meeting state standards through incorporating teacher-created units on Weather, Farms and the Five Senses. Through the IB units of inquiry, students learn about How The World Works, Sharing the Planet and Who We Are.