Curriculum

We use the Lucy Calkins reading workshop as our reading curriculum. This program focuses on improving reading skills for both literature and nonfiction texts. While reading literature, students will work on word solving, vocabulary development, envisioning, and prediction. While reading nonfiction, students will work on identifying main idea and details, recognizing text structure, comparing texts, and thinking critically about the text.

Lucy Calkins’ writing workshop model makes writing workshop rigorous and responsive. There are 5 units of study organized around narrative (personal and fairy tales), information, and opinion (speeches and literary essays) writing. Each unit of study contains sessions that walk students through the writing process from planning and drafting to revising and editing and eventually publication. Each lesson includes teaching points, mini-lessons, conferencing/small-group work, and independent writing. 

Eureka Math helps students build a strategic understanding of math with an emphasis on problem-solving. In this program, students learn facts and formulas, but the focus is more on building a deep understanding of math. In other words, it is not enough for students to know the process for solving a problem; they need to understand why that process works so they can apply it to future learning and real-world situations. 

This year we will begin each trimester with social studies and finish with science. Our content social studies instruction follows the 5E model: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate. In science, we use the Carolina STC Science curriculum for Science. It is a STEM-aligned program with specially designed kits for the grade level. Students will inquire about science topics to ensure they are fully understanding the content material.