subject overview
Communication Arts
The foundation of the literacy program is intensive work on reading and writing, using an established, successful curriculum (for example, Open Court) that is capable of accommodating the needs of our student population. The program stresses the natural, creative, pleasurable, and meaning-making process of reading. It, at the same time, takes a direct instruction approach to literacy acquisition. Phonics are emphasized.
We have selected direct instruction because of its strong support in the research. With low-income, urban, African-American students the results have been consistently good when direct instruction has been competently used. Direct instruction takes many forms. At one end of the spectrum of forms is scripted instruction. At the other is the traditional model of literacy instruction with the teacher using a text and following a systematic, step-by-step process of learning letters and sounds, then words, etc. We have no interest in the scripted form. Our approach is the traditional model. It has worked in the past and has been shown to work with the population we will serve.
Open Court is an example. It has a good record, has been popular for a long time. It can be used in more scripted ways and in ways that suit our traditional approach.
One of the challenges in teaching communication arts to our students is their limited school vocabulary.Our students often begin somewhat behind. The research on this is conclusive. In order to address this limitation, we do three things. First, we make redressing it our first priority in kindergarten and first grade. Second, we create a language-rich environment in those grades. Third, we have researched the various language development/acquisition programs, adopted one (Open Court) that identifies the necessary functional vocabulary for each grade level, and have made it a primary objective to achieve 90% mastery of this vocabulary by 75% of our students each year. Our goal is to strengthen school vocabulary so that literacy development can progress normally.
Literature is a part of communication arts. The goal of language and literacy development is to enable students to read and learn from what they read. Part of general knowledge is exposure to and understanding of great literature, in our case great children's literature. Students read the traditional canon of books for children, as well as high quality contemporary works. Generating interest in reading and in good literature can be difficult with any group of children today, and is especially difficult with our student population. Attention to the reading selections helps with this, but does not address the larger problem of general resistance to reading due to there being little pleasure or purpose in it for students. We strive to make it both.
Math
Math basics are stressed first, using Singapore Math as the established curriculum, with an emphasis on practical applications and problem solving.
Research supports the need for regular and repeated instruction and practice in basic concepts, memorization of math facts, a focus in the early grades on thinking/conceptualizing mathematically, extra attention to multiplication and division, fractions, and all functions with long numbers in the intermediate grades. Problem solving also is stressed from the beginning. Conceptualization of all math operations relies, at all ages, on the concrete, tangible, and manipulable.
The big challenge in math instruction is to get beyond basic operations to really doing math. Even students who can do the operations often resist doing more difficult problems that require figuring out. From the beginning, math must be a practical subject, developing confidence in using it to solve problems and mastery of its operations as a means of "doing" math.
Social Studies
History is the integrating discipline of social studies. Other material, from the social sciences, is introduced to help understand historical events, people, or times. The history is taught as narrative-- as a series of stories of great or important people and events. Students are expected to remember and retell the stories. The reason for making narrative central is twofold. First, narrative is suited best to the developmental level of elementary school children. They are pre-analytic and live in a world of stories, myth, and fable. Jerome Kagan, of Harvard, argues that most history/social studies instruction in elementary schools fails because it doesn't connect with students' interests, social-emotional and cognitive development. Kagan thinks narrative is powerful because it touches on an elemental component of our nature, one that slowly weakens as we age, but is still powerful and vital in the pre-adolescent years. The Waldorf Schools also have storytelling as an integral part of their curriculum, believing as Kagan does, that humans, especially children, love and learn best from stories. At present, it is our view that elementary school social studies books are poor and a waste of money, especially for grades K-3. The content is basic enough so that we can design our own curriculum, built upon narratives and aligned with state standards. The curriculum will also address our general knowledge goal. For grades 4-5, we will choose a text series and then supplement it with narratives that reinforces its content.
The use of narratives also helps meet the second important objective of social studies: reinforcing and augmenting language/literacy development. Reading and discussing the narratives will strengthen reading ability. In comparison to the use of a standard text , there will be significantly more reading; it will be higher quality; and by its nature it will be more interesting and more engaging. Students will have to use and find value in the skills they have learned in a different subject. Constructivist approaches are primary in the secondary subjects. Inquiry methods will be used. All narratives will not be given; many will be researched and written by students. Students will choose projects. Teamwork will be used roughly half the time. All teamwork will be regulated and supervised closely by teachers. Units will be divided into topics for projects. All projects will produce written reports, in addition to other reporting methods selected by individuals or groups. This requirement ensures that writing skills from communication arts will be exercised and improved.
Science
Science for grades K-5 uses the Houghton-Mifflin elementary science series. The series is a standards-based, spiral curriculum covering life, earth, and physical science topics. It is inquiry-based, activity/lab oriented. We add an emphasis on nature study: observing, measuring, counting, recording, and experimenting on the immediate natural world in which we live. Math skills are learned and reinforced as a regular part of the curriculum.
Science, like history, is a great story. For the same reasons we use narratives in history, we read stories of people and events in science. The stories, unlike in history, are not the organizing content/activity, but they play an important part of the program, present in each unit.
The texts and stories work together to give students general knowledge of science and strengthen skills in language and math.
Physical Education
Students have physical education three times a week. Rhythm, dance, body control and movement are important parts of the program. Emphasis is on conditioning, movement and coordination, and the acquisition of basic skills (throwing and catching, tumbling, etc.). Games are learned and played. Cooperation, socialization, leadership and organizational skills are cultivated. Pleasure in physical activity is promoted, as is healthy living. The physical education teacher integrates health throughout the program (from 10-20% of class time).
We believe it best if some physical activity is open and unstructured. All students, therefore, will have two recesses a day of unstructured, outdoor (weather permitting) physical activity.
