K-5 Subject Area Overview

 
Our elementary school instructional program is guided by the belief that good schools nurture a child's intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth.  In our classroom practice, we engage children in learning experiences that are relevant, purposeful, and challenging. We strive to have children master content knowledge and skills in a learning environment that respects children's developmental needs, interests, learning styles and differences.  Recognizing that learning is constantly evolving, we scaffold instruction and assist students in making connections with prior learning.  With a strong foundation of learning in place, students are challenged to form new understandings and to create new meaning.

English Language Arts 

Reading, writing, listening, and speaking are interrelated skills and are an important part of everything students learn and do in school. As children develop as readers and writers, they grow in their use and understanding of language by engaging in a variety of experiences. Through the rich language of literature and balanced reading and writing programs, children receive direct instruction in a range of skills.

Reading: Children begin to develop their literacy skills long before school begins. Our instructional program provides children with the opportunity to capitalize on their early experiences and their ability to grow as readers, writers, and thinkers from year to year. Through a variety of genres and instructional methodologies, children develop in their ability to be fluent readers, to comprehend literal text, to infer meaning from text, and to enjoy reading.

The reading workshop model is used as a balanced literacy approach to instruction. This model has four major components:

  • Interactive read aloud: exposes students to a higher level of text while modeling fluency and think aloud strategies. It also immerses students in a wide variety of genres and vocabulary that they may not be able to read independently.
  • Shared reading: teachers demonstrate reading strategies through the use of whole class text. Story structure, letter patterns, and punctuation are concepts taught during shared reading.
  • Guided reading: instruction is given in small groups based on the skills children need for independent reading. The instructional focus is on teaching reading strategies tailored to enhance comprehension and fluency skills.
  • Independent reading: students practice reading strategies as the teacher conferences and monitors individual progress. Children learn to read books at their individual reading level while selecting books that are of interest to them.

Writing: Students develop proficiency as writers as they participate in the complex, interactive experience of writing workshop. Student writers engage in all stages of writing including brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing and producing a final copy. They confer with their peers as well as their teacher and direct instruction is provided through mini lessons. Students have the opportunity to write frequently and they receive feedback from their teachers as part of the ongoing instructional process. The goal of our writing program is to have children identify themselves as writers who write for many purposes.

Library

Our library program includes resources and instruction that support and enrich classroom literacy initiatives and guided inquiry. Another goal is the development of information literacy so that all students will have the strategies to access, evaluate and use information effectively and thus become life long readers, writers and thinkers. Students also receive instruction in the system of library organization to find "just right" books that meet their individual reading levels, needs and interests. 

Mathematics

Our elementary math program is designed to have students master computation skills, develop problem solving strategies, analyze problems, and conjecture and communicate their thinking. This balanced focus is aligned with the Common Core Learning Standards.  Our instructional program strives to have students become strong arithmeticians who also have the ability to reason and problem solve like mathematicians.

Science

The elementary science curriculum develops fundamental science concepts, skills and content learning through a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to learning.  The program seeks to integrate math, science and technology, wherever possible.  Emphasis is placed on the application of science concepts to our everyday world.  The elementary science curriculum is divided into three areas: The Living Environment (complex systems and the interdependency of living things with each other and their environment), The Physical Setting (different forms of matter), and The Human Body and Health (body parts, keeping fit and healthy, and movement and control)

Social Studies

The elementary social studies program combines both historical and geographic understandings and civic responsibility. It introduces students to chronological thinking and an historical perspective, including historical analysis, interpretation, research and historical issues.  It builds on the concept of community, from the family and Pelham as their local community to the history of New York State, the United States, Canada and Latin America as well as communities around the world. Students engage in a variety of experiences and are encouraged to draw conclusions based on several sources and to compare and contrast various points of view about historical figures and events.