Elementary Curriculum
Grades 1-3
Grade 1
Art
Students refine fine-motor skills and hand/eye coordination through various media. Encouraging creative thinking and problem solving is always a priority. Students focus on concepts like symmetry to connect what they learn in math class. Literature is often used as introductions for art lessons.
Art class is an opportunity to support other subject material learned in academic classes.
Counseling
Students learn social skills, problem solving, fruit of the Spirit, and character traits.
Language
The six interrelated focuses are: reading, vocabulary, grammar, student writing, spelling, and penmanship. The objective is to foster strong decoding skills, progress toward reading fluency, build vocabulary, develop listening and speaking skills, introduce the principles of spelling, and begin the practice of good penmanship. The principle rules and mechanics of the English language foster the need to write effectively. Through a careful balance of grammar and writing, students obtain the skills instrumental to personal expression.
Math
Children master numbers through 100 and begin to understand place value. They are able to add and subtract to 20 using manipulatives, at first, and then using addition and subtraction strategies and finally through memorization (“Mad Minute” quizzes). They begin to identify geometric shapes, congruence, and symmetry. They learn to tell time to the hour and half hour and to count money using pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. They also learn to measure using non-standard units, inches, and centimeters. By the end of first grade, most students are able to translate words into math by practicing solutions to word problems.
Physical Education
Children build on what they learned in kindergarten, adding to their skills set and incorporating cooperative games in their activities. In the spring semester, students participate in DA Runners every Wednesday, training for the ING Kids Rock Marathon, which coincides with the Country Music Marathon. Students log their first 25 miles in class, then run their last mile at LP Field on Sunday afternoon of the marathon weekend.
Science
Includes content in life science, earth science, and physical science. Emphasis is put on building skills of inquiry in order to enable children to solve problems, evaluate their solutions, and plan their own investigations. Children learn how to observe, measure, compare, classify, make models, communicate, infer, put things in order, predict, investigate, and draw conclusions.
Spanish
Brief conversations about everyday situations are performed at the end of each instructed topic that is taught. Age-appropriate praise songs, prayers, and Bible verses are taught throughout the academic year.
Technology
Kindergarten skills are reinforced and new skills are developed. As students begin logging on to the school network, they learn about usernames and passwords. They develop greater graphic skills and multimedia skills as they use animated objects and sound in projects. Students begin a keyboarding readiness program, and they practice using two hands for keying and locating letters, numbers, and special characters. Their word processing skills develop as they begin inserting graphics and learn about alignment.
Grade 2
Art
Students manipulate a variety of materials to execute their creative ideas. Sculpting 3D construction is one example of how students examine spatial relationships in abstract artwork. Concepts such as positive and negative space, foreground, middle ground and background are also other topics stressed. Students begin to learn how art history plays a role in why and how art was created in the past.
Counseling
Focus is on work habits and character, goal-setting, cooperation, and friendship skills.
Language
Encompassed are: reading, vocabulary, grammar, phonics, spelling, penmanship, and student writing. We review and expand many of the skills introduced in the previous grades. The goal in grammar is to teach principle rules and mechanics of the English language, giving students the tools they need to write effectively. There is a strong focus on improving student writing with an emphasis on revision, elaboration, word choice, and sentence fluency. Reading and spelling review phonetic skills taught in first grade, and the move is more toward comprehension skills. This is done through stories in the basil reader, as well as several novel studies. Handwriting is fine-tuned as the students’ fine motor skills continue to develop.
Math
Children learn to master their addition and subtraction facts with repetition and speed drills. They are expected to do two-digit and three-digit addition and subtraction. Mastery of basic math facts will aid in their success. Students review knowing place value and ordinal numbers, telling time, counting money and becoming familiar with word problems. They begin to learn fractions, such as the concept of a half, a third, a quarter, and an eighth. Second graders move beyond recognizing shapes to becoming fluent with the language of geometry so they can use terms, such as curves, vertices, edges, faces, and angles, to describe the attributes of two- and three-dimensional shapes. By the end of second grade, students are able to apply knowledge in new situations, to solve problems by generating new ideas, and to make connections between what they learn in class to the world around them.
Physical Education
Many different games are introduced to students, such as game strategies, team building, and fair play. Students start to learn how to throw different shaped objects like football and Frisbee. Badminton is also introduced. Students participate in DA Runners every Wednesday in the spring semester, preparing for the ING Kids Rock Marathon.
Science
Children learn by using hands-on, inquiry-based approaches. Science consists of a way of thinking and investigating, as well as a growing body of knowledge about the natural world. Students raise questions about the world around them and seek answers by making observations and exploring. They observe changes in plants and animals as they grow and develop, as well as the changing patterns of the moon and stars. They form ideas as to whether the changes are natural or manipulated.
Spanish
Students begin writing small paragraphs in the target language. Some topics connect with other disciplines for enrichment purposes. Age-appropriate praise songs, prayers, and Bible verses are taught throughout the academic year.
Technology
Students continue to develop skills in using graphics. They include original computer art to illustrate their writing, as well as creating slideshows using their art. They continue to develop word processing skills as they write, proofread, spell check, save, open, and print their stories. Students learn to research topics on the internet and report their findings using a variety of tools (word processing, graphics, graphic organizers, slideshows, or spreadsheets.) Safe access to the internet is emphasized through a series of lessons on internet safety. Second graders participate in keyboarding readiness exercises using Type to Learn Jr.
Grade 3
Art
Students analyze fundamentals in art with more intensity. Science and math concepts are also stressed through art class. Continuing to enhance knowledge of technical skills with a variety of materials is a main focus. Some key aspects of the curriculum involve analyzing special properties in art, layering through design, using materials properly, and connecting life experiences through art history.
Counseling
Students work on: problem solving, communication, friendship skills, assertiveness skills, and character development.
Language
Providing students with the necessary skills needed to communicate, understand, and interpret the written and spoken word is a critical part of the language arts program in third grade. The curriculum focuses on the development of strong comprehension strategies needed for success in all content areas, analysis and interpretation of a wide variety of literary forms, and application of decoding skills and word identification strategies. Developing vocabulary, building fluency and accuracy for effective oral reading, and fostering a love and appreciation of reading for knowledge, understanding, analysis, and enjoyment are also emphasized. Explicit instruction in writing and spelling skills using Standard English, grammar, usage, and mechanics is taught and assessed. Students are expected to understand and use the steps of the writing process to create their own writing pieces. Children write personal narratives, persuasive paragraphs, informative, explanatory, and opinion pieces, poems, plays, stories, reports, articles, and journal entries. Numerous opportunities are provided for students to develop their speaking and listening skills through class discussions, debates, collaborative projects, book reports, and presentations. Third graders also learn cursive writing with correct spacing and slant.