Language arts generate enthusiasm for self-expression.  Language is viewed as a complex process that includes reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  Through the use of language, children can extend their abilities as critical and creative thinkers, essential skills for academic achievement and interpersonal relationships.  As children share stories, poems, and original pieces of work, and engage in debate, idea sharing, and other forms of group discussion, they come to view themselves as competent readers, authors, and communicators.

The goal of the language arts program is to progressively and sequentially build upon students? foundations in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.  Students are supported and challenged within their zone of literacy development as they gain an understanding of phonological processing, phonics, grammar, context, and content.  Children learn to use language in all its varied forms and gain an understanding of the importance and pleasure that all kinds of expression can provide. Overall, students are given a multitude of experiences that increase their confidence as readers, writers, and communicators.

Students are involved in numerous reading and writing activities throughout the day.  Some of these activities are connected to ongoing classroom themes, and others are designed to help develop proficiency in specific skill areas. Writing workshop periods, journaling, small reading groups, and language arts stations in Workboard are times during the day that support the children?s continued literacy growth.  Literacy is also integrated into many aspects of the school day including meetings, art, science, math, and social studies.

Students engage in and respond to literature through whole class picture and chapter books, poetry studies, individual and buddy reading, and reading groups.  During reading groups the children explore a wide variety of literature through direct instruction via books that are appropriate for the age and skill level of the reader.  Vocabulary development is enhanced during these times through book chats, word analysis, contextual investigation, and, in the upper grades, specific vocabulary assignments.  In conjunction with the classroom program, weekly library visits and extensive collections of classroom texts extend the students? opportunities for diversifying their literature experiences.

The writing program includes both direct instruction and daily writing times with an emphasis on writing as a process.  Students learn to edit their own writing, conference with peers and teachers, and publish their work.  Using their foundational knowledge, students expand their abilities as authors and develop greater insight into the stories shared in both fiction and non-fiction texts.  In grades 3-5, students work on more focused writing assignments that include, but are not limited to, persuasive, descriptive, and informational essays.  Teachers in Kindergarten ? grade 3 use the Wisnia-Kapp Reading Program to provide direct, explicit instruction in phonological awareness, sound/symbol retrieval, segmentation skills, and syllable pattern types that support reading and writing development. Students transition from invented spelling to emergent spelling to conventional spelling as they enhance reading fluency, the recognition of sight words, word patterns, and phonetic rules.   Spelling skills are reinforced in mini lessons, games, story editing, writing assignments, and reading groups.

Zaner-Bloser manuscript and cursive handwriting is taught and reinforced with the understanding that ease, skill, and confidence in this area promote written communication.  Children also have the opportunity to publish written work on classroom computers and Alphasmarts, using technological tools as modes of communication.

Listening and speaking skills also play a major role in the language arts program. As children communicate with each other, they work towards a greater awareness of themselves and the effect and impact their words and tone can have on those around them.  Ways to communicate and listen effectively are explored through group work, dramatizations, and class meetings.   

Above all, through the language arts program, we hope to instill in every child a love for reading, writing, and communicating, the foundations to accomplish these successfully, and an understanding of how vital they are in everyday life.

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Mathematics

Mathematics is taught as a way of making sense of the world rather than as a series of formulas and rules to be memorized. The students are encouraged to construct meaning and apply concepts to a range of real life problems. In this way, they come to value mathematics as a meaningful and practical subject that has many applications in their everyday world.

The goal of the mathematics curriculum is to supply each student with the skills and confidence needed to develop mathematical thinking and to apply mathematical concepts in increasingly complex ways. Students work individually, in small groups, and as a whole group to explore a variety of mathematical relationships and connections. Using the Everyday Math series, as well as activities and problem-solving exercises developed for specific topics and individual needs, emphasis is placed on both the conceptual and practical aspects of math. This curriculum and added learning challenges are based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards, which focus on creating mathematically literate students who apply strategies in problem solving, communicate their ideas to others, gain influence and accuracy in their work, and enjoy mathematics.

Students are repeatedly exposed to, and asked to explore, six conceptual mathematics strands- Numeration; Operations and Computation; Patterns, Function, and Algebra; Geometry; Measurement; Reference Frames; Data and Chance- throughout every grade level. Each unit is built around several investigations that offer a variety of problem contexts for students to explore. Daily investigations focus on a patterned presentation of mathematical concepts that work together to coordinate learning experiences, connect them to everyday life, and fully engage students in the explorations. These mathematical inquiries are structured around sets of related problems, the use of mathematical relationships to build a solid knowledge base, games designed to involve students' thinking about particular mathematics, opportunities to collect and represent data, and wrap-up projects that give students chances to implement and extend the unit's ideas.

Students are challenged to work in-depth on problems using mathematical tools, manipulatives, conversations with peers, and their own understanding to actively solve a variety of problems. Time is allowed for the children to think about the problems and to model, draw, write and talk about their ideas. Students discover materials and resources available to them and use these resources both inside and outside of school.

At the end of the day, it is our hope that the students will use their knowledge in real-life situations and hence, view math as an exciting and integral part of their everyday lives.

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Numeration

• Participate in daily routines that develop number experience and skills: building the monthly calendar, attendance, weather observation, temperature, job chart, cleanup count

• Develop fluency with rote counting and counting objects; count forward, backward, skip

• Read and write numbers

Operations

• Introduce symbolic language for addition and subtraction

• Create and act out number stories

• Use a calculator to solve addition and subtraction problems

Patterns and Functions

• Sort and categorize collections of objects by attribute

• Count by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, and so on

Geometry

• Trace, draw, construct, and play with simple shapes

• Describe characteristics of shapes: square, rectangle, circle, triangle, rhombus

• Analyze parts of shapes and relationships among sizes and shapes

Measurement and Reference Frames

• Use comparison activities to introduce concepts of length, weight, volume, and time

• Explore the purpose, power, and characteristics of coin and bill money

• Develop vocabulary and conceptualize time through clock and calendar activities

Data and Chance

• Collect, organize, and display data using bar and line graphs, pictographs, tally charts

• Count and compare data

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Numeration

• Count, read, and write numbers from 1 to 1,000

• Investigate place-value using manipulatives

• Explore fractions through money, geometric figures, and pattern blocks

Operations and Computation

• Develop addition and subtraction facts to include 1-, 2-, and 3-digit numbers

• Begin informal work with number properties and problem solving

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra

• Examine, sort, and repeat patterns involving color, shape, and rotation

• Determine sequences, relations, and functions of numbers

Geometry

• Identify and draw triangle, quadrangle, square, rhombus, trapezoid, hexagon, circle, pentagon, heptagon, and octagon

• Learn vocabulary associated with prisms, polygons, and 3-D shapes

Measurement and Reference Frames

• Use tools to measure length, capacity, and weight

• Learn how to use clocks, calendars, timelines, thermometers, and ordinal numbers

Data and Chance

• Collect, order, display, analyze, and interpret real-life data and predict outcomes

• Display data: bar graph, table, tally chart, line plot

• Identify landmarks: range, maximum, minimum, mode, median

Learning Looks Like This

When the children come to school, the ?Question of the Day? is ?How many children go to Lesley Ellis??  Each child writes an answer and enters the room.  They have learned that it is okay to guess when they do not know the exact answer ? the more times they make guesses, the closer their answers seem to come.  Later, at morning meeting, the class looks at the answers, which range from seven to infinity (a favorite idea at this age).  Children begin to comment on the answers.  ?Well, it has to be more than 20, because there?s 20 of us.?  ?I think 1000 is way too much.  We would not fit into the Wing at assembly.?  With continued conversation, the class gets to a more realistic number; although it still doesn?t have an exact count.  One child suddenly says, ?Why don?t we go count them??  Everyone is enthusiastic until another child says, ?But my sister is in preschool and she?s sick today, don?t forget to count her.?  From here they talk about the other problems that might be encountered (one class is at the museum, what if the little kids won?t stand still and let us count them?).  The teachers write down these ideas, and the group generates a long list of ways to figure out the answer.

Later on, they break into several groups, and each group chooses one method of solving the problem (counting all the chairs in the school, counting the lockers in the hallway, asking each classroom teacher and adding them together?).  Each group goes off and the students work on their solution, drawing pictures of what they are doing as they go.  When each group is finished, the answers are compared and a discussion about how they got there ensues.  ?What unexpected things happened?  Was it easier or harder than you originally expected?  How did you represent the numbers as you went from room to room??

There are four or five answers that are relatively close to each other.  The teachers explain that the group can now say, ?We have about 150 children at Lesley Ellis.?  This, of course, is not good enough for the children ? ?We want to know exactly!? they demand.  A letter is written to the Director of Admission explaining the original problem and all of the solutions. They invite her to visit the room and tell exactly how many kids are in the school.  Her visit happens quickly and the children find out that the number of enrolled students is right in the middle of all of their solutions.  They?re very excited by their success and feel a great sense of accomplishment.

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Science is the natural process of exploring, questioning, predicting, and making discoveries.  It is through this process that the students strive to make sense out of the world around them, and in doing so gain a deeper understanding of, and respect for, their world. Through active participation blended with time for thoughtful observation and reflection, children begin to view science as a way of thinking and questioning, not simply a way of gathering information. 

The goal of the science program is to help students acquire scientific skills through a balanced approach.  Teachers prepare focused, guided investigations as well as provide time for open-ended exploration.  Students are regularly engaged in activities that require them to work collaboratively, think independently, experiment, and problem-solve.  In developmentally appropriate ways, children are challenged to think scientifically, formulate hypotheses, collect and organize data, and draw conclusions.

Teachers use the Insights curriculum and the Carolina Biological Supply in conjunction with the National Science Resource Center and the Science and Technology Concepts curriculum, as well as supplementary materials and explorations.  Within the curriculum, children work on three areas of scientific inquiry: physical, life and earth.  

Specific science units are taught over a two-year looping cycle.  In the kindergarten and first grade years, students focus on the Five Senses, Habitats, Weather, Organisms, Balls and Ramps, and Butterflies.  Students in their second and third grade years study Rocks and Minerals, Sound, Lifting Heavy Things, and Liquids.  During the fourth and fifth grade years scientific study centers around Land and Water, Changes of State, Motion and Design, and Animal Studies.

In an effort to encourage deeper understanding of what students are learning, teachers often integrate science into other curriculum areas.  By keeping science journals, creating observational drawings, and participating in spontaneous investigations, students develop an understanding that science not only bridges many curriculum areas, but that it also is relevant to their lives.

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Five Senses

• Explore the world using the five senses

• Use the senses to make observations and predictions

Habitats

• Identify organisms, their basic needs, and the elements of various habitats

• Recognize that humans are organisms who are connected to a habitat

• Understand how organisms adapt to the environment

Weather

• Explore the various features of weather

• Recognize how weather affects people

Organisms

• Gain a basic understanding of living things

• Explore plant and animal organisms

Balls and Ramps

• Identify the properties of various balls, and observe and predict how those properties affect their ability to move, bounce, roll, and increase velocity.

• Explore inclined planes (ramps) and how the degree of slant affects the ball?s ability to roll

• Build ramp systems

Butterflies

• Observe the life cycle of a butterfly

• Compare and contrast this cycle and the changes that occur with the life cycle of other organisms

Learning Looks Like This

As you walk into the room, you hear excited voices and witness serious faces as the students work out a problem posed to them by their teachers.  After much discussion, reading, research, and many experiments concerning the properties of motion, teams of students are working on a culminating project to tie together all the concepts that they learned over the last months.  These teams of scientists are challenged to move a tennis ball from one location in the room to another, facing several obstacles.  During the past several investigations, these teams have been working on blueprints, diagramming their final plans, testing individual aspects, and checking in with each other and their teachers on questions and concerns. Some students work out elaborate plans with paper and pencil, others enjoy testing out their plans and reporting back, while still others help coordinate all the ideas that are pouring in at once. When each team has had the chance to explain its plan to the entire class and take comments and suggestions from peers, these small groups spend time reevaluating and enhancing their initial concepts. 

Finally, the moment has arrived when the first team is ready to fully test its hard-worked plan.  Everything is in place, and the tennis ball is released.  The entire class cheers for both the tennis ball and the science team.  Students can be heard making comments such as, ?Wow, I didn?t think of that,? or ?Maybe they can help us with that tricky part.?  Sometimes the ball makes it to its final target and sometimes it doesn?t.  When a ball gets stuck, there is a quick huddle as the students work out another solution.  After each team has run their ball and ramp system, one student challenges the entire class to connect all the projects together and make a super system in the Wing.  Students busily get to work on their plans to create a way to connect all of their ideas.

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Our Families

• Gain an understanding of family heritage and culture represented in the classroom

Greater Boston

• Explore the cultures and peoples who make up the greater Boston area

• Study the history of Boston

• Explore various foods and traditions

Arlington

• Study local businesses, government offices, and places and how each helps to create a working community

• Participate in a local community based project

Civil Rights and Strong People

• Explore the idea of a hero/strong person

• Discover ways to act as a hero in our daily lives

• Study basics of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States

• Learn about peace advocates, artists, sports players, musicians, and politicians from around the world from diverse backgrounds

Mapping Skills

• Exposure to the seven continents

• Locate countries by name and location

• Learn cardinal directions

• Understand sense of scale between town, country, and world

Learning Looks Like This 

The class has been eagerly making maps of the playground and hiding buried treasure from each other.  The games they are playing link drawing, writing, logic, and many more skills necessary for understanding the making of maps.  The children are as excited about their maps as they are about finding another team?s treasure.  A parent in the class who is a cartographer and has heard about the children?s interest in map making volunteers to visit the classroom to talk about her job.   As she displays her tools and a variety of maps, the children listen intently to what she tells them about her job as a cartographer.  That afternoon, the children are given the assignment to take a careful look at the way they get to school.  They are to notice buildings, parks, and other landmarks they pass on their way to school.  The next morning, the children hear the story As the Crow Flies.  Through maps, the book illustrates the way animals see their world.  The teacher has set out a variety of recycled materials for the children to use to make their own maps.  The maps will show the route they take from their home to school.  When completed, the carefully constructed maps are arranged in the hallway display case for the rest of the school community to enjoy.
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Anti-Bias

Children are aware of and affected by human differences from an early age, and our community is based on respecting and appreciating the similarities and differences found within our school and neighborhoods and throughout the world. The strong emphasis on anti-bias education promotes a sense of belonging for all students and builds a sense of connection between people. 

The goal of the anti-bias program is to challenge the impact of bias on the students? social and intellectual development by helping them acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for respectfully living in a diverse community.  

Each year the anti-bias curriculum expands on the learning done in the earlier grades, as well as revisits topics of understanding to provide a spiraling learning experience for the students. The curriculum builds upon itself, encouraging the students to move along a continuum from knowledge to understanding to tolerance to acceptance to respect and inclusion. Throughout all of their learning, the students are encouraged to develop and actively participate in lessons to end the cycle of bias. The anti-bias curriculum focuses on, but is not limited to, eight major areas of bias.  These include racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, ageism, religious intolerance, and size acceptance.  Through direct, pro-active instruction, as well as using everyday events within the classroom and the larger world, the curriculum is integrated into all aspects of the students? school experience.

Above all, we are working to instill in the students a respect for themselves, their classmates, and their community, while providing each child with strategies for actively improving the social conditions of all of those around them.

Kindergarten and First Grade Objectives: Anti-Bias

• Gain basic understanding of anti-bias terms including stereotype, minority, majority, ally, bully, equity, equality, inclusion, exclusion, put-up, put-down

• Study strong characters and events in literature, history, and real life connected to anti-bias issues and oppressed groups

• Understand definition of bias

• Develop anti-bias language

• Begin to recognize bias in literature, media, and real life events

• Help create an environment where students and teachers feel safe to share their opinions and feelings

• Take on the role of a mediator in classroom conflict

• Continue to develop conflict resolution skills and strategies to work towards resolving issues of bias on personal, peer, community, and global levels

• Recognize that biases exist today and students have the power to change them

• Identify differences in skin tone and look for examples of different people of color in literature

• Begin to gain a historical perspective of racism

• Review television ads for gender stereotypes

• Empower students to do activities based on interest, not gender

• Understand the value of what we have and recognize that not everyone has access to the same resources

• Begin to recognize the power structure in the United States

• Participate in community service projects benefiting local organizations

• Make connections with and develop understanding of older and younger people

• Recognize and respect various family structures

• Begin to define and use vocabulary including gay, lesbian, and straight.

• Continue to care and take steps to respect and understand all people of the world by learning about their culture, religion, core beliefs, and history

Learning looks like this

On a cold day in November, the children enter the classroom and notice that a polling station has been set up.  It?s Election Day and the children are voting on what to have for snack that day.  Campaign signs have been made and a mock debate has helped make up some minds the day before.  Later in the day, after the vote has been tallied and the children have felt the joy of victory or the satisfaction of a good campaign, the teacher compares the total number of votes to the number of children in the class that day.  The children notice they are the same.  The teacher then reads The Day Gogo Went To Vote, by Eleanor Batezat Sisulu, about the day that Gogo, grandmother of the story?s narrator, was first allowed to vote in South Africa.  A history lesson follows and many children are outraged to learn that this is a true story.  The class talks about who can and can not vote in South Africa and are just as shocked to learn the history of voting in the United States.   

The next day the class reads The Ballot Box Battle, by Emily McCully, a fictionalized history of the inspiring story of Cordelia, a young girl whose relationship with her neighbor, the great suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, inspires her to a remarkable act of courage. The children then try to come up with unfair practices that go on today.  A list is made and they work in their journals on what they could do to battle injustice and draw a picture of how they would feel if they were Gogo or Cordelia.

Throughout the year, as discussions regarding other marginalized groups occur, the children reflect back on Gogo and continue to problem solve ideas to help all people who experience discrimination.

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