Curriculum

PreK-2 Literacy at Forestdale School

Children at Forestdale School enjoy opportunities to read and write, to talk about reading and writing, and to be part of a community of readers and writers every single day!

Learning is a constant process, and occurs in large group and small group settings. Some learning takes place independently, and some takes place through interactions with teachers and classmates.

Literacy instruction includes:

  • Interactive Read-Aloud and Literature Discussion
  • Shared and Performance Reading
  • Writing about Reading
  • Writing
  • Oral and Visual Communication
  • Technological Communication
  • Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study
  • Guided Reading

Reading and writing takes place across the day. Students read and write when learning science, social studies, and mathematics.

The overarching goal of the Forestdale School is that students grow into confident and enthusiastic readers. We are committed to and passionate about the success of every student.

Families can support literacy learning by sharing a love of reading and writing, and by reading with children each day. 

To learn more about the philosophy that informs our literacy practices at Forestdale, you may view and download a description of Core Values by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell.

K-2 Mathematics

At Forestdale Elementary, the focus in Mathematics is on developing a deep understanding of number sense and numeracy. Through hands on activities, guided math instruction, and lessons that focus on content and practice standards, engaged independent learners and problem solvers are developed.

To learn about additional resources to support your child, visit the Elementary Mathematics page on the district site.

Kindergarten: Students in kindergarten learn how to use numbers to represent quantities and to solve problems involving a set of numbers. They learn how to describe their physical world using geometric ideas such as shape, orientation and vocabulary.

First Grade: First graders develop strategies for adding and subtracting whole numbers while developing fluency to 10. They learn how to add and subtract multiples of ten efficiently and compare numbers to 100 using place value. Students learn how to measure using linear measurements and equal size units. They also learn about the attributes of geometric shapes and how to compose and decompose solid figures.

Second Grade: Students in second grade extend their knowledge of place value to include all numbers to 1,000. They develop fluency with addition and subtraction within 100. Second graders use standard units of measure and develop the understanding that the smaller the unit, the more iterations they will have. They also learn how to describe and analyze shapes by examining their sides and angles.

K-2 Science

We hope that the students in the Forestdale school will find science to be a never ending supply of learning opportunities and a way in which they can connect with plants, animals, our planet and each other.

1. Asking questions and defining problems

2. Developing and using models

3. Planning and carrying out investigations

4. Analyzing and interpreting data

5. Using mathematics and computational thinking

6. Constructing explanations

7. Engaging in argument from evidence

8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

You may also notice that each grade level has a theme and the learning at encompasses topics from each of the three domains of science (Earth Science, Physical Science and Life Science).

THEMES:

Kindergarten -The Reasons for Change

In kindergarten, students build on early experiences observing the world around them as they continue to make observations that are more quantitative in nature and help them identify the reasons why some changes occur. Students begin to learn to use these observations as evidence to support a claim through growing language skills.

1st Grade- Describing Patterns:

First Graders are becoming more complex thinkers. Building from their experiences in Pre-K and Kindergarten, first graders look for patterns over time and learn to make predictions about the future natural and designed world.

2nd Grade: Wholes and Parts

Grade 2 students use their observation skills gained in earlier grades and their growing ability to speak, read, write and reason mathematically. Students, in second grade, will grapple with how individual parts make up a larger system. These investigations of how parts relate to the whole provide a key basis for understanding systems in later grades.

Summary of Specific Content Topics


Kindergarten

Animals and Plants (Focus on Life Cycle as well as Basic Needs)

How Plants and Animals can change their environment

How Humans can reduce the impact on the environment

Weather (describing the conditions, understanding the energy is from the sun, and also learning how to measure weather)

Force (push/pull, changing directions and strength)

Solids vs. Liquids

1st Grade
  • Plants and Animals (Body Parts/Traits/Senses)
  • Weather (seasons)
  • Daylight (sunrise/sunset)
  • Sounds (produced from different materials)

Light (what light travels through and what it doesn't)

ENGINEERING:

  • Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change in order to define a design problem that can be solved by developing an object or tool.
  • Generate multiple solutions to a design problem
2nd Grade
  • Plants and Animals (as components of their environment and looking at similarities and differences in the kinds of living things living in different types of areas).
  • Wind, Water and Landforms on Earth
  • Matter

Parts can make larger systems

Properties: color, strength, flexibility, hardness, texture, and absorbency.

The varying effects of Temperature on materials

The effect of friction

ENGINEERING:

Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same design problem to compare the

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