Curriculum

Children will focus on a topic and enhance their writing by responding to questions and suggestions from their peers with adult guidance. For example, if a child writes about a day at the beach, peers may ask, "What did you see at the beach?" or suggest adding more about a favorite activity. An adult can help the child elaborate by adding details such as, "I built a big sandcastle and saw colorful fish while snorkeling."

Children will learn to mentally calculate 10 more or 10 less than a given two-digit number without counting explicitly. They will also be able to explain the reasoning behind their mental calculations.

Children will use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish their writing with the help of adults. For example, a 6-year-old may use a simple word processor to type a story about a school field trip. An adult can help them insert pictures or change the font. The child can also collaborate with classmates by combining their stories into a digital class book, using software that allows multiple users to contribute.

Children will learn to count backwards from 100.

Children will participate in shared research and writing projects, such as exploring a series of "how-to" books on a particular topic and using the information to write a sequence of instructions. For instance, after reading "how-to" books about gardening, a group of 6-year-olds, with guidance from an adult, could collaborate on creating a simple step-by-step guide on planting a seed. They might write instructions like, "First, dig a small hole. Next, put the seed in the hole. Then, cover the seed with dirt. Last, water it a little every day."

Ability to use before, after, or between to order numbers to 100 (with or without the use of a number line)

Children will recall information from their own experiences or gather details from provided sources to answer questions, with help and guidance from adults. For example, a teacher might ask a class of 6-year-olds, "How do plants grow?" The children can use their personal observations from a classroom plant-growing activity or refer to specific pages in a science book. They could then organize their findings into answers, such as "Plants need soil, water, and sunlight to grow."

Children will be able to sort single-digit numbers into even and odd categories. Additionally, they will be able to identify even and odd numbers within two-digit numbers.

With prompting and support, children will identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. For example, in the story "Little Red Riding Hood," a teacher might guide children by asking specific questions like, "Who are the main characters in the story?" to which children might respond with "Little Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, and the wolf." The teacher could further prompt, "Where does the story take place?" leading children to discuss the settings such as the forest and grandmother's house. Finally, to identify major events, the teacher might ask, "What happens when Little Red Riding Hood meets the wolf?"

Children will identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses. For instance, in reading the classic poem "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat" by Edward Lear, a teacher might ask the children to listen closely for words that describe how the characters feel or what they see, hear, or touch. The teacher could then ask, "What words tell us how the owl feels about the pussycat?" or "What phrases describe the boat they sail in?" The children might respond with phrases like "beautiful pea green boat," which appeals to the sense of sight, or "they danced by the light of the moon," which suggests a joyful feeling.