EUREKA SQUARED

At Ivy Hall, mathematics is taught as a connected body of knowledge that develops through understanding, reasoning, practice, and application. Beginning in our Pre-K (3 and 4 year olds) and Kindergarten Foundation (4 and 5 year olds) classes, students develop an understanding of numbers and mathematical relationships through hands-on experiences, manipulatives, games, and meaningful problem-solving. Our goal is to help young learners see that mathematics is not simply a collection of facts and procedures, but a way of understanding and making sense of the world around them.

Our core mathematics curriculum, Great Minds’ Eureka Math², begins in Kindergarten and continues through fifth grade. The curriculum is designed around the belief that mathematics is best understood as an unfolding story, in which new learning is connected to what students already know. Students develop deep conceptual understanding as they explore the relationships among numbers, operations, fractions, measurement, geometry, and other mathematical ideas. Rather than simply memorizing procedures, students are encouraged to understand why mathematics works, explain their reasoning, and approach challenging problems with confidence and persistence.

Daily Mathematics Instruction

Eureka Math² is organized into carefully sequenced modules that allow teachers to build knowledge progressively and revisit important concepts as students advance. Each grade level is divided into six modules, with specific topics and learning objectives that guide instruction. Teachers use ongoing assessment and student work to pre-teach, provide direct instruction, revisit concepts, and monitor individual progress toward mastery.

Our daily 60-minute mathematics lessons follow a consistent instructional structure. Students begin with fluency practice and warm-ups that strengthen previously learned skills and develop flexible mental-math strategies. A lesson launch creates curiosity and invites students to make connections and consider new mathematical ideas. During the main lesson, students explore concepts through direct teacher instruction, hands-on manipulatives, visual and structural models, problem-solving, and mathematical discussion.

Students regularly participate in Share, Compare, Connect routines, where they explain their mathematical thinking, listen to different approaches, compare strategies, and make connections between ideas. These discussions teach students that there can be multiple ways to approach a problem and that explaining how they arrived at an answer is as important as finding the answer itself.

Lessons conclude with a student debrief and an exit ticket, giving students an opportunity to reflect on their learning while providing teachers with immediate information about individual understanding and areas that may require additional instruction.

We believe students should learn to think like mathematicians. They are encouraged to ask questions, persevere through challenging problems, reason logically, communicate their mathematical thinking, and use evidence to explain their solutions. Through daily discussion and problem-solving, students develop not only mathematical skills but also confidence, persistence, and the ability to approach unfamiliar problems thoughtfully.

Individualized Mathematics Support

While all students receive consistent, direct mathematics instruction each day, Ivy Hall provides additional layers of support to meet individual learning needs. Our goal is to identify foundational gaps early and provide targeted support so that students can continue to access grade-level instruction successfully with their peers.

A full-time mathematics support teacher works alongside classroom teachers to provide targeted intervention through both push-in and pull-out support. This support focuses on strengthening foundational mathematical skills that students may not yet have fully mastered. By identifying and addressing small gaps in understanding, students are better prepared to build new concepts without falling further behind.

In Kindergarten through second grade, Ivy Hall also partners with Mathnasium to provide additional foundational mathematics instruction. Students receive weekly support at school, with opportunities for additional small-group or individualized tutoring after school when appropriate. This partnership provides another layer of instruction for students who benefit from additional practice, reinforcement, and individualized attention.

For students in third through fifth grade, Ivy Hall provides an additional mathematics extension through our partnership with EdTech. This educational technology resource provides enhanced opportunities for mathematics practice, learning, and assessment while giving teachers additional data to help differentiate instruction and respond to individual student needs.

Together, these layers of instruction – daily direct teaching, hands-on learning, mathematical discourse, ongoing assessment, targeted intervention, and individualized support—allow Ivy Hall to develop students who are not only proficient in mathematics, but who approach mathematical challenges with curiosity, confidence, reasoning, and perseverance.

Pre-K
Learning begins by developing an ear for the language with mastery of the Spanish vowels, reinforced by singing children’s songs and application of the Ws (What and Who), Qué? and Quién?. As their vocabulary expands, language acquisition develops through story time, directed small dialogue tasks, games, and class activities.

Kindergarten Foundations
Students continue their Spanish journey by mastering the Spanish alphabet. By listening to and singing children’s songs, they gain confidence to speak in short sentences such as greeting others. Students are also able to follow simple directions and identify numbers, colors, and everyday objects. This class focuses on applying 3 of the 5 W’s, what, who, and where (¿Qué?, ¿Quién?, and ¿Dónde?). The goal is to build confidence. Which they demonstrate with games and role-playing class activities. These early experiences lay the foundation for meaningful communication in Spanish.

First Grade
Students expand their foundation by moving from individual words to familiar phrases and simple sentences. They introduce themselves, describe people and objects, and express likes and dislikes. They also start using additional question words, such as when, why, and how (¿Cuándo?, ¿Por qué?, and ¿Cómo?). Students will be able to summarize basic song lyrics to make connections with what they know. They will also apply Spanish to other academic disciplines such as math, with concepts like addition and subtraction. For example, if they know that “three plus three equals six” in English, they can state the same in Spanish, “Tres más tres es seis.”

Second Grade
Students begin using Spanish to exchange information and accomplish simple communicative tasks. They continue their progress by asking and answering questions about familiar topics, describing their routines and surroundings, giving and following directions, and communicating basic information about themselves and others. Lyric comprehension and mastery of song pronunciation are expected; they play back individual recordings from short readings to analyze and improve their linguistic capabilities. The end goal is for students to communicate clearly with meaningful interaction.

Third Grade
Students begin connecting language to communicate complete thoughts. They describe and sequence events, narrate personal experiences, explain their preferences, and connect ideas in speaking and writing. They begin using present tense verbs and present to their classmates on familiar topics of their choice. Effective, simple dialogue is expected. Students also begin interpreting short authentic texts and cultural materials.

Fourth Grade
Students expand their vocabulary to describe, compare, and explain familiar people, places, and experiences. They will learn the fundamentals of verb conjugation by studying verb endings in three different time frames: present, past, and future. They will expand their responses with supporting details, participate in increasingly unscripted exchanges, and continue presenting information to their fellow classmates during class activities.

Fifth Grade
Students further develop their ability to narrate and elaborate in Spanish. They complete tasks oriented to daily life such as shopping, getting to know someone, making a phone call, summarizing a short story, etc. They continue improving their pronunciation by listening to their individual voice recordings and set goals on what to work on. Students interpret increasingly authentic spoken and written language and use what they understand to communicate their own meaning. The end goal is for students to communicate with greater spontaneity and detail.

Sixth Grade
Students bring their developing skills together in specific tasks to interpret, sustain conversations, and present ideas in Spanish. They understand the main ideas and relevant details of increasingly complex language, respond to others’ ideas, and communicate information and perspectives through speaking and writing. At this point students would have developed competency in the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational in the language.

At Ivy Hall, Chinese learning is more than memorizing vocabulary. Students build a strong foundation in Mandarin through listening, speaking, reading, writing, movement, songs, stories, hands-on activities, and cultural experiences.

Instruction is differentiated by age and language level so that each student can grow with confidence and experience success.

PreK–G1 | Building a Love for Chinese

Our youngest learners are introduced to Mandarin through joyful, hands-on experiences.

Students will:

• Learn approximately 20–30 foundational Chinese characters and words.
• Develop basic listening and speaking skills.
• Learn through songs, movement, games, stories, and simple conversations.
• Recognize familiar words and characters.
• Explore Chinese culture in age-appropriate and engaging ways.

The goal is to help young learners feel comfortable, curious, and excited about Chinese.

Grade 2 | Building the Foundation

Students continue developing their Mandarin foundation while becoming more confident in reading, writing, and communication.

Students will:

• Learn approximately 30–35 Chinese characters.
• Develop Pinyin and pronunciation skills.
• Practice stroke order and basic Chinese writing.
• Read and use familiar words and simple sentences.
• Participate in simple Mandarin conversations and activities.

Grades 3–5 | Growing Communication Skills

Students strengthen their four core language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Students will:

• Learn approximately 40 Chinese characters throughout the school year.
• Expand vocabulary and sentence patterns.
• Strengthen Pinyin, pronunciation, reading, and writing.
• Read and understand short, age-appropriate Chinese texts.
• Communicate in Mandarin in familiar situations.
• Explore Chinese culture through stories, traditions, activities, and projects.

Advanced Mandarin | Moving Toward HSK

Students who have developed a stronger foundation will continue advancing through HSK-based vocabulary and characters.

Students will:

• Build HSK-based Chinese vocabulary and character recognition.
• Strengthen reading comprehension and written expression.
• Expand sentence patterns and conversational skills.
• Apply previously learned language in new situations.
• Develop greater independence and confidence in using Mandarin.

Growing in Language and in Character

Chinese class is also an opportunity to practice the Seven Habits. Students learn to set goals, take responsibility for their learning, listen respectfully, work cooperatively, make thoughtful choices, and become increasingly independent learners.

Our goal is not simply for students to learn Chinese, but to help them become confident communicators, responsible learners, and curious learners who appreciate another language and culture.

As the Leader In Me Coordinator at Ivy Hall Academy, I have the privilege of supporting our school wide leadership journey. My role is to help bring the Leader In Me framework to life throughout our community by supporting students, teachers, and staff as we develop leadership skills, strengthen relationships, and create a culture where every student has the opportunity to lead.

   I am excited to work alongside our Ivy Hall community as we empower every student and staff member to embrace leadership as a way of thinking, learning, and living. 

• Jessica Soffe

Kindergarten Science

Kindergarten science is all about discovering the world around us. Through our ABCs of Science, students explore a variety of exciting topics inspired by their natural curiosity and interests. We ask questions, make observations, conduct simple investigations, and discover how science helps us understand the world we live in. Most importantly, students begin to see themselves as scientists who are curious, creative, and ready to explore!

1st Grade Science

First-grade scientists explore the materials that make up our world and discover how different materials can be used for different purposes. We investigate plants and animals, learning about their characteristics, needs, and ways they interact with their environments. Students also become weather watchers, observing patterns in the sky and learning how weather affects the world around us. Throughout the year, students learn by asking questions, making observations, and investigating the world like real scientists!

2nd Grade Science

Second-grade science takes students on an exciting journey through weather and seasons, forces and motion, environments and life cycles, and the human body and food. Students investigate how pushes and pulls affect objects, how plants and animals grow and change, and how living things depend on their environments. We also explore our own bodies and discover how the food we eat helps us grow and stay healthy. Hands-on investigations help students connect science to the world around them and to their own everyday lives.

3rd Grade Science

Third-grade scientists explore some of the biggest and most fascinating parts of our world—and beyond! We dive into the oceans, investigate the wonders of space, explore different forms of energy, and discover how the Earth changes over time. Students investigate rocks, landforms, and other changes to Earth’s surface while developing a deeper understanding of the planet we call home. Through hands-on investigations and models, students learn to think like scientists and explain how and why our world changes.

4th Grade Science

Fourth-grade science students take a closer look at the interconnected systems that make Earth work. We explore Earth’s systems and landforms, investigate how living things interact through food webs, and discover how matter can change in different ways. Students use observations, experiments, models, and evidence to explain what they see happening in the world around them. Throughout the year, students build connections between Earth’s physical systems, living things, and the materials that make up our world.

5th Grade Science

Fifth grade science brings science and engineering together through hands-on challenges and real-world problem solving. Students investigate forces and motion as they design, build, test, and refine their own creations. We also explore natural disasters, learning how Earth’s systems can create powerful events and how science and engineering can help us prepare for and stay safe during them. Fifth graders are challenged to think creatively, learn from failure, and use evidence to design solutions to real-world problems.

1st grade

In 1st grade students students build an understanding of themselves, their families, their community, and the world around them. Through engaging, hands-on lessons, stories, activities, and discussions, students explore important concepts such as communities, rules and responsibilities, leaders, geography, history, and how people work together. Our curriculum encourages students to ask questions, make connections, and understand how they can contribute positively to their classroom, school, and community. The curriculum supports Ivy Hall’s commitment to developing thoughtful, responsible students who understand their role as members of a larger community.

Major topics include:

• School and classroom community — getting along with classmates, school rules, responsibilities, and people who work at the school
• Families — different kinds of families, family roles, traditions, and how families change
• Communities — what communities are, how people work together, and people who provide services
• Citizenship — rights, responsibilities, rules, cooperation, and being a good citizen
• History / Then and Now — comparing life today with life in the past
• American symbols and traditions — including important U.S. symbols and historical figures
• Different cultures and places — students compare how people live in different places around the world
• Geography — basic understanding of places, maps, and how people and their environment are connected

2nd Grade 

In Second Grade social studies, we learn about the geography of our world, Native American, tribes, economics, and so much more!

We do interactive activities within each area that we study and have a project based learning experience around the Native American tribes!

We have a strong focus on focusing on the world around us and learning from all the different people and places around us!

Major topics include:

• What Is a Community? — characteristics of communities and how communities are organized
• Good Citizenship — rights, responsibilities, cooperation, and how citizens contribute to their communities
• Community Leaders & Government — how leaders help communities and how people work together to solve problems
• Geography — maps, physical and human features, locations, and how geography affects communities
• Economics — goods and services, producers and consumers, jobs, earning and spending, and how resources affect what people produce and consume
• Work & Careers — different kinds of jobs and how people make a living
• History: Then & Now — how communities change over time and how we learn about the past
• Transportation & Technology — how inventions and technology have changed communities
• Native American Cultures — exploring Native American communities and how people adapted to their environments
• Culture & Traditions — how traditions, customs, and ways of life contribute to a community
• Community Resources & Services — the people and organizations that provide important services
• Environmental Change — how people use resources and how communities can affect their environment

3rd grade

In 3rd grade students deepen their understanding of communities, government, geography, economics, and history. Through engaging lessons, hands-on activities, discussions, and real-world connections, students explore how people and communities are organized, how government works, how geography influences the way people live, and how individuals contribute to society. Students are encouraged to think critically, ask meaningful questions, examine different perspectives, and connect what they learn to the world around them. This curriculum helps prepare students to become informed, responsible, and engaged members of their communities.

The major topics include:

• Communities — what makes a community and how communities change
• Government in the United States — government, leaders, civic responsibilities, and how government serves people
• Citizenship and community involvement — how people can make their communities better
• Economics — needs and wants, earning and spending money, businesses, supply and demand, and how communities’ economies work
• Geography of the United States — states, regions, physical features, maps, and location
• World geography — continents, countries, physical features, and where communities are located in relation to the rest of the world
• Native Americans / Indigenous peoples — the first people in different regions and how they adapted to their environments
• Settling in the United States — how and why people moved and established communities
• Culture — how traditions, customs, and cultural practices help shape communities
• History and change — how communities have changed over time
• Public service — people and organizations that serve their communities
• Using resources and the environment — how people interact with and change their physical environment

4th grade 

In fourth grade, we use the TCI Social Studies curriculum to make history fun, meaningful, and hands-on. We want students to do more than just read about history—we want them to experience it, talk about it, ask questions, and make connections to what they are learning.

We start the year learning about geography and landforms. One of our favorite activities is making salt dough landforms, which students create, paint, and label. From there, we explore the different regions of the United States—the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. Students learn what makes each region unique, including its geography, climate, landmarks, resources, and culture.

As we begin learning about early American history, students learn about explorers, the Pilgrims, and early settlements. We bring this part of history to life with hands-on activities. Students can pack a pretend suitcase for the Mayflower, deciding what they would bring on the long journey and explaining why each item would be important. We also look at the experiences of the people who were already living in North America and discuss how exploration and settlement affected different groups of people.

When we learn about Native Americans, students research different tribes and create their own Native American dioramas to show what they have learned about their homes, environment, traditions, and daily life.

During our American Revolution unit, we use Visible Thinking routines throughout our lessons. These routines give students opportunities to share their ideas, ask questions, look at events from different points of view, and think more deeply about why events happened. Students also create wanted posters and put together their own American Revolution newspapers to highlight important people, battles, events, and ideas from the Revolution.

As we move into Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny, students explore why people moved west and how that movement changed the United States. We look at the experiences of pioneers as well as Native Americans and others who were affected by westward expansion. Students can take part in an Oregon Trail survival challenge, where they make choices about supplies, obstacles, and situations they may have faced along the journey. During our Gold Rush lessons, students even get to “dig for gold” by mining chocolate chips out of graham crackers!

From there, we continue moving through American history, exploring important events and changes that helped shape our country. We connect what we have learned about the past to current events, giving students opportunities to see how history, geography, government, and the choices people make still impact our lives today.

Social Studies is a time for our fourth graders to explore, create, think, ask questions, and have fun while learning about our country. Our goal is for students to understand history from different perspectives, make connections between the past and present, and most importantly, get excited about learning history!

• Geography of the United States — regions, states, landforms, climate, natural resources, and how geography influences where people live
• Native American Cultures — Indigenous peoples of North America, their cultures, governments, traditions, and relationships with their environments
• European Exploration — reasons Europeans explored North America and the impact of exploration
• Colonial America — the 13 colonies, regional differences, colonial life, economies, and cultures
• Interactions Between Cultures — relationships and conflicts among Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans
• Slavery & African American History — the development of slavery in colonial America and the experiences and contributions of African Americans
• American Revolution — causes of the Revolution, major events, important people, and the struggle for independence
• Founding of the United States — Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, and Bill of Rights
• U.S. Government — the three branches of government, separation of powers, checks and balances, and the role of citizens
• Westward Expansion — movement into new territories and its effects on people and communities
• Economics — production, trade, resources, jobs, and how economic systems developed
• Civic Engagement — rights and responsibilities, participation in government, and how citizens can influence their communities

5th Grade 

In fifth grade, students take an exciting journey through the Ancient World, discovering how civilizations from thousands of years ago still influence our lives today.

We begin in Ancient Egypt, exploring pharaohs, Judaism, and daily life before traveling to Ancient India to learn about the religions and beliefs that began there. In Ancient China, students discover emperors, philosophies, inventions, and the importance of the Silk Road and trade.

Next, we travel to Ancient Greece, where students explore mythology, city-states, democracy, and daily life. This unit ends with our biggest PBL of the year—the Greek Agora! Students research an aspect of Ancient Greece, create merchandise connected to their topic, and bring an ancient marketplace to life.

We finish the year in Ancient Rome, learning about its government, religions, innovations, and lasting impact on our world.

Throughout the year, hands-on activities, discussions, and projects help students discover that ancient history isn’t just about the past—it is still all around us today! 

Major topics include:

• The Early United States — life in the new nation and the challenges faced by the young United States
• The Constitution & Government — the Constitution, Bill of Rights, branches of government, and how the U.S. government functions
• Westward Expansion — exploration and settlement of western territories and the growth of the United States
• Native Americans & Westward Expansion — the effects of expansion on Indigenous peoples, their communities, and their lands
• Slavery & the Antebellum United States — slavery, plantation life, abolition, and the growing sectional differences between North and South
• The Underground Railroad & Abolition — resistance to slavery and the abolitionist movement
• The Civil War — causes of the Civil War, major events, key people, and the experiences of soldiers and civilians
• Reconstruction — rebuilding the nation after the Civil War, the end of slavery, and the struggle for civil rights
• Immigration & Industrialization — immigration, factories, inventions, cities, and economic growth
• The Progressive Era — reforms and changes in American society and government
• World War I & World War II — America’s involvement and the effects of the wars
• The Civil Rights Movement — segregation, discrimination, civil rights leaders, and the struggle for equal rights
• Modern United States — major changes in American society, technology, government, and culture

Ivy Hall Academy Lower School Computer Curriculum

Technology education at Ivy Hall Academy prepares students to become confident, responsible, creative, and capable users of technology. Beginning in Preschool and continuing through 5th grade, students develop foundational computer skills while learning keyboarding, coding, digital citizenship, research, media literacy, and digital creation.

Our curriculum is designed as a developmental progression. Younger students learn through exploration and guided practice, while older students gradually become more independent problem-solvers, researchers, creators, and responsible digital citizens.

Instruction incorporates resources including Common Sense Education, Typing Agent, Tynker, Google Workspace for Education, Reading Eggs, and Mathseeds, while aligning with age-appropriate technology and digital citizenship standards. Throughout the curriculum, students are encouraged to demonstrate important Ivy Hall habits such as responsibility, problem-solving, leadership, creativity, perseverance, and effective communication.

Preschool

Explore → Mouse → Keyboard → Reading/Math → Coding → Safety

Preschool students are introduced to technology through exploration, guided practice, and age-appropriate learning activities. The goal is to help students become comfortable using computers while developing the foundational skills they will need as they move into Kindergarten.

Students learn basic computer awareness and practice using a mouse, touchpad, and keyboard. Through programs such as Reading Eggs and Mathseeds, students reinforce early literacy and mathematical concepts while learning to navigate digital learning environments.

Students are also introduced to beginning coding concepts through age-appropriate activities that encourage sequencing, problem-solving, and logical thinking. Digital citizenship begins with simple lessons about using technology safely, respectfully, and responsibly.

By the end of Preschool, students are expected to feel comfortable exploring technology with guidance and to demonstrate basic understanding of how computers can be used as tools for learning and creativity.

Kindergarten

Computer Skills → Reading/Math → Coding → Digital Citizenship → Google

Kindergarten students build upon their early technology experiences by developing foundational computer skills and learning how technology can support their academic growth.

Students practice using a mouse, touchpad, keyboard, and age-appropriate computer programs. Interactive learning through Reading Eggs and Math Seeds supports reading and mathematics instruction while helping students become more independent users of technology.

Students are introduced to basic coding concepts through activities that develop sequencing, problem-solving, and logical thinking. They also begin learning important digital citizenship skills, including how to use technology responsibly and how to make safe and respectful choices online.

Kindergarten students are gradually introduced to age-appropriate Google tools, helping them begin to understand how technology can be used to create, communicate, and complete schoolwork.

By the end of Kindergarten, students are expected to demonstrate growing confidence with basic computer skills and understand that technology is a tool for learning, creating, and solving problems.

First Grade

Typing + Coding + Digital Citizenship

First-grade students begin developing foundational keyboarding skills while expanding their understanding of coding and responsible technology use.

Students use Typing Agent to practice proper keyboard familiarity, finger placement, accuracy, and early typing fluency. Keyboarding instruction helps students develop skills that will support their academic work throughout elementary school.

Through coding activities and Tynker, students learn to think logically, follow sequences, identify patterns, and solve problems. Coding activities encourage persistence and help students understand that mistakes are an important part of the learning process.

Digital citizenship lessons introduce students to responsible technology use, online safety, respectful communication, and the importance of making positive choices when using digital tools.

The end goal for first grade is for students to become more confident and independent technology users while building the habits of responsibility, perseverance, and problem-solving.

Second Grade

Typing + Coding + Google + Digital Citizenship

Second-grade students continue developing typing fluency and begin using technology more independently for learning and creation.

Students continue keyboarding practice through Typing Agent, focusing on improving accuracy, fluency, and confidence. They continue exploring coding through Tynker, where they strengthen computational thinking and problem-solving skills.

Students also begin expanding their use of Google Workspace for Education. They learn age-appropriate skills using digital tools to create documents, organize information, and complete classroom assignments.

Digital citizenship remains an important part of the curriculum. Students learn about online safety, responsible communication, digital responsibility, and how their choices can affect themselves and others.

By the end of second grade, students should be increasingly comfortable using technology as a tool for learning, creating, communicating, and solving problems.

Third Grade

Typing + Tynker + Google + Digital Citizenship + Research

Third-grade students transition toward more independent and purposeful technology use.

Students continue developing keyboarding skills through Typing Agent, with increasing emphasis on fluency, accuracy, and efficient typing habits. Through Tynker, students continue developing coding and computational thinking skills by working through increasingly complex challenges and projects.

Students expand their use of Google Workspace for Education and begin using technology more independently to create documents, presentations, and other digital projects. Collaboration and organization skills are introduced as students learn how digital tools can support their classroom learning.

Third grade also introduces beginning research skills. Students learn how to search for information, identify useful resources, and begin thinking critically about the information they find.

Digital citizenship instruction continues through resources such as Common Sense Education, helping students understand privacy, digital footprints, respectful online communication, and responsible participation in digital spaces.

By the end of third grade, students are expected to demonstrate growing independence and begin using technology as a meaningful tool for research, creativity, communication, and learning.

Fourth Grade

Typing → Coding → Google → Media Literacy → Research → Projects

Fourth-grade students apply their technology skills in increasingly meaningful and independent ways.

Students continue developing typing fluency through Typing Agent, working toward greater accuracy and efficiency. Coding instruction through Tynker continues to strengthen computational thinking, logical reasoning, creativity, and persistence.

Students expand their use of Google Workspace for Education to create, organize, collaborate, and communicate. They use technology not only to complete assignments but also to develop and share ideas.

A growing emphasis is placed on media literacy and research. Students learn to think critically about the information they encounter online, evaluate sources, distinguish between different types of media, and make responsible decisions about the information they use and share.

Students apply their skills through digital projects that combine research, creativity, technology, communication, and problem-solving.

The end goal for fourth grade is for students to become thoughtful and increasingly independent digital learners who can use technology responsibly to research, create, collaborate, and communicate.

Fifth Grade

Typing → Digital Citizenship → Coding → Google → Research/AI → Capstone

Fifth-grade students bring together the technology skills they have developed throughout their elementary experience.

Students continue working toward strong keyboarding fluency and accuracy through Typing Agent. Digital citizenship instruction focuses on preparing students to become responsible users of technology as they transition toward middle school. Students explore topics such as digital footprints, online communication, privacy, media literacy, and responsible decision-making.

Coding through Tynker continues to develop computational thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. Students use Google Workspace for Education more independently to create, collaborate, organize, and communicate.

Research skills become increasingly important as students learn to locate information, evaluate sources, recognize reliable information, and appropriately use digital resources. Students are also introduced to artificial intelligence literacy, including age-appropriate discussions about what AI is, how it can be used as a tool, and the importance of using emerging technologies responsibly and ethically.

The fifth-grade experience culminates in opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning through meaningful technology projects and a capstone experience. These projects allow students to combine typing, research, digital citizenship, creativity, problem-solving, communication, and technology skills.

By the end of fifth grade, students should leave the Lower School prepared to use technology confidently, responsibly, creatively, and independently.

Our End in Mind

The Ivy Hall Academy Computer Curriculum is designed to move students through a purposeful progression:

Explore → Build Skills → Develop Confidence → Become Independent → Think Critically → Create and Lead

By the time students complete fifth grade, they will have developed foundational technology skills while also learning how to use technology responsibly and thoughtfully. They will understand that computers are not simply tools for entertainment, but powerful resources for learning, creativity, communication, research, problem-solving, and leadership.

Through consistent instruction from Preschool through 5th grade, students develop the knowledge and habits necessary to succeed in an increasingly digital world while continuing to demonstrate the responsibility, integrity, creativity, perseverance, and leadership that are central to an Ivy Hall Academy education.

Elementary Music Curriculum: Preschool–Fifth Grade

Music Tells a Story

The theme of Ivy Hall Academy’s elementary music program for the ’26-’27 school year is “Music Tells a Story.” Throughout the year, students will discover that music can communicate ideas, emotions, characters, settings, and events—even when no words are used. They will learn to recognize the musical elements that make this possible and gradually apply those elements through singing, movement, listening, playing instruments, creating music, and performing.

The curriculum is teacher-created and designed to provide a continuous progression from Preschool through fifth grade. Each year builds upon previously learned concepts while introducing more advanced levels of music literacy, independence, creativity, expression, collaboration, and leadership.

Preschool students and students in grades 3–5 attend one 40-minute music class each week. Kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students attend two 40-minute classes each week, allowing them additional opportunities to learn, practice, review, and apply foundational musical concepts.

Five Pillars of the Music Program

Music instruction at Ivy Hall is organized around five interconnected pillars:

Music Literacy

Students learn to read, write, recognize, and understand the language of music. Beginning with visual patterns, steady beat, and contrasts in sound, students progress to reading rhythms, recognizing note values, using solfège, following melodic contour, reading the music staff, and understanding musical form.

Music Making

Students experience music actively through singing, movement, body percussion, classroom instruments, ensemble activities, and performances. They learn that successful music-making requires focused listening, preparation, cooperation, and awareness of the entire ensemble.

Music Appreciation

Students listen to and study music from different historical periods, cultures, genres, and performance traditions. Monthly Music Spotlights introduce significant composers and styles, including Scott Joplin and ragtime, Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker, Broadway and musical theatre, Sergei Prokofiev and Peter and the Wolf, and the film scores of John Williams.

Music Creation

Students respond to music through movement, dramatic interpretation, improvisation, composition, and storytelling. As their skills develop, they create rhythmic patterns, ostinatos, melodies, character themes, and original musical stories.

Healthy Vocal Technique

Students learn to use their voices safely and confidently. Instruction includes singing posture, breathing, pitch matching, tone, vocal exploration, and the difference between the speaking and singing voice. These skills are reinforced through classroom singing and preparation for school performances.

Leader in Me Connections

Music provides a natural setting in which students practice the Leader in Me habits.

Students Begin with the End in Mind by working toward musical and performance goals. They Put First Things First by focusing during instruction and rehearsals so that the ensemble can succeed. They are Proactive by arriving ready to participate, caring for instruments, learning their responsibilities, and making choices that contribute to the class.

Ensemble music encourages students to Think Win-Win, support one another, and recognize that each musician’s success strengthens the group. Students Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood as they listen carefully to directions, musical cues, and the performers around them. They Synergize when individual voices, movements, and instrumental parts combine to create something no student could create alone.

Through practice, feedback, and reflection, students Sharpen the Saw and recognize that musical growth occurs over time. As students gain confidence, they also learn to Find Their Voice and Inspire Others to Find Theirs through performance, creativity, encouragement, and student leadership.

Yearlong Learning Progression

August–November: Building the Musical Foundation

During the first part of the year, students establish classroom routines and learn the fundamental skills needed to participate successfully in music. Instruction progresses from steady beat and rhythm to dynamics, expression, melody, and solfège. Students apply these concepts through singing, movement, listening, body percussion, classroom instruments, and prepare for the Christmas program.

December: Celebrating Through Music

Students explore the ways communities and cultures celebrate Christmas through music. They participate in the Christmas program and demonstrate the singing, expression, stage presence, ensemble skills, and performance etiquette developed throughout the semester. Seasonal listening, musical games, and traditions from around the world broaden students’ understanding of music as a form of celebration and connection.

January–February: Storytelling on the Stage

Students discover how music tells stories through Broadway and musical theatre. They explore character, acting through song, expression, choreography, and the relationship between music, words, and dramatic action. Students also learn to recognize musical structures such as AB, ABA, rondo, and verse-chorus form. These concepts are applied as students begin preparing for the spring program.

March: Orchestral Storytelling

Through Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, students discover how an orchestra can tell a story without relying on sung words. They learn about the orchestra and its instrument families, identify instruments by sight and sound, and explore how musical themes represent particular characters. Students connect instrumental tone color, melody, rhythm, dynamics, and tempo to character and action.

April: Storytelling Through Film Music

Students connect the tradition of orchestral storytelling to modern film scores. Using music by composers such as John Williams, they examine how composers create character themes, build suspense, communicate emotion, and help audiences understand a story. Students compare film themes with the character themes in Peter and the Wolf and consider how changing the music can change the meaning of a scene.

May: Sharing Music Through Performance

The year culminates in a Broadway-themed spring showcase. Students combine singing, acting, movement, expression, stage presence, and ensemble skills to communicate stories for an audience. Following the performance, students reflect on their musical growth, revisit favorite concepts and activities, and celebrate what they have accomplished together.

Monthly Areas of Study

August: Classroom Community and Music All Around Us

Students establish music-room procedures and expectations, learn classmates’ names through musical activities, and practice the safe and respectful use of instruments. Echo songs, beat activities, vocal exploration, and listening exercises help students recognize that music and organized sound can be found throughout everyday life. Students also begin distinguishing between the speaking voice and the singing voice.

September: Rhythm and Beat

Through the music of Scott Joplin and the study of ragtime, students explore the relationship between steady beat and rhythm. They experience beat through movement and body percussion and learn developmentally appropriate note values and rhythm patterns. Students read, echo, create, and perform rhythms using their bodies, voices, and classroom percussion instruments.

October: Dynamics and Expression

Students explore loud and soft sounds, crescendo, decrescendo, major and minor tonalities, and the expressive choices musicians use to create mood. Danny Elfman’s film music provides a setting for investigating how composers make music sound mysterious, playful, exciting, or spooky. Students begin applying dynamics and expression to Christmas program music.

November: Melody and Solfège

Students explore melodic direction, pitch relationships, solfège syllables, and hand signs. Younger students identify whether sounds move higher or lower, while older students follow and perform increasingly complex melodic patterns. The music of Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker connects melody, orchestral sound, movement, character, and storytelling. Christmas program rehearsals also emphasize stage presence and performance etiquette.

December: Celebrations Through Music

Students study Christmas music and traditions from different parts of the world. Listening, singing, movement, musical games, and seasonal activities help students compare how music can reflect culture and community. The Christmas program gives students an opportunity to share their learning through performance.

January: Broadway and Musical Theatre

Students learn what makes a musical different from other forms of storytelling. Through age-appropriate selections from Broadway and Disney, including music associated with Alan Menken and other major musical-theatre composers, students explore character, acting through song, facial expression, vocal expression, and dramatic intention.

February: Form and Performance

Students learn how composers organize musical ideas through AB, ABA, rondo, and verse-chorus forms. They identify repeated and contrasting sections through listening, movement, and performance. Spring program rehearsals develop choreography, memorization, ensemble awareness, and the ability to remain expressive while singing and moving.

March: Peter and the Wolf and the Orchestra

Students study Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf as an example of program music. They identify the four instrument families, connect specific instruments and themes to characters, and listen for changes that signal action or emotion. Depending on grade level, students may identify instruments, dramatize character themes, compare tone colors, or create original musical stories.

April: Film Music

Students investigate the role of a film score and examine how composers use recurring themes, instrumentation, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and harmony to guide an audience’s emotional response. Music by John Williams helps students connect contemporary film scoring to the orchestral storytelling techniques studied in Peter and the Wolf.

May: Broadway Showcase and Reflection

Students share their learning through the spring program. They demonstrate vocal skills, expression, movement, stage presence, cooperation, and performance responsibility. Afterward, students reflect on their progress, participate in student-choice musical activities, and review important concepts from the year.

Grade-Level Progression

Preschool

Preschool music introduces children to joyful, purposeful music-making through singing, movement, imitation, listening, and musical play. Students explore their singing voices, echo short vocal and rhythmic patterns, move to a steady beat, and respond physically to contrasts such as fast and slow, loud and soft, high and low, and sound and silence.

Students develop listening skills, body awareness, coordination, memory, and confidence while learning to participate in a musical group. They practice following cues, taking turns, caring for instruments, and stopping and starting together. Stories, imaginative movement, and classroom instruments help students connect music to characters, feelings, animals, and events.

End in mind: Preschool students will participate confidently in group music-making, demonstrate an emerging steady beat, use their singing voices, respond to basic musical contrasts, and follow simple musical and classroom cues.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students strengthen the connection between listening, singing, movement, and musical understanding. They distinguish the singing voice from the speaking voice, maintain a steady beat through movement and instruments, and begin recognizing the difference between beat and rhythm. They explore high and low pitch, loud and soft dynamics, fast and slow tempos, and simple melodic direction.

Because kindergarten meets twice each week, core concepts can be introduced in one lesson and reinforced through new songs, games, movement, and instruments in the second. This structure supports students who need repetition while giving all students opportunities to apply concepts in different ways.

End in mind: Kindergarten students will sing with increasing confidence, maintain a steady beat, echo simple musical patterns, recognize fundamental contrasts in sound, and participate appropriately in group music and performances.

First Grade

First-grade students begin connecting the sounds they hear and perform to written musical symbols. They read and perform basic rhythm patterns, recognize introductory note values, use body percussion and rhythm instruments, and create short rhythmic responses. Solfège, hand signs, singing games, and melodic activities introduce pitch relationships and melodic direction.

Students explore a variety of classroom instruments and learn how different sounds contribute to a musical story. They also begin identifying repeated and contrasting sections in music and applying dynamics and expression while singing.

End in mind: First-grade students will read, echo, and perform basic rhythms; recognize foundational musical notation; use beginning solfège; maintain a steady beat; and make expressive musical choices during classroom and performance activities.

Second Grade

Second-grade students deepen their understanding of rhythm, melody, and notation. They read and perform longer rhythmic patterns, compare note values, follow melodic contour, and begin connecting pitch to placement on the music staff. Singing and solfège activities strengthen pitch matching and musical memory.

Students are introduced more fully to the orchestra and its instrument families. They learn to identify selected instruments by sight and sound and describe how tone color helps portray characters and emotions. Through listening, movement, singing, and instruments, they examine how musical ideas are organized and repeated.

End in mind: Second-grade students will demonstrate growing fluency in rhythm and melody, interpret basic staff notation, sing with improved pitch accuracy, identify the orchestral instrument families, and explain how musical elements contribute to a story.

Third Grade

Third-grade students move toward greater independence in reading, performing, and creating music. They read rhythmic and melodic patterns with less teacher modeling, maintain an individual part within a group, and recognize when a rhythm differs from the written or expected pattern. Students learn to perform and create ostinatos—short, repeated musical patterns—and combine them with songs, speech, movement, or other instrumental parts.

Simple composition activities allow students to organize musical ideas, make purposeful choices, and perform their work. Ensemble experiences develop concentration, accuracy, cooperation, and the ability to listen beyond one’s own part.

End in mind: Third-grade students will read and perform music with growing independence, recognize and correct basic rhythmic errors, create and perform ostinatos and simple compositions, and maintain a part within an ensemble.

Fourth Grade

Fourth-grade students expand from melody into harmony and multipart music-making. They sing rounds and partner songs, listen for how independent parts fit together, and use hand chimes, Boomwhackers, and other classroom instruments to perform melodic and harmonic patterns. Students apply their knowledge of rhythm, melody, dynamics, form, and expression with increasing precision.

Performance preparation requires students to balance their own responsibilities with the needs of the ensemble. They refine tone, phrasing, dynamics, movement, stage presence, and the ability to respond to a conductor.

End in mind: Fourth-grade students will sustain independent vocal or instrumental parts, understand introductory harmony, perform rounds and partner songs, use expression intentionally, and contribute reliably to a polished ensemble performance.

Fifth Grade

Fifth-grade students apply their accumulated musical knowledge with greater independence, creativity, and leadership. They read and perform more advanced rhythmic, melodic, and ensemble parts; create original musical ideas; and make decisions about form, instrumentation, dynamics, and expression. Students may conduct classroom activities, lead sections or small groups, assist with musical problem-solving, and model productive rehearsal habits.

Composition and performance tasks encourage students to explain and defend their musical choices. Ensemble work develops flexibility, accountability, and awareness of how individual preparation affects the entire group.

End in mind: Fifth-grade students will leave elementary music able to read and create developmentally appropriate music, perform confidently and expressively, follow and respond to a conductor, contribute an independent part to an ensemble, and use leadership skills to help a musical group succeed.

Assessment and Student Growth

Student learning is assessed primarily through active participation and direct demonstration of skills. During class, the teacher observes whether students can maintain a beat, echo or read a rhythm, match pitch, recognize musical elements, follow performance cues, use instruments appropriately, contribute to an ensemble, and apply feedback.

The Christmas and spring programs provide formal performance opportunities and serve as culminating demonstrations of student learning. Performance assessment is participation- and attendance-based. Students who engage consistently in classroom learning and participate in the scheduled performances are positioned to be successful.

The goal is not to compare children according to prior musical experience or natural performance ability. Instead, students are expected to participate, grow from their individual starting points, develop dependable musical habits, and contribute to the shared success of the ensemble.

End in Mind for Elementary Music

By the end of fifth grade, Ivy Hall students will understand that music is both a language and a powerful form of storytelling. They will have foundational skills in rhythm, melody, notation, solfège, musical form, expression, composition, healthy singing, instrumental performance, and ensemble participation.

Students will be able to listen thoughtfully, recognize how composers communicate meaning, create musical ideas of their own, and perform with confidence and purpose. Just as importantly, they will know how to prepare, listen, collaborate, lead, reflect, and encourage others—using their individual voices to help create something meaningful together.

Art Curriculum

Our elementary art program combines art history, hands-on studio experiences, and foundational art skills. Throughout the year, students are introduced to important artists, artistic movements, and techniques while creating their own artwork inspired by what they learn.

Pre-School Art

Our youngest artists are introduced to the foundations of art through playful, hands-on exploration. Students develop important fine motor skills as they learn how to hold and control art tools, use scissors, paintbrushes, and glue, and practice coloring within boundaries. They explore colors, shapes, lines, textures, and basic forms while creating paintings, drawings, collages, and sculptures.

The emphasis is on building confidence, learning how materials work, and discovering the joy of creating.

Skills & Concepts: Fine motor development • Cutting • Gluing • Painting • Drawing • Color recognition • Shapes • Lines • Texture • Sculpture • Creative exploration

Kindergarten Foundations

Kindergarten Foundations builds upon the introductory skills students developed in preschool. Students continue developing fine motor control, color recognition, shape and line vocabulary, and familiarity with a variety of art materials while beginning to explore how artists use these elements to communicate ideas and emotions.

Students are introduced to artists and concepts such as Jackson Pollock and Abstract Expressionism, exploring movement, gesture, spontaneity, and expressive mark-making. They will also experiment with color mixing, pattern, texture, and imaginative composition.

Skills & Concepts: Fine motor skills • Color mixing • Shapes • Lines • Patterns • Texture • Painting techniques • Material exploration • Abstract art • Expression through art

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students begin connecting artistic skills with art history and famous works of art. Throughout the year, they explore artists including Yayoi Kusama, Piet Mondrian, Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, and Frida Kahlo.

Students create Kusama-inspired pumpkins, explore Mondrian’s use of primary colors, lines, squares, and rectangles, and create expressive self-portraits inspired by Modigliani and Kahlo. They experiment with colored pencils and oil pastels, study Monet’s bridges and water lilies, and explore observational drawing and color.

Skills & Concepts: Drawing • Painting • Oil pastels • Colored pencils • Primary colors • Lines & shapes • Self-portraits • Observation • Composition • Pattern • Art history

First Grade

First grade students continue developing their technical skills while learning how different artists have approached color, shape, composition, observation, and expression.

Students explore the work of Yayoi Kusama, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Paul Cézanne, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet. Projects include Klee-inspired cityscapes using wax resist, watercolor color-wheel lions, observational fruit-bowl drawings inspired by Cézanne, expressive Basquiat-inspired artwork, finger-painted versions of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, and Monet-inspired water lilies.

Skills & Concepts: Watercolor • Wax resist • Color wheel • Color mixing • Observational drawing • Oil pastels • Finger painting • Shape & composition • Expressive mark-making • Art history

Second Grade

Second grade students deepen their understanding of artistic style, observation, composition, and color while studying a diverse selection of artists and historical works.

Students explore Yayoi Kusama, Vincent van Gogh, Pieter Bruegel, Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Claude Monet. They create expressive pumpkin sculptures, study Van Gogh’s sunflowers, explore Bruegel’s detailed winter and holiday scenes, experiment with Kandinsky’s abstract circles, create Picasso-inspired self-portraits, and study O’Keeffe’s enlarged flowers and Monet’s water lilies.

Skills & Concepts: Painting • Drawing • Sculpture • Abstraction • Self-portraiture • Composition • Scale • Observation • Pattern • Color theory • Art history

Third Grade

Third grade students begin exploring more advanced concepts of composition, symbolism, positive and negative space, abstraction, and artistic expression.

Students study artists including Yayoi Kusama, Henri Matisse, Mark Rothko, J.M.W. Turner, and Claude Monet. They experiment with scratch art, recreate Matisse-inspired fishbowls, create cut-paper compositions exploring organic shapes and positive/negative space, and make Rothko-inspired paintings that explore the relationship between color and emotion. Students also create Turner-inspired seascapes using chalk pastels.

Skills & Concepts: Scratch art • Chalk pastels • Positive & negative space • Organic shapes • Cut-paper collage • Color & emotion • Composition • Abstraction • Landscape • Painting techniques

Fourth Grade

Fourth grade students are introduced to increasingly sophisticated artistic concepts, including expressionism, kinetic art, optical illusion, surrealism, and symbolism. Students learn that art can communicate emotions and ideas in ways that aren’t always realistic.

Artists and movements include Yayoi Kusama, Edvard Munch, Alexander Calder, M.C. Escher, Salvador Dalí, and Gustav Klimt. Students explore expressive artwork inspired by The Scream, create freeform sculptures, design Calder-inspired mobiles, experiment with Op Art and Escher’s optical illusions, explore Surrealism through Dalí-inspired melting-clock sculptures, and study Klimt’s decorative patterns and The Woman in Gold.

Skills & Concepts: Sculpture • Organic forms • Kinetic art • Optical illusion • Op Art • Surrealism • Expressionism • Pattern • Symbolism • 3D construction • Art history

Fifth Grade

Fifth grade students build on the artistic vocabulary and techniques developed throughout elementary school while beginning to work with more advanced drawing, perspective, sculpture, historical art, and painting techniques.

Students study Yayoi Kusama, Georges Seurat, Alexander Calder, Michelangelo, and Renaissance art. They explore Pointillism through Seurat-inspired paintings and famous works recreated with dots, practice contour and blind-contour drawing, create blind-contour self-portraits, and construct Calder-inspired wire sculptures. Students also study the Renaissance and Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, including an exploration of the famous story of Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling. They finish the year developing their understanding of linear perspective and spatial depth.

Skills & Concepts: Pointillism • Contour drawing • Blind-contour drawing • Self-portraiture • Wire sculpture • Renaissance art • Art history • Plaster painting • Perspective • Spatial depth • Composition

PE in Preschool through Kindergarten Foundations focuses on developing motor skills, rhythm, following instructions, and learning to take turns. PE proficiencies are developed with a variety of activities, games, and fun!

PE activities for Kindergarten through Second grade are based on the Utah State PE requirements. Students will work on a range of coordination and athletic skills as well as exploring teamwork. PE for this age involves lots of movement with games, music, and a variety of equipment!

3rd through 5th grade PE lessons are developed to meet Utah State PE requirements. Students will set goals, undergo monthly assessments, work on strength, agility, sport-specific skills, and sportsmanship. Students will also h

Our foreign languages offered annually are Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, French is offered as requested. The language focus is on the most common vocabulary words, basic to advanced conversation,  along with reading and writing for intermediate to advanced speakers.

A number of research studies have shown that children who learned a second language at a young age demonstrated cognitive advantages, such as increased problem-solving skills and creativity.

Parents have the option of enrolling students in a foreign language, where they will attend with their same age peers and move forward at a level the class can maintain together.
Parents can choose the language over another specialty the class attends. Student engagement and project based activities allow students to be immersed in a language, and with exposure, increase their understanding and use the language.

Helping Every Child Become a Confident Reader, Writer, and Thinker

Ivy Hall’s literacy program is designed to ensure every student develops strong foundational literacy skills while building deep understanding and the ability to apply those skills independently. Guided by the Science of Reading and applying the Teaching for Understanding model, we intentionally align phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, writing, speaking, and listening so that students not only know what to do, but understand why and when to use their skills. Through meaningful instruction, authentic practice, and opportunities to demonstrate and transfer their learning, students become confident, capable, and independent readers, writers, and thinkers. 

We believe literacy is about more than learning to read and write. Students learn to understand what they read, express their ideas clearly, and use their literacy skills independently in new situations.

Preschool Literacy Goals

Building the Foundation for Understanding

Children develop a strong foundation and begin to see themselves as capable communicators and future readers.

Preschool students will:

• Recognize letters, sounds, rhymes, and basic print concepts.
• Understand that spoken words are made of smaller sounds and that print carries meaning.
• Use listening, speaking, phonological awareness, and early writing skills during classroom activities.
• Use emerging literacy skills during play, conversations, storytelling, and new learning experiences.
• Develop confidence in communicating ideas, asking questions, listening to others, and sharing thinking.

Kindergarten Foundations

Building the Tools for Reading and Writing

Students develop language and background knowledge through rich read-alouds, discussion, vocabulary, and connections to the topics they are learning. They understand how sounds and letters work together to help them read and write 

Kindergarten Foundations students will:

• Identify letters and their sounds, recognize common words, and demonstrate early phonemic awareness.
• Understand that letters represent sounds and that sounds can be blended and separated to read and spell words.
• Use phonemic awareness, phonics, handwriting, and early writing skills to read and create words and sentences.
• Use foundational skills when encountering unfamiliar words and when communicating ideas in writing.
• Build speaking, listening, vocabulary, and comprehension skills through rich conversations, stories, songs, and texts.

Kindergarten Literacy

Becoming a Reader, Writer, and Communicator

Students explore engaging literature and informational texts while building vocabulary and knowledge about the world around them. They begin using their reading and writing skills independently to understand and communicate.

Kindergarten students will:

• Demonstrate knowledge of letter-sound relationships, high-frequency words, vocabulary, sentence structure, and foundational reading skills.
• Understand that readers use sounds, words, language, and meaning together to make sense of text.
• Read and write simple words and sentences, retell and discuss stories, answer questions, and communicate ideas.
• Apply reading and writing strategies to unfamiliar texts and authentic classroom experiences.
• Explain their thinking using evidence from stories, pictures, and conversations.

Grade 1 Literacy

Developing Fluent and Independent Readers

Students read and discuss rich literature and informational texts connected to meaningful topics, building knowledge and vocabulary while strengthening comprehension. They use their growing reading skills to understand new texts and communicate their own ideas.

1st Grade students will:

• Demonstrate increasingly automatic phonics, word recognition, vocabulary, grammar, and sentence-writing skills.
• Understand how word parts, sentence structure, vocabulary, and text features contribute to meaning.
• Read increasingly complex texts with accuracy and fluency and write organized responses using complete sentences.
• Apply reading strategies and foundational skills to unfamiliar texts and across subject areas.
• Explain ideas, make inferences, identify important information, and support thinking with evidence from text.

Grade 2 Literacy

Deepening Comprehension and Communication

Students build knowledge through literature, informational texts, and topics that encourage curiosity, discussion, connections, and deeper understanding. They move beyond simply reading words to understanding, explaining, and connecting ideas.

2nd Grade students will:

• Build knowledge of increasingly complex phonics patterns, vocabulary, grammar, text structures, and writing conventions.
• Understand how authors organize ideas and use words and details to communicate meaning.
• Read fluently, determine meaning, summarize, compare ideas, and write organized responses to texts.
• Apply comprehension, vocabulary, and writing strategies to unfamiliar texts and new learning situations.
• Support ideas with relevant details and evidence from what they read.

Grade 3 Literacy

Moving from Learning to Deeper Understanding

Students explore rich texts and content that build knowledge while learning to analyze ideas, make connections, and support their thinking with evidence. They become thoughtful readers who can explain how they know what they know.

3rd Grade students will:

• Demonstrate knowledge of increasingly complex vocabulary, word structures, grammar, text structures, and writing conventions.
• Understand how authors develop ideas, characters, themes, and information through language and text structure.
• Analyze texts, determine central ideas, make inferences, summarize, and write clear, organized responses.
• Apply comprehension and writing strategies independently across genres, subjects, and unfamiliar texts.
• Use specific evidence from texts to explain and support their thinking.

Grade 4 Literacy

Analyzing, Connecting, and Applying

Students engage with increasingly complex literature and informational texts, building knowledge while examining ideas, perspectives, language, and evidence. They learn to analyze, connect, and apply what they learn.

4th Grade students will:

• Use increasingly sophisticated vocabulary, grammar, text structures, and writing skills.
• Understand how authors use structure, language, evidence, and perspective to develop ideas.
• Analyze and compare texts, determine themes and central ideas, interpret information, and write evidence-based responses.
• Apply literacy strategies to new texts, disciplines, and authentic problems or questions.
• Clearly communicate ideas through organized writing, discussion, and presentations.

Grade 5 Literacy

Demonstrating Independent Understanding

Students engage deeply with complex literature and informational texts, building broad knowledge and using evidence to analyze, discuss, write, and communicate their understanding. They leave elementary school ready to independently understand, apply, and communicate what they learn.

5th Grade students will:

• Demonstrate strong command of vocabulary, grammar, language structures, reading strategies, and writing conventions.
• Understand how authors develop meaning through evidence, structure, language, perspective, and word choice.
• Analyze complex texts, synthesize information, evaluate ideas, and produce organized, evidence-based writing.
• Independently apply literacy skills to unfamiliar texts, multiple sources, other subjects, and authentic situations.
• Defend ideas, explain reasoning, and participate effectively in academic discussions

“Junior Achievement/Entrepreneurship”

Kindergarten
Our kindergarten students participate in the Junior Achievement program, which is an engaging introduction to financial literacy, responsible decision-making, and inspires an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age. Through stories, discussions, and hands-on activities, students learn about making thoughtful choices, distinguishing between needs and wants, understanding how people earn money through work, setting goals and saving, and the importance of sharing and giving to help others. The program also encourages teamwork, personal responsibility, and being a helpful member of the school and community. This program is provided by the State of Utah and Junior Achievement USA. 

1st Grade

In first grade, we participate in the Junior Achievement program to learn about families, jobs, money, businesses, and our community. Students explore the difference between needs and wants, learn how families earn and use money, and discover how local businesses provide goods and services.
In our classroom, students take part in stories, discussions, matching and sorting activities, and hands-on lessons about community jobs, neighborhood businesses, and entrepreneurship. They also learn about leadership qualities such as responsibility, cooperation, problem-solving, and helping others.
These activities help students build an early understanding of financial decision-making, community, and entrepreneurship.

2nd Grade

For 2nd grade Junior Achievement, entrepreneurship is introduced in an age-appropriate, hands-on way. Students learn what it means to be an entrepreneur and how entrepreneurs identify needs, develop ideas, create products or services, and solve problems. Through Junior Achievement activities and real-world examples, students explore concepts such as creativity, innovation, decision-making, teamwork, earning and spending money, and the difference between needs and wants. Students are encouraged to think like entrepreneurs by developing ideas, considering how their ideas could help others, and understanding that businesses and entrepreneurs play an important role in their communities.

3rd Grade

In third grade, Entrepreneurship introduces students to the exciting idea that they are already capable of thinking like entrepreneurs. Using concepts and activities from the Junior Achievement program as a foundation, students explore entrepreneurship through the lens of how a city and its economy work. They learn how people, businesses, money, goods, and services are connected and how the choices individuals make can affect an entire community. Students explore important concepts such as earning, spending, saving, businesses, jobs, needs and wants, and the movement of money through a local economy. We then bring those ideas to life through creative, hands-on experiences where students develop ideas, solve problems, make decisions, collaborate with others, and practice presenting and pitching their own creations. Rather than simply learning business vocabulary, students begin to see themselves as creators and problem-solvers who can recognize a need, develop an idea, and confidently share it with others. Entrepreneurship helps our third graders build financial awareness, creativity, communication skills, and the confidence to understand that even at their age, their ideas can have value.

4th Grade

In 4th grade Junior Achievement, students take a deeper look at entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and the role businesses play in a community. Students learn how entrepreneurs identify opportunities, develop and market products or services, understand customers, manage resources, and make thoughtful business decisions. Through hands-on activities and real-world scenarios, students explore concepts such as innovation, risk and reward, supply and demand, profit, budgeting, saving, and responsible financial decision-making. Students are encouraged to think creatively, solve problems, work collaboratively, and understand how entrepreneurship can create value and contribute to the economy.

5th Grade 

5th grade entrepreneurship introduces students to essential aspects of our nation’s economy, skill development, career exploration, and community involvement. Students will see how their skills and actions contribute to their own success and to the economy. Through hands-on games and activities, students will discover how competition and innovation work, explore different career options, and learn the value of giving back to their community. 5th graders also have the opportunity to participate in a unique field trip called JA Biztown, or JA City. Located at the Orem University Mall after weeks of intentional and hands-on preparation, the trip combines in-class learning with a day-long visit to a simulated town. This popular learning experience allows elementary school students to operate banks, manage restaurants, write checks, and vote for mayor. Students are able to connect the dots between what they learn in school and the real world.

Kindergarten

In Kindergarten Map Studies, students discover the world through exploring the seven continents and learning how people and places are connected. This is introduced in Arts & Letters, Module 4 as they learn about the continents. However, all along the way, we continually connect our learning to the United States of America and our home state of Utah. Through maps, globes, stories, and pictures students develop a sense of place while growing their curiosity and wonder about the world beyond their own community.

1st grade

Throughout first grade, students develop an understanding of the world through an engaging study of continents, oceans, countries, landforms, waterways, and famous landmarks. Beginning with the world’s continents and oceans and the Five Themes of Geography, students explore North and Central America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia/Oceania throughout the school year. As students study each continent, they learn the names and locations of select countries while discovering the languages, traditions, cultures, foods, landmarks, geography, and interesting facts that make each place unique. Students also explore holidays and celebrations from around the world and make connections between people and their environments. The year concludes with country reports, giving students an opportunity to research and share what they have learned about a country of their choice.

2nd Grade

In Second grade, we learn about the seven continents and all of the different countries located on each continent! We also learned about the different oceans that are surrounding each continent and how they impact each country around them!

We learn different facts about each country, what their flags look like and any interesting facts about those countries.

Each Friday we take a test about the chosen continent that we’ve studied!

3rd Grade

In third grade, Map Study helps students develop a strong understanding of their place in the world while building practical geography and map-reading skills. Throughout the year, students become increasingly familiar with the countries of the world through weekly geography spatial tests, while also studying the 50 states of our country. Students learn how to read and interpret different types of maps, use cardinal directions, recognize geographic features, and understand how locations relate to one another. Map Study goes beyond memorizing names and places. We regularly explore individual countries more deeply, learning about their cultures, traditions, landscapes, and unique characteristics. During the winter holiday season, students discover how people in different parts of the world celebrate and recognize important traditions. By combining geographic knowledge with cultural exploration, Map Study gives students a broader perspective of the world around them.

4th Grade

In fourth grade, students build upon their understanding of geography by examining how land, location, climate, and natural resources have influenced the development of the United States and the lives of its people. Students continue to study the seven continents while focusing on selected countries that connect directly to their social studies curriculum and the historical periods they are studying. They explore how geography shaped exploration, settlement, migration, trade, and the growth of communities, while also learning about important landmarks, waterways, regions, and geographic features. As students study different countries and cultures, they make connections to traditions, languages, food, resources, and ways of life, developing a broader understanding of how geography and culture are connected to history.

5th Grade

Our 5th grade students build essential geography skills during their Map Study lessons. Throughout the year, students explore the 7 continents, learning the maps, compass roses, map legends, grids, coordinates, latitude and longitude, map scales, and different types of map projections. Lessons then expand to physical and political geography, regions of North America and the world, climate zones, time zones, population, natural resources, landmarks, waterways, and historical and cultural maps. Through engaging activities, students strengthen their ability to read and interpret maps, understand geographic vocabulary, and make connections between people, places, and the environment.