Grades 3-5
ELA
All grades use Harcourt into Reading as the ELA curriculum. Into Reading is a comprehensive literacy curriculum designed to improve literacy through student self-actualizing learning. With a focus on supporting all learners, the curriculum is differentiated by design and aims to foster a culture of learning in the classroom and growth mindset in students so they can become independent learners. Through a staircase of complexity, scholars encounter grade-level complex texts focusing on setting a purpose, reading and annotating, as well as making connections.
Into Reading is based on a Workshop Model that gradually releases responsibility to students, and uses a flexible model that allows teachers to target instruction to student needs in order to improve learning outcomes and drive student growth.
In addition, teachers are working on incorporating culturally responsive and sustaining protocols into daily instruction in order to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners.
Math
The math curriculum at PS110 is enVisionMATH. The program seeks to help students develop an understanding of math concepts through problem-based instruction, small-group interaction, and visual learning with a focus on reasoning and modeling. We also build discussions by implementing the mathematical 5 practices on a daily basis.
In Third Grade scholars learn to fluently add and subtract within 1000, multiply by multiples of 10. They work on division fact families, fraction equivalence and comparison, and use them in equations and two-step word problems. They also learn how to read and write large numbers through the hundred thousands, knowing the place value for each digit.
In Fourth Grade, scholars learn about using data to make a graph, interpreting information in a graph, understanding and comparing decimals, extending multiplication concepts to fractions, and geometric measurement. They also learn how to find common multiples, understand prime and composite numbers and divide larger numbers.
In Fifth grade, scholars focus on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. They work on becoming fluent with computing these types of numbers and understanding the relationship between them, understanding volume concepts, converting measurement, and representing/interpreting data.
Social Studies
The Civis for All curriculum used for Social Studies is designed to cultivate civic responsibility and awareness so that students become active and informed participants of a democratic society. Students are exposed to the diversity of multiple perspectives and foster the thinking skills necessary to develop understanding of the past. Scholars are engaged in critical thinking that immerses them in their study of humanity, people and events that have shaped our world.
Additionally, they practice how to demonstrate respect for the rights of others in discussions and classroom debates, regardless of whether one agrees with the other viewpoints. They participate in activities that focus on a classroom, school, or community issue or problem to find solutions of the problem.
Science
The science curriculum at PS110 is Amplify Science. It is being implemented in grades K-5. It blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers.
Third graders focus on Balancing Forces, Inheritance and Traits, Environment and Survival, and Weather and Climate. Fourth graders focus on Energy Conversions, Vision and Light, Earth’s Features, as well as Waves, Energy, and Information. The focus of fifth graders is Patterns of Earth and Sky; Modeling Matter; The Earth System: Investigating Water Shortages; Ecosystem Restoration: Matter and Energy in a Rain Forest.
Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CRSE)
Culturally responsive-sustaining education (CRSE) is an approach grounded in a cultural view of learning and human development acknowledging diversity in the classroom and allowing students to connect across cultures. This includes student identity and aspects of their race, social class, gender, language, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or ability.
Valuing and affirming the varied experiences, perspectives and needs that students bring into the classroom as well as having high expectations, has proven to increase student level of engagement and performance.
CRSE also supports building strong connections and relationships with students and creating a risk free learning environment, thus increasing trust and giving students a sense of ownership and belonging in the school and, consequently, strengthening student willingness to deepen their learning.
ENL
Our English language learners are supported using scaffolding strategies in a push-in/pull out model. Teachers explicitly teach vocabulary, model, provide sentence starters, use visual aides and repetition, tap into scholars’ prior knowledge, etc. to meet the students’ needs.
Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) is used to support ENL readers. LLI is a short-term, supplementary intervention system proven to improve literacy achievement of struggling readers with engaging leveled books and fast-paced systematically designed lessons. LLI provides effective small-group instruction for students working toward attaining reading and writing proficiency.