Curriculum & Procedures

Language Arts
Our language arts program will be divided into and taught in four different areas:  Guided Reading, Writing, Phonics and Whole Group Instruction.  The combinations of these four areas will provide a strong language foundation.  Guided reading will be taught through a variety of fiction and nonfiction literature both in small and large group settings.  Your child will write each day.  The different forms of writing will be guided through the Write from the Beginning Model of the writing process and the six traits of writing:  ideas, word choice, organization, voice, sentence fluency, and conventions.  Phonics will be taught through a hands-on approach that builds phonemic awareness, letter/sound recognition and improves decoding skills.  Your child will have the opportunity to work each day independently at his/her own level.  This is a great way to build self confidence and a life-long love for reading.

MathEnvision Math, by Scott Foresman and Addison Wesley is the adopted math curriculum of the Deer Valley Unified School District.  The program provides a balance of concepts and skills.  Traditional skills and procedures are covered through distributed practice. 

Reading Groups
Our class will be participating in both Small Reading Group and Whole Group instruction. These reading groups will help us provide a more individualized instruction to help meet the needs of all children. Small Reading Groups will meet 5 days a week in a Literacy Center format for 30 minutes.  Whole group instruction will be teacher directed for 15 minutes each day.  Students are grouped and regrouped according to their own instructional needs. 

Social Studies and Science will be taught through Core Knowledge and hands-on experiences, thematic units, learning centers and authentic literature.  Some of the themes this year will include:  Community Helpers, Relationships, Cultural Awareness, Symbols of our Country, The Five Senses, Lifecycles, Weather and many more.

Technology
A wide variety of technology will be incorporated into the curriculum and used to enhance student learning.  Students will have the opportunity to explore different types of technology and a variety of computer software.