Elementary School Core Subjects
Literacy
Scholars at AISJ grow their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills through a comprehensive curriculum aligned with Common Core ELA/AERO ELA standards. KinderWriting and Firstie Writing for K-1 and Ready Writing for Grades 2-5 provide comprehensive, standards-based writing units that enhance early literacy, language development, and integrate writing with science and social studies themes. Writers learn to use a writing path to study genres of text, plan for writing, and engage in a revision cycle. For growing comprehension and foundational skills AISJ scholars learn with Magnetic Reading Foundations for K-2 and Magnetic Reading for Grades 3-5. These programs offer systematic, explicit instruction in foundational skills and reading comprehension, promoting fluency and interdisciplinary connections.
Math
AISJ’s mathematics program is focused on building a strong conceptual base for future learning. We use a balanced approach encouraging scholars to explain, explore and extend their mathematical thinking. Scholars use multiple strategies and models to explain their thinking. We believe that math understanding progresses from concrete to representational to abstract and that strong number sense is essential to math learning. It is our goal that scholars see how math applies to their daily lives and have the ability to use math to solve both practical and abstract problems that they encounter. Our math program is aligned with Common Core Math/AERO Math standards.
Science
Scholars will receive a broad overview of the disciplines of science in order to better understand the world around them through transdisciplinary units of inquiry. These units are explored using hands-on, inquiry-based activities that are designed to further the child’s understanding of the content and foster natural curiosity in line with the Next Generation Science Standards/AERO Science. These explorations are further enhanced through STEAM classes.
Social Studies
Social studies units provide opportunities for scholars to explore multiple approaches that may be used to analyze and interpret their own world and the world of others. Social studies presents unique ways of viewing the interrelationships among Earth, its people, and its systems. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed through the social studies curriculum empower scholars to be informed, responsible citizens of the world. Social studies is explore through transdisciplinary units of inquiry connected to the AERO standards.
