Elementary School Curriculum
Elementary students focus on seven main subjects: mathematics, foundational literacy, integrated literacy, units of study writing, physical education, art, and music.
Find a brief description – by grade level – of what to expect in each area.
Kindergarten
At a glance
Foundational Literacy
25-30 minutes daily
Students will learn and practice print concepts, phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition, and fluency. Students will learn letter and sound recognition by engaging in brain-based phonics instruction. This will prepare students to decode/read grade-level books in kindergarten.
Integrated Literacy
95-105 minutes daily
Students will experience science and social science through an inquiry process that will have them asking questions, collecting information by performing experiments, making observations, and reading informational texts. Students will demonstrate their understandings and conclusions by using the information they have collected and made sense of by writing and speaking, both individually and collaboratively.
Mathematics
60-80 minutes daily
Students will count and learn about numbers and what numbers represent, solve addition and subtraction problems within 10, including simple word problems, and identify and work with shapes.
Units of Study Writing
25-55 Minutes Daily
Students will begin to share their stories, opinions, and demonstrate knowledge through daily writing that aligns to writing standards (narrative, opinion, and informative).
Art
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in the elements and principles of art such as line, shape, color, space, value, form, texture, pattern, balance, contrast, movement, emphasis, rhythm, and unity. Students will engage in the elements of art through the artistic processes of creating, presenting, responding and connecting.
Music
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in musical elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, tempo, timbre, and form. Students will engage in the musical elements through the artistic processes of performance, creation, responding, and connecting.
Physical Education
45-90 minutes weekly
Students will explore and build foundational skills in spatial awareness, fundamental movement patterns, manipulative skills, fitness levels, effects and characteristics of fitness, goal setting, independence, and teamwork.
At-home resources
Literacy
Math
1st Grade
At a glance
Foundational Literacy
25-30 Minutes Daily
Students will learn and practice print concepts, phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, phonics & word recognition, and fluency. Students will learn letter and sound recognition by engaging in brain-based phonics instruction; this will prepare students to decode/read grade-level books. They will apply decoding skills and begin to make meaning of what they read.
Integrated Literacy
95-105 MINUTES DAILY
Students will experience science and social science by doing activities, performing experiments, making observations, reading informational texts, and asking questions. Students will demonstrate their understanding by using information from their observations, readings, and listening in their writing, speaking, and collaborate on group projects.
Mathematics
60-80 MINUTES DAILY
Students will work with whole numbers and place value — including grouping numbers into tens and ones; solve addition and subtraction problems up through 20 (fluently within 10); develop understanding of linear measurement and measure lengths as iterating length units; reason about attributes of shapes, and compose and decompose geometric shapes.
Units of Study Writing
25-55 Minutes Daily
Students will begin to share their stories, opinions, and demonstrate knowledge through daily writing that aligns to writing standards (narrative, opinion, and informative).
Art
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in the elements and principles of art such as line, shape, color, space, value, form, texture, pattern, balance, contrast, movement, emphasis, rhythm, and unity. Students will engage in the elements of art through the artistic processes of creating, presenting, responding and connecting.
Music
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in musical elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, tempo, timbre, and form. Students will engage in the musical elements through the artistic processes of performance, creation, responding, and connecting.
Physical Education
45-90 minutes weekly
Students will explore and build foundational skills in spatial awareness, fundamental movement patterns, manipulative skills, fitness levels, effects and characteristics of fitness, goal setting, independence, and teamwork.
At-home resources
Literacy
Math
2nd Grade
At a glance
Foundational Literacy
25-30 MINUTES DAILY
Students will learn and practice phonics & word recognition and fluency. Students will learn letter and sound recognition by engaging in brain-based phonics instruction; this will prepare students to decode/read grade-level books. They will apply decoding skills and begin to make meaning of what they read.
Integrated Literacy
95-105 MINUTES DAILY
Students will experience science and social science by doing activities, performing experiments, making observations, reading informational texts, and asking questions. Students will demonstrate their understanding by using information from their observations, readings, and listening in their writing, speaking, and collaborate on group projects.
Mathematics
60-80 MINUTES DAILY
Students will understand place value to the thousands place and use this place value understanding to solve word problems, including those involving length and other units of measure; quickly and accurately add and subtract numbers up through 20 and use these strategies to develop fluency with adding and subtracting numbers up through 100; and build a foundation for understanding fractions by working with shapes and geometry.
Units of Study Writing
25-55 MINUTES DAILY
Students will begin to share their stories, opinions, and demonstrate knowledge through daily writing that aligns to standards (narrative, opinion, and informative).
Art
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in the elements and principles of art such as line, shape, color, space, value, form, texture, pattern, balance, contrast, movement, emphasis, rhythm, and unity. Students will engage in the elements of art through the artistic processes of creating, presenting, responding and connecting.
Music
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in musical elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, tempo, timbre, and form. Students will engage in the musical elements through the artistic processes of performance, creation, responding, and connecting.
Physical Education
45-90 minutes weekly
Students will explore and build foundational skills in spatial awareness, fundamental movement patterns, manipulative skills, fitness levels, effects and characteristics of fitness, goal setting, independence, and teamwork.
At-home resources
Literacy
Math
3rd Grade
At a glance
Foundational Literacy
25-30 MINUTES DAILY
Students will learn and apply phonics & word recognition as they read fluently and gather meaning from books.
Integrated Literacy
95-105 MINUTES DAILY
Students will experience science and social science by doing activities, performing experiments, making observations, reading informational texts, and asking questions. Students will demonstrate their understanding by using information from their observations, readings, and listening in their writing, speaking, and collaborate on group projects.
Mathematics
60-80 MINUTES DAILY
Students will learn the concepts behind multiplication and division; apply strategies for multiplying and dividing numbers up through 100 to solve word problems involving equal-sized groups, arrays, and area models; develop an understanding of fractions as numbers, beginning with unit fractions (a fraction with a numerator of 1); make connections between the concept of the area of a rectangle and multiplication; and describe, analyze, and compare properties of two-dimensional shapes.
Units of Study Writing
25-55 MINUTES DAILY
Students will begin to share their stories, opinions, and demonstrate knowledge through daily writing that aligns to standards (narrative, opinion, and informative).
Art
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in the elements and principles of art such as line, shape, color, space, value, form, texture, pattern, balance, contrast, movement, emphasis, rhythm, and unity. Students will engage in the elements of art through the artistic processes of creating, presenting, responding and connecting.
Music
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in musical elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, tempo, timbre, and form. Students will engage in the musical elements through the artistic processes of performance, creation, responding, and connecting.
Physical Education
45-90 minutes weekly
Students will explore and build foundational skills in spatial awareness, fundamental movement patterns, manipulative skills, fitness levels, effects and characteristics of fitness, goal setting, independence, and teamwork.
At-home resources
Literacy
Math
4th Grade
At a glance
Foundational Literacy
25-30 MINUTES DAILY
Students will apply phonics & word recognition skills as they read fluently and gather meaning from grade-level books.
Integrated Literacy
95-105 MINUTES DAILY
Students will experience science and social science by doing activities, performing experiments, making observations, reading informational texts, and asking questions. Students will demonstrate their understanding by using information from their observations, readings, and listening in their writing, speaking, and collaborate on group projects.
Mathematics
60-80 MINUTES DAILY
Students will use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve word problems, including problems involving remainders; build their understanding of fractions —create equal fractions, compare the size of fractions, add and subtract fractions with like denominators, and multiply fractions by whole numbers; start to understand the relationship between fractions and decimals (ex 0.45 = 45/100); and understand that geometric figures can be analyzed and classified based on their properties, such as having parallel sides, perpendicular sides, particular angle measures, and symmetry.
Units of Study Writing
25-55 MINUTES DAILY
Students will begin to share their stories, opinions, and demonstrate knowledge through daily writing that aligns to standards (narrative, opinion, and informative).
Art
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in the elements and principles of art such as line, shape, color, space, value, form, texture, pattern, balance, contrast, movement, emphasis, rhythm, and unity. Students will engage in the elements of art through the artistic processes of creating, presenting, responding and connecting.
Music
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in musical elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, tempo, timbre, and form. Students will engage in the musical elements through the artistic processes of performance, creation, responding, and connecting.
Physical Education
45-90 minutes weekly
Students will explore and build foundational skills in spatial awareness, fundamental movement patterns, manipulative skills, fitness levels, effects and characteristics of fitness, goal setting, independence, and teamwork.
At-home resources
Literacy
Math
5th Grade
At a glance
Foundational Literacy
25-30 MINUTES DAILY
Students will apply phonics & word recognition skills as they read fluently and gather meaning from grade-level books.
Integrated Literacy
95-105 MINUTES DAILY
Students will experience science and social science by doing activities, performing experiments, making observations, reading informational texts, and asking questions. Students will demonstrate their understanding by using information from their observations, readings, and listening in their writing, speaking, and collaborate on group projects.
Mathematics
60-80 MINUTES DAILY
Students will build their understanding of the place value system by calculating with decimals up to the hundredths place; add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions, including fractions with unlike denominators; expand their geometry and measurement skills, and learn the concept of volume and measuring volume of a solid figure.
Units of Study Writing
25-55 MINUTES DAILY
Students will begin to share their stories, opinions, and demonstrate knowledge through daily writing that aligns to standards (narrative, opinion, and informative).
Art
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in the elements and principles of art such as line, shape, color, space, value, form, texture, pattern, balance, contrast, movement, emphasis, rhythm, and unity. Students will engage in the elements of art through the artistic processes of creating, presenting, responding and connecting.
Music
45-90 MINUTES WEEKLY
Students will explore and build foundational skills in musical elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, tempo, timbre, and form. Students will engage in the musical elements through the artistic processes of performance, creation, responding, and connecting.
Physical Education
45-90 minutes weekly
Students will explore and build foundational skills in spatial awareness, fundamental movement patterns, manipulative skills, fitness levels, effects and characteristics of fitness, goal setting, independence, and teamwork.
At-home resources
Literacy
Math
Report Cards
Our elementary schools use standards-based grading to report student progress three times per year. This means identifying specific learning standards in each grade, and then using a score of 1 to 4 to indicate how well a student is meeting the expectation for that standard at a given point in the school year. For example, a score of 3 is always defined as a student meeting the end-of-year grade level expectation for that standard, without support.
Learn more about the elementary report card:
Sample report cards by grade level:
Contact Us
Kim Jensen
Curriculum Dean of Physical Education, Health and World Languages