SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Learning for growth and excellence
Literacy
Using balanced literacy and the reading and writing workshop model, students have many "real" age-appropriate literacy experiences - listening to stories, reading good books, and making early attempts to use writing to convey meaning and become life long learners. The teachers provide academic intervention in the early grades to solidify the concepts of written words and a broader knowledge of spoken language (phonemic awareness) to help them become fluent readers and writers while monitoring their comprehension skills.
Math
The children at MTW are involved in their own learning through the use of child-friendly manipulative materials as utilized in the Investigations math curriculum. The handling of age-appropriate manipulatives as applied to every-day problem solving exercises helps cement the basis for developing conceptual understanding of mathematics.
Social Studies
Social Studies is an interdisciplinary study of the human world, past and present. Through social studies teachers and students have the opportunity to:
When teaching social studies as core, teachers can accommodate students' learning styles, teach content through singing, dancing, acting, writing, drawing or debating, foster multicultural and global thinking and promote a flow in the classroom because the day's activities are a cohesive and productive whole. Students are viewed as unique human beings whose individuality is respected and nurtured. Students' needs and interests are observed and become the basis of their classroom experience. Teaching and learning methods emphasize experiential and interactive approaches in which the children derive their own meaning from the world around them through active engagement with materials and field experiences. Students are guided to be independent thinkers, problem solvers and cooperative learners.
Teaching Practices in Social Studies
In each grade, teachers share some common teaching practices that support students' development of skills, strategies and dispositions which develop their understanding of social studies. Class meetings, which occur from three to five times a week, provide students with opportunities for engaging in regular conversations about the topics being studied. Field trips are an important way in which students learn to access information from primary experiences and resources and to develop the ability to ask pertinent questions and record important data. Multiple data sources are used to enable students to become effective researchers. Video, online and text resources, drawings and photographs enable students to gather, organize and share information. Using a variety of maps (e.g., political, geographic and historic), globes, and atlases students locate places in their community and in the world. They also learn to represent places through drawings, maps and recreations. Students read and write in authentic ways that support their work. Group projects are an essential part of each study. Students learn strategies for group planning and how to display what they have learned.
Using balanced literacy and the reading and writing workshop model, students have many "real" age-appropriate literacy experiences - listening to stories, reading good books, and making early attempts to use writing to convey meaning and become life long learners. The teachers provide academic intervention in the early grades to solidify the concepts of written words and a broader knowledge of spoken language (phonemic awareness) to help them become fluent readers and writers while monitoring their comprehension skills.
Math
The children at MTW are involved in their own learning through the use of child-friendly manipulative materials as utilized in the Investigations math curriculum. The handling of age-appropriate manipulatives as applied to every-day problem solving exercises helps cement the basis for developing conceptual understanding of mathematics.
Social Studies
Social Studies is an interdisciplinary study of the human world, past and present. Through social studies teachers and students have the opportunity to:
- Examine how people shape and are shaped by their environment;
- Study technologies that serve basic human needs and inspire their dreams;
- Explore social systems (family, communities-local and global) that influence people's ways of life;
- Investigate cultures to gain an understanding of how different people make sense of the world; and
- Recognize the ever-changing world and everyone's special place in it.
When teaching social studies as core, teachers can accommodate students' learning styles, teach content through singing, dancing, acting, writing, drawing or debating, foster multicultural and global thinking and promote a flow in the classroom because the day's activities are a cohesive and productive whole. Students are viewed as unique human beings whose individuality is respected and nurtured. Students' needs and interests are observed and become the basis of their classroom experience. Teaching and learning methods emphasize experiential and interactive approaches in which the children derive their own meaning from the world around them through active engagement with materials and field experiences. Students are guided to be independent thinkers, problem solvers and cooperative learners.
Teaching Practices in Social Studies
In each grade, teachers share some common teaching practices that support students' development of skills, strategies and dispositions which develop their understanding of social studies. Class meetings, which occur from three to five times a week, provide students with opportunities for engaging in regular conversations about the topics being studied. Field trips are an important way in which students learn to access information from primary experiences and resources and to develop the ability to ask pertinent questions and record important data. Multiple data sources are used to enable students to become effective researchers. Video, online and text resources, drawings and photographs enable students to gather, organize and share information. Using a variety of maps (e.g., political, geographic and historic), globes, and atlases students locate places in their community and in the world. They also learn to represent places through drawings, maps and recreations. Students read and write in authentic ways that support their work. Group projects are an essential part of each study. Students learn strategies for group planning and how to display what they have learned.
Enrichment programs
Music
Music and the Brain provides K/1/2 students small group instruction on the keyboard which facilitates spacial reasoning, math and fine motor skills to aid in learning to read.
The Orff program incorporates singing, movement, instrumental ensembles, and improvisational techniques based on the pedagogy of music educator and composer Carl Orff.
MTW has a K/1 lower grade chorus, a 2/3 middle grade chorus and a 4/5 upper grade which perform in concerts throughout the year.
Movement/Physical Education
All classes participate in a Movement/Physical Education class which focuses on physical fitness, building strength, endurance, coordination and self-esteem. Movement classes are designed to facilitate self-expression, explore moving to rhythms, develop teamwork and build specific skills.
Art
The Art program is designed to develop students' creativity and artistic skills: awareness of line, color, texture, form and composition. Children draw, paint, make prints, and construct objects. Students are encouraged to be original and to use their imaginations. The art curriculum is aligned with our Social Studies core.
Library/Media
Library/Media class allows students to develop/expand their love for reading and technology. Students develop age-appropriate research and technology skills necessary to select, utilize and evaluate both digital and print media.
Science
Kindergarten, First and Second grade teachers incorporate Science into the Social Studies core within their classrooms.
Third, Fourth & Fifth Grade students attend out of classroom Science laboratories taught by an experienced Science instructor.
Our Science curriculum is aligned with NYS and NYC learning standards.