Our approach to literacy is comprehensive, with each grade level giving time to comprehension, phonics and phonemic awareness, writing, grammar and mechanics, spelling, handwriting, and vocabulary. 

Across all grade levels our focus is on robust vocabulary development, deep thinking and conversation about texts, and a love of literacy.  We create an equal balance between teacher-selected and student-selected texts.  Students are encouraged to read aloud every single day, at every grade level.  We are also intentional about choosing literature that supports our social-emotional pedagogy. Our social studies curricula is inclusive and reflects the identities of our current student body.  

Materials Used

Heggerty Phonemic Awareness in Young Children (Pre-K-1st)

Handwriting Without Tears (Pre-K-5th)

EL Education (K-5th)

Wilson Fundations (Pre-K-3rd)

Spelling Connections by Zaner-Bloser (4th-5th)

Write Source (1st-5th)

Explorations in Nonfiction Writing (K-5th)

Assessments

AIMSWeb Plus(K-5th)

ERB C-TAP (3rd-5th)

Teacher Created Reading and Writing Rubrics

Curricular Assessments (EL Education, Fundations, etc.)

Across grade levels, we strive to cover mathematical content with depth as opposed to breadth.  We focus on fewer concepts more deeply.  While basic facts and computational skills are important to our curriculum, we put emphasis on developing strong number sense and conceptual understanding.  Problem solving and math discussions are also a focus of the curriculum.  

Materials

Dimensions Math (Pre-K-5th)

Everyday Counts (Pre-K-5th)

Math in Contexts (Pre-K-5th)

Bridges Intervention (K-5th)

Assessments

Teacher Created and Curriculum Based Unit Tests

AIMSWeb Plus

ERB C-TAP (3rd-5th)

At CPS, our science curriculum focuses on student inquiry.  While we have specific content covered at each grade level, the final outcome expected for students is a sense of wonder, understanding of the scientific method, ability to ask questions, develop an investigation, and draw conclusions based on observations.  The goal of our curriculum is that children leave CPS with a love of scientific inquiry and an understanding of careers that use science.  We also see science as a wonderful opportunity to instill the growth mindset in our students, a focus of our social-emotional curriculum.  We help our students learn that scientists have many trials and failures before they find success. We have a dedicated science teacher who meets with each grade level in our science lab. The science teacher also facilitates our annual Science Fair in which all children grades Pre-K-5th participate.

Materials

Full Option Science System (FOSS) Kits

Delta Science Modules

LEGO Education

AIM Education

LHS GEMS Science and Math

Social Studies at CPS is centered on our core values: curiosity, courage, and compassion.  We also integrate our social-emotional curriculum into our lessons.  We begin in Pre-K and Kindergarten focused on “myself and others”.  In first grade we focus on families, school, and our neighborhood.  In second grade, the focus expands to our city, Philadelphia.  In third grade, students study the state of Pennsylvania including the colonial period in our state and geography.  Fourth and fifth grade transition to an integrated study of US History.  

Each year as a school, we choose a different continent to study with the idea that when students leave CPS, all seven continents will have been explored.  This is a student driven learning project culminating in a school wide fair showcasing the chosen continent.  Each classroom chooses a country of focus. However throughout the school year, aspects of the continent studied will be highlighted through field trips, musical guests, and presentations.