This program activates and develops learning of Jewish concepts and values. The curriculum offers a variety of stories, Jewish sources, prayers and blessings, as well as age-appropriate songs, recitations and plays which aim to develop the child and his/her Jewish identity. Torah – Bereishit (Lech Lecha, Vayera, Chayei Sarah) This unit develops reading and comprehension skills in Chumash, introducing Torah commentary. Students are exposed to Biblical Hebrew, giving them a foundation to understand and develop their Biblical text skills. Assessment is done using the Standards and Benchmarks program, allowing for greater diversity. Parashat Hashavua This unit presents the weekly Torah Portion according to the Jewish calendar. FOURTH GRADE OVERVIEW The major goal of Fourth Grade is to foster a sense of independence and prepare students for their years in middle school and beyond. This is done through cross-curricular integration with all subject areas, but particularly in the humanities. In Fourth Grade, the students begin to lay a foundation for response to feedback, self-evaluation, accountability, peer collaboration, and more. Emphasis is placed on students becoming independent learners and acquiring necessary skills, such as: • Developing study skills to prepare for examinations • Acquiring organizational and time management skills with target dates • Using a variety of note taking strategies • Implementing reading strategies and writing skills • Thoughtfully showing all work and providing detailed explanations behind the steps LANGUAGE ARTS/READING In Reading and Language Arts, we are reinforcing the comprehension reading strategies taught in lower grades and introducing additional strategies to enable children to comprehend higher-level material. By utilizing newspaper articles, novels, short stories, and other instructions materials we are building on previously obtained skills. In lieu of a traditional spelling program, fourth grade utilizes a word study program. Each week the students work with and manipulate words that follow a specific rule. They complete in class categorizations and sorts to apply their thinking. All language arts work is completed using a modified version of the Daily 5 Café. Fourth graders are assigned tasks at the beginning of the week and are given an opportunity to choose want activities and assignments they want to work on each day. This model provides time for students to work one-on-one or in small groups with the teacher for guided reading. The students also utilize the writer’s workshop model developed by The Teacher’s College at Columbia University. The workshop model provides time for a mini-lesson, guided practice, independent active engagement, and collaboration/reflection.
11 LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K- 4 | CURRICULUM GUIDE
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