Academic Classes for Children: Curriculum Info

Information about Your Children's Curriculum

English

English classes primarily have to do with children's writing skills. In these classes, young students are often introduced to various styles of writing, such as expository, narrative and opinion pieces. The basics of grammar are also taught in English classes. Students begin learning about word parts, like prefixes and suffixes, and learn how to use the affixes to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Spelling is also a part of the English curriculum and goes along with their understanding of breaking words apart. In addition, standard lessons on punctuation, sentence structure, figurative language and proper capitalization are foundational components of English class curriculum.

Reading

Reading classes generally focus on students' ability to read effectively by decoding words properly, but they also go beyond that. Students are required to show comprehension of the materials they are assigned to read. They will also be introduced to different types of texts, including fiction and nonfiction materials. Fictional texts may include plays, short stories, novels and poetry, while the nonfictional texts will likely be articles, biographies, and autobiographies. In addition, students will be taught critical thinking skills, such as drawing conclusions, comparing and contrasting, making predictions and drawing inferences. Furthermore, students in reading classes will be required to identify theme and author's purpose and formulate their own opinions about the texts they read.

Math

Math for younger children is all about establishing the foundational skills they will need for the advanced math problems and concepts they will encounter as they get older. Students will work on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They will also be introduced to fractions and measurement problems. Furthermore, children will begin working with simple shapes in geometry and learning about counting principles, like counting by fives and tens.