Curriculum Corner
FUESD Instructional Program Updates for Parents & Community
Welcome to A New School Year!
Mathematics
What is the teaching and learning focus in mathematics for each grade level?
- K-2: Addition and subtraction - concepts, skills, and problem solving, place value
- 3-5: Multiplication and division of whole numbers and fractions - concepts, skills, and problem solving
- 6: Ratios and proportional relationships; early expressions and equations
- 7: Ratios and proportional relationships; arithmetic of rational numbers
- 8: Linear algebra and linear functions
This year the FUESD Mathematics Curriculum Adoption Committee will pilot new instructional materials in Grades K-8. Two programs have been selected at both the elementary and middle school levels. Approximately 30 FUESD teachers will participate in the pilot. The committee will likely recommend the adoption of new mathematics curricula to the Governing Board in the Spring, 2015 for purchase, funding permitting.
For a look at what our TK and Grade 1 students are doing with MathRacks, click on the videos below!
English Language Arts/Literacy
Shift 1: Focus on reading and writing to inform, persuade, and convey experiences
Classroom application: Your student will experience an increase in informational text to improve their content knowledge.
Shift 2: Focus on text complexity
Classroom application: Students will develop increased capacity to understand more complex text over time
Shift 3: Focus on speaking and listening
Classroom application: Speaking and listening are closely related to a student's progress in reading and writing. ELA units integrate more speaking and listening opportunities into daily lessons
Shift 4: Focus on text-based evidence for argumentation
Classroom application: In Grades K-5, students will learn opinion through persuasive writing and speech
In Grades 6-12 students will work with opinion through argumentation and rhetorical writing
Shift 5: Focus on academic vocabulary and language
Classroom application: Students will learn vocabulary and language throughout the day, not through isolated wordlists, but for conceptual understanding
The reading of literature still has a strong and important place in the ELA standards. For example, in Grade 4 the distribution of Literary and Informational Passages is 50% for each text type.