Curriculum Guide - 2012/2013 ELEMENTARY School - ECE TO Grade 3 LAKESIDE Campus
MISSION Engage. Enlighten. Empower. VISION The Canadian International School in Singapore is a dynamic, caring and safe learning environment. Our school community celebrates its internationalism. With our challenging, well-rounded curriculum and our dedicated teachers and staff, we strive to develop the whole child. Students enjoy learning by making meaningful connections between the classroom and the world at large. CIS prepares students to be successful, well-balanced and responsible global citizens.
CORE VALUES Respect: We respect ourselves and respect others for their special talents, skills and contributions. Commitment: We keep our promises and will fulfil all our commitments. Integrity: We believe that integrity is the heart of all lasting relationships and endeavours, and will work with each other in good faith. Collaboration: We will cooperate with each other, learn and have fun together to achieve things which are of significance. Responsibility: We take pride in all that we do and are accountable for our actions.
Canadian International School Pte. Ltd. CPE UEN: 199002243H Period of Registration: 8 June 2011 to 7 June 2015 Printed: August 2011 All information is correct at the time of printing but is subject to change.
THE EXPLORATORY YEARS ECE TO SK THE INDEPENDENCE AND CHALLENGE YEARS GRADES 1 TO 3 We see a child who is driven by the enormous energy potential of a hundred billion neurons, by the strength of wanting to grow and taking the job of growing seriously, by the incredible curiosity that makes children search for the reasons for everything. A child who knows how to wait and who has high expectations. A child who wants to show that he or she knows things and knows how to do things, and who has all the strength and potential that comes from children’s ability to wonder and to be amazed. A child who is powerful from the moment of birth because he is open to the world and capable of constructing his own knowledge. A child who is seen in his wholeness, who possesses his own directions and the desire for knowledge and for life. A competent child! (Rinaldi, 2006)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome 3 The CIS Husky Paw 4 Touchstones for Learning 6 International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) 9 PYP: The IB Learner Profile 11 PYP: Language A - English 13 PYP: Mathematics 24 PYP: Language B - French and Mandarin 34 PYP: Social Studies and Science 35 POI: Unit of Inquiry 36 PYP: Physical Education 38 PYP: The Arts - Art, Drama and Music 39 Homework Policy ECE to Grade 3 42 Assessment Policy ECE to Grade 3 42 The Library 42 The Open Minds Programme 43 Information Technology 44 Academic Resource 44 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) 44 Community Outreach Programme 44 References 48
WELCOME TO CIS
WELCOME TO CIS! I believe that there is no possibility of existing without relationship. Relationship is a necessity of life. (Malaguzzi, cited by Edwards et al, 1998) One morning as she stepped from the bus, a grade three student smiled and sighed, “School is my second home!” and then skipped past me. It was the first morning after a holiday and we all felt as if we had not seen each other for a long time. In her greeting I recognised the intangible that makes CIS distinctive. We enjoy learning together and there is warmth and care in the atmosphere we create. That school could be a “second home” is important to us. Our grade three child was saying that she felt safe and welcomed. We believe that this is the kind of supportive environment and quality of relationship that children need for learning. It is not surprising that recent research on young children’s development shows that children grow and learn best in the context of relationships with the people and places that reflect their families, cultures, and communities. Research on brain development and emotional intelligence also suggests that children must feel comfortable and secure for healthy development and learning. (Curtis and Carter, 2003) We cultivate strong relationships with our children and their families and we celebrate the different cultures of their fifty home countries. With this diversity, our school is in a sense, a global village. As such, CIS is uniquely positioned to help students become tomorrow’s global citizens. We know that you will feel the warmth of our welcome and the synergy of our children’s learning when you step onto our campus. “You always look so happy!” a diligent grandfather observed as he dropped off his grandchild. That’s right! We believe in what we do and we take up this work wholeheartedly. We are happy that you are joining us this year. Welcome to CIS!
Sharing Cultures at Uniting Nations Week.
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THE CIS HUSKY PAW A footprint that will make an impression and leave a mark!
ensure that our programs reflect the changing needs and capabilities of children as they grow, we have organized our curricula and physical environments for learning around these milestone stages of development.
THE EXPLORATORY YEARS - EARLY CHILDHOOD AND KINDERGARTEN Young children are powerful learners who bring their own ideas and interpretations of their experiences to their learning. With their natural curiosity and developing communication skills, they are eager to inquire about the world around them. At CIS children join a community of learners in which each will have a place to belong and a way to contribute in his or her own individual way. Each child has a unique pattern of growth and development. Our teachers are responsive to individual differences in ability and interest. A range of levels of development and learning styles among children are expected and accepted, and are used to design experiences for learning.
The Husky, renowned for its strength and intelligence in Canada’s Arctic, is the official mascot of the Canadian International School. As our logo, the Husky’s paw print represents four stages of significant growth in our students’ learning. 1. The Exploratory Years - Children in Early Childhood and Kindergarten (ages 3 - 5) are located at our Toh Tuck and Tanjong Katong Campuses. 2. The Independence and Challenge Years - Children in Grades one to three (ages 6 - 8) comprise our Elementary School and are also located at Toh Tuck and Tanjong Katong Campuses. 3. The Expanding Horizons Years - Children in Grades four to eight (ages 9 - 12) make up our Middle School and are located at the Jurong East and Tanjong Katong Campuses. 4. The Defining Years - Students in Grades nine to twelve (ages 13 - 17) form our High School at our Jurong East Campus. Together, the four pads complete a footprint to follow from Early Childhood to High School graduation. To
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Exploring techniques for painting in ECE.
THE INDEPENDENCE AND CHALLENGE YEARS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - GRADES 1 - 3 The classroom of the “Independence and Challenge Years’” is a lively place characterized by collaborative and purposeful activity. Seeking answers to questions, planning investigations, using equipment and resources
THE CIS HUSKY PAW to explore ideas, and working with others are readily identifiable features. There are increasing opportunities for students to successfully complete tasks independently and to become more actively involved and engaged in planning and assessing their own learning. Independence and challenge are fostered through a caring and supportive environment that will extend students’ opportunities for learning, and enhance their skills and understanding. The love and thrill of learning are nurtured.
Focusing on a Science experiment in Grade 2.
areas for growth, and on building confidence and skills for leadership. Our holistic approach to education enables students to explore many possible paths to success. This is a time of self-exploration, self-discovery, and a growing understanding of, “Who I am and who I can be.”
THE DEFINING YEARS - HIGH SCHOOL - GRADES 9 - 12 This final stage in our programme prepares our students for success in post secondary education and life as adults. The focus in learning is on self-exploration and personal responsibility, organisation, and time management. These students are the leaders and role models within our school’s student body. With teacher support, they organize large scale events for other students and the wider community. Our programme aims at developing healthy, well-balanced, and principled young adults. The rigorous curriculum offers opportunities to explore subjects in depth in preparation for success in universities and colleges. A strong emphasis is placed on critical thinking and the development of the ability to appropriately and expertly question established norms and values, while questioning and developing their own perspectives as well. Students are leaders in their own learning; exploring knowledge and reflecting on their context within a specific situation and within the world as a whole. This is a time of independence, leadership and service.
THE EXPANDING HORIZONS YEARS - MIDDLE SCHOOL - GRADES 4 - 8 This transition phase from childhood towards life as a young adult demands a special programme, and our curriculum at this stage addresses students’ varied levels of emotional, physical, and intellectual development. Subjects are integrated to create rich learning experiences which will enable students to make meaningful links among their topics of study in the classroom and in the “real world” beyond the school walls. As students at this stage often become deeply engaged with special interests and pursuits, they have new opportunities to investigate, use and share their growing skills and understandings. Students in the “Expanding Horizons Years” are increasingly able to reflect on their capacities as learners. A strong emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of personal strengths and
Investigating further in High School.
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TOUCHSTONES FOR LEARNING Our “Touchstones” are the core beliefs which guide teaching and learning for children at C.I.S. In the traditional sense, a “touchstone” is a benchmark by which you gauge quality. Our “Touchstones for Learning” are the standards we return to when we want to question whether or not a practice fits with what we believe about how children learn. As an IBO World School, we are committed to the inquiry-based model of the Primary Years Programme. The “Touchstones for Learning” are the understandings that we believe are fundamental to genuine inquiry in classrooms.
Children need to feel safe and valued in order to learn. We focus on the quality of our relationships with children and their families. We cultivate a nurturing, supportive environment in which children can be risk-takers in their learning. “Having a go!” is encouraged and mistakes are looked upon as steps to learning.
We hold an image of children as learners who are already competent, creative and full of ideas when they first come to school. We model respect for oneself and others, and help children to see themselves as capable thinkers with emerging theories about the world. We value the different knowledge, experiences and cultures that children bring to school. We listen closely to children in order to help them build on their ideas and to pose questions for inquiry.
Learners construct and co-construct knowledge. We focus on developing learners who construct meanings rather than merely recite them. Teachers create opportunities for children to develop deeper understanding through collaboration, communication and hands-on experiences. We help children to feel confident as knowledge builders who are acquiring lifelong skills for learning.
Dialogue is a primary process through which we construct knowledge. We help children to expand their thinking through questioning, debate and shared reasoning. We encourage them to see that responding need not simply mean providing the “right” answer. They use dialogue as a tool for learning - to share ideas, to explain their views, to inquire, to reflect, to compare and to reconcile different perspectives. Thinking together in these ways also enables children to work successfully as members of a team.
Environments must be thoughtfully created to support active learning.
Ready to risk trying something new.
Learning is developmental. While children move through similar stages of intellectual, emotional, social and physical development, they will grow at their own rates and in their own ways. We know our students well and focus on their individual learning styles, strengths and needs. Learning experiences for children reflect their different stages of growth and levels of independence.
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Indoors we create environments for learning which will be artistic, calm and inviting. Classroom furnishings and materials are organized to encourage communication and collaboration, and to spark inquiry. Our Drama, Art and Music rooms provide specialized resources and spaces. Our school library offers book and electronic resources for young readers and researchers. In our PE Programme children enjoy the challenges of gymnastic and movement activities in our Gross Motor Room. We emphasize the importance of natural environments as children explore the outdoors on field trips and in our Enchanted Garden.
TOUCHSTONES FOR LEARNING
ECE - Max makes an “x” to print his name for the first time.
Investigating artifacts together in Grade 1.
Children’s progress can be seen as a continuum. Assessment should map each child’s individual growth and gauge that child’s progress against an expected standard. Both kinds of information are important to capture a full portrait of a child as a learner. We look at children’s learning as a continuum and evaluate growth in Mathematics and in Language A - English according to key developmental stages.
PRECONVENTIONAL AGES 3 - 5
EMERGING AGES 4 - 6
DEVELOPING AGES 5 - 7
Writing on the first day of school.
BEGINNING AGES 6 - 8
EXPANDING AGES 7 - 9
Literacy Continuums Children grow through different stages as readers and writers. 2011/2012 CURRICULUM GUIDE - 7
TOUCHSTONES FOR LEARNING There are multiple forms of representation through which children may develop and express their understanding.
Learners make the best progress toward their academic potential when they are challenged with high standards.
“Forms of representation� are the different systems of symbols which we use to express meaning. Children need to be fluent in the methods, vocabulary, tables, graphs and equations of Mathematics and Science, for example. They also need opportunity to express themselves through the drawing, painting, and sculpting of the Visual Arts, and through Music, storytelling, Drama and movement. CIS offers unique programmes in Drama and Art for young children. Our specialists work alongside classroom teachers and their students to help them use Drama and Art as tools for inquiry in their learning.
We hold high standards for our students. By expecting the best of our students, and holding them accountable to rigorous standards of performance, they will know what excellence looks like, and what it takes to achieve it.
Representing what we know through Art in Grade 2.
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THE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME THE EXPLORATORY YEARS THE INDEPENDENCE AND CHALLENGE YEARS ECE TO GRADE 3
THE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP) As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, CIS is proud to be authorized to offer the IB Primary Years Programme, (PYP), from ECE to Grade 6. The Primary Years Programme guides our work “with a philosophical perspective on international education”, and “a curriculum framework of essential elements knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes, and action” (IBO, 2007). Inquiry is a perspective on life, a way of living and being in the world. It is the act of going beyond and so lies at the boundary between knowing and not knowing. At the heart of inquiry is the belief that learners are problem-posers and problem-solvers who search out questions and question answers, not merely answer questions.
(Short et al, 2006)
Together, our teachers and students generate ideas to guide their inquiries into a variety of significant units of study. As they develop their abilities as inquirers, students gain essential knowledge and skills and are encouraged to engage in responsible action. Their work is supported by a school climate that fosters positive attitudes and develops a concept of internationalism. Through their work in the PYP children: • • • • •
Develop an understanding of important concepts. Conduct research that has local and global significance. Acquire a range of essential skills. Develop positive attitudes towards learning, the environment and other people. Have the opportunity for involvement in responsible action.
UNITS OF INQUIRY In the Primary Years Programme students engage in large, transdisciplinary themes organized as Units of Inquiry (UOI). With each UOI, the classroom becomes a centre of structured inquiry through which students acquire skills and build new knowledge. These units are outlined in our school-wide Programme of Inquiry (POI) and are carefully designed to build from one year to the next as students progress through the school.
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Each Unit of Inquiry: • • • •
Is a significant, relevant and challenging learning experience. Involves students in a range of learning activities. Requires students to engage in positive action. Integrates diverse subject areas whenever meaningful and appropriate.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS The PYP framework incorporates five essential elements: Concepts, Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes and Action. Concepts: “What do we want students to understand?” Eight broad concepts act as the powerful ideas to drive the Units of Inquiry. Form: Function: Connection: Change: Perspective: Responsibility: Reflection: Causation:
What is it like? How does it work? How is it connected to other things? How is it changing? What are the points of view? What are our responsibilities? How do we know? Why is it like It is?
Knowledge: “What do we want the students to know about?” At each grade level, students explore knowledge, which is of genuine importance in understanding the human condition and has significance for all students of all cultures. The units studied draw content from within the Science, Mathematics, Languages, History, Geography and The Arts. Units are planned to be engaging and challenging, and have the potential to actively involve students in their own learning. Skills: “What do we want students to be able to do?” There are five sets of skills which are the focus across the disciplines in the PYP: • • • • •
Thinking Skills Communication Skills Social Skills Research Skills Self-Management Skills
PYP: IB LEARNER PROFILE Attitudes: “What do we want students to value?”
Our students are:
The Primary Years Programme encourages a set of attitudes in students including:
Inquirers - CIS students are curious about the world. They can conduct research independently. They love learning and discovering new things and will carry this love of learning with them throughout life.
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Curiosity Creativity Co-operation Confidence Commitment Appreciation
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Tolerance Respect Integrity Independence Enthusiasm Empathy
Thinkers - CIS students can solve problems and make good decisions. They think creatively and critically. Communicators - CIS students are able to think and communicate in more than one language. They can also communicate using the languages and symbols of other disciplines such as Science and Mathematics. Risk-takers - CIS students have the daring to try new things. They try to solve problems in a lot of ways. They are brave and tell people what they think is right. Knowledgeable - CIS students have explored relevant and significant concepts at school and can remember what they have learned. They can draw on this knowledge and apply it to new situations. Principled - CIS students have ethical principles. They have a sense of fairness and are honest with themselves and with others. They have an understanding of moral reasoning.
Practicing respect and care for the natural environment. Action: “How do we want students to act?” Enabling students to take action is an important aspect of the PYP. Our students are taught to reflect, choose and act responsibly at CIS, with their friends and in the community.
IB LEARNER PROFILE At CIS we utilize the diversity in our student body to enhance the learning of the entire school, and we recognise and celebrate many different cultures. In doing so, we strive to develop students who are internationally-minded citizens with an understanding of their responsibility to the world.
Caring - CIS students are caring people. They want people around them to be happy and are sensitive to their needs. Open-Minded - CIS students know that people are different and may do different things. They listen to other points of view and consider many possibilities before making a decision. They celebrate the differences in the world. Balanced - CIS students are healthy and are aware that eating properly and exercising is important in their lives. They understand that it is important to have a balance between physical and mental aspects of their bodies. Reflective - CIS students know their strengths and know where they can improve. They try to think about these things and make changes where they can.
An internationally-minded student demonstrates the attributes of the PYP Learner Profile. Our goal is to develop the kind of person we are proud to send out into the world - one who will help to create a more just, peaceful and ecologically sustainable future.
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THE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP) BENEFITS OF THE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME AT CIS •
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CIS students are given ownership of the learning process and are encouraged to actively participate in their own education by setting personal goals and practicing on-going self-evaluation. CIS students are nurtured to create well-rounded, individuals with an international outlook. CIS students are consistently encouraged to take constructive actions in their community. CIS students respond to the high standards and expectations of the PYP. The PYP provides opportunities to include parents and other members of the community in the learning process. The PYP creates a common framework for schools and students around the world. As a result, families can move easily from CIS to a PYP school anywhere in the world and know that the learning philosophies and values will remain consistent. The PYP is part of a continuum of international education offered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation. The approach to teaching and learning in the PYP is ideal preparation for the IBO’s Middle Years Programme and the IBO’s Diploma Programme. The International Baccalaureate Organisation is dedicated to training and supporting international teachers, which means that students receive high quality instruction from well-prepared teaching professionals.
“Young children work hard at play,” state Miller and Almon in their 2009 study. “They invent scenes and stories, solve problems, and negotiate their way through social roadblocks.” Play is “the engine of learning in early childhood” and “a vital force for young children’s physical, social, and emotional development.” Current research shows that play stimulates brain development, physical and mental health, cognitive and social development and language. Children in the Exploratory Years have daily opportunities to build knowledge and skills through play as they practice collaborating with their classmates. Play is the vehicle through which they will take their first steps in writing, reading, number, problem solving and creative thinking, and in developing fine and gross motor movement. Observing play gives teachers insights into children’s thinking. Teachers keep anecdotal records of these observations and guide children’s play to extend their learning. The environment in Exploratory Years classrooms is carefully orchestrated to create opportunities for exploratory, constructive and dramatic play with hands-on materials. You will see children engaged in investigations of Mathematics, Literacy, Science and social skills as they work with different materials. Some of these opportunities to learn through play will involve: •
Art materials which provide an opportunity to work out ideas and express their thinking with different tools and media.
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Construction materials which encourage children to create structures in a variety of shapes and sizes for different purposes. Wooden blocks may be castles one day and a city the next. Cardboard rolls, boxes and recycled items can be exciting materials for building too.
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Materials for dramatic play, such as props and costumes, which give children opportunities to participate in role play and to use their oral language to communicate, to listen to others, and to develop imagination.
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Sand, water and light tables which provide hands-on exploration, sensory stimulation, and practice in the negotiation skills necessary to share materials and to test ideas collaboratively.
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Displays of artifacts and materials related to topics of study which offer children an experience to probe
THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY – THE EXPLORATORY YEARS Young children learn the most important things not by being told but by constructing knowledge for themselves in interaction with the physical world and with other children – and the way they do this is by playing.
(Jones & Reynolds, 1992)
Children learn best by doing. They need hands-on, sensory experiences and opportunities to learn by exploring, manipulating, moving and talking. Purposeful play offers children these modes for learning as they strive to make sense of the world around them. Through play they are able to reflect on their experiences, to express their ideas and to ask and answer questions of importance to them.
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PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH further in a Unit of Inquiry. Leaves and twigs may be included as natural materials for investigation under the microscope, for example. Old-fashioned tools and toys may be part of a study of life in times past. •
Classroom bookshelves with a variety of books which invite children to retell predictable texts, and develop their awareness of symbols, numbers and letters. “Playing at reading” or pretending to read a familiar text is an important step for children who are in the first Preconventional stage of reading.
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Writing materials such as attractive papers, envelopes, journals and tools for writing which are available in different areas of the classroom. They are kept handy to invite children to experiment with writing as a part of the inquiries they are pursuing in their play. They may need to create a menu for the “restaurant” just opened in the Dramatic Play corner, or to draft a price list for the new homes constructed with the big blocks, for example.
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Mathematics “manipulatives” which are used in handson investigations of concepts such as pattern and number. They often include plastic shapes or coloured counters but they might also be shells, stones, or other natural or found materials.
Outdoors there are more opportunities for play. Outside play exposes children to different activities to develop their gross motor skills and eye-hand coordination, to learn to take turns, to share materials and to play by the rules. Children use our field, sandbox and canopy areas at recess times. Children may be observing the movements of ants today or damming up the waterway, sharing a discussion in the Gazebo, riding bikes around the track, building in the sandbox, or painting on the Perspex fences. As adults, we have created an artificial separation between play and work. We have forgotten how natural play was for us when we were young. Play is children’s real work. It is their innate medium for learning about their world. In the findings of their 2009 study Miller and Almon note that, “Children in play-based kindergartens have a double advantage over those who are denied play: they end up equally good or better at reading and other intellectual skills, and they are more likely to become well-adjusted healthy people.” Throughout our lives we all need to be learners who can be playful with ideas. Children who use play as a tool for learning when they are young will continue to grow as
thinking persons who play with possibilities in the future.
LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH Language is central to a child’s development. It is “fundamental to learning, thinking and communicating, and permeates the whole curriculum,” (IBO 2007). Our programme focuses on developing children’s depth of understanding, fluency in communication and mastery of skills. Throughout the day and in all subject areas, language literacy skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, representing and viewing are incorporated as crucial tools for learning. Children learn to express their ideas, feelings and opinions, to support their thinking with sound arguments and research, and to use the language appropriate for formal and informal situations. If we learn to love words - the sound of them, the feel of them in our mouths, the many meanings and mysteries they hold, the way they can make metaphors, weave tales, tell secrets, we use them to make connections with the world and with each other, to make a context for ourselves.
(Caldwell, 1997)
BEST PRACTICES FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING A supportive environment for language learners offers rich opportunities to experience language in different ways and for different purposes. We provide opportunities for children to learn language as they listen to and use language with others in their everyday lives, to learn about language, as they try to understand how language works, and to learn through language, as they use language as a tool to think about, or reflect on a theme, concept or issue. What are the practices which would create this environment for language learners in classrooms? We strive to provide classrooms with: • • • • • • •
An emphasis on language as a transdisciplinary element throughout the curriculum. Additional-language teachers who are viewed (and viewing themselves) as PYP teachers. A literature-based approach to learning language. A teaching approach that sees making mistakes in language as inevitable and necessary for learning. Reading selected according to interest level. Student-selected reading materials. World classics available for reading.
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PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH • • • • • • • • • • • •
Culturally diverse reading material available. Teachers and children focusing on meaning when reading and writing. Encouragement of appropriate cooperative discussion in the classroom. Students engaged in spontaneous writing. A variety of learning experiences - with the teacher providing strategies for the student to build on his or her own learning. Writing as a process. Children developing a range of independent spelling strategies . A focus on nurturing appreciation of the richness of language. Literature as a means of understanding and exploring Teachers helping students to read and research using multimedia resources. Opportunities for children to use language for creative problem solving and information processing. A range of assessment methods such as portfolios, conferencing, miscue analysis, writing sample analysis, response journals.
(IBO, 2007)
LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH OVERVIEW Our CIS Language A - English Curriculum focuses on children’s development of Oral, Written and Visual forms of communication. The curriculum is organized around six key strands. Oral Communication - Listening and Speaking Written Communication - Reading and Writing Visual Communication - Viewing and Representing The following Overview pages capture our goals for Language Learning.
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PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH OVERVIEW - EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TO JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN Oral Communication: Listening and Speaking •
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Children will use oral language for social interaction to obtain knowledge of people, places and things in the environment and in the wider community. They will communicate needs, feelings and ideas in order to respond to a variety of experiences. They will participate appropriately in conversations, stories and events in sequence and will give and follow instructions. In order to learn to communicate effectively, children will be given daily opportunities to listen and speak in authentic contexts, either independently, in small groups or with the whole class.
Written Communication: Reading & Writing • •
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Children will be eager to read. They will enjoy playing and experimenting with reading behaviours as they practice reconstructing text. They will show an interest in books, stories, charts and songs They will “read” simple, familiar text using visual, contextual and memory cues to make sense of print. Children will “read” daily with support and guidance; either independently, in small groups or in whole-class situations. Children will be read to daily and will have opportunities to read with and to one another and to discuss what they have read. Through these experiences, children will gain an understanding of concepts about print. Children will be curious about prints. They will enjoy playing and experimenting with writing by making marks to emulate writing. Drawing, sketching and diagramming will be important parts of early writing development as children imitate, rehearse and think about the process. Children will use representations of their name (and/or those of family members) in a variety of ways. Regardless of their stage of written development, they will assign meaning to messages and will gradually produce recognizable (though not necessarily conventional) spellings of a range of words. Children will be encouraged to write daily with or without support and guidance; either independently, in small groups or with the whole class.
Visual Communication: Viewing and Representing • •
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Children will play, experiment, talk about and relate to a variety of media. They will enjoy using media and other forms of representation such as Drama, movement and Art to make sense of their world and will learn to respond both verbally and non-verbally. They will show a natural curiosity and interest in many forms of familiar visual communication and with guidance and support, will make connections between the real and the imaginary. Children will view and react to media items or factual information in order to understand and describe what they see. Children will use their developing skills in movement and Art as other media through which they extend or share their understanding.
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PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH OVERVIEW - SENIOR KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 1 Oral Communication: Listening and Speaking • •
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Children will use a variety of oral language appropriately and with increasing confidence. They will talk about their own thoughts, feelings and opinions and they will be able to work in groups to discuss their ideas. They will appreciate that listening is important and in small and large group situations, listen with increasing concentration and consideration. They will be able to pick out main events and relevant points and they will increase their ability to anticipate and predict. Children will listen to others carefully and with sensitivity.
Written Communication: Reading & Writing • •
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Children will read for pleasure and information with increasing independence. They will be confident about their own reading and will continue to develop a range of reading strategies to decode and make sense of text. They will discuss stories heard and read, demonstrate an awareness of the role of the characters and plot and will respond to the ideas and feelings expressed. They will begin to use a variety of reference books and dictionaries independently. A balanced learning experience includes opportunities to participate either independently, in small groups or in whole-class situations. Daily independent and instructional reading are essential. Children will write confidently with developing legibility and fluency. They will write for a variety of purposes and will develop an understanding of different story structures. They will begin to plan, edit and review their own writing, showing an increasing ability to spell highfrequency words. They will begin to use spelling patterns and will continue to use their phonetic skills to spell, especially when constructing more complex words. As risk-takers, they will demonstrate confidence in attempting to write unfamiliar words using a variety of strategies. Daily independent and instructional writing are essential.
Visual Communication: Viewing and Representing • •
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Children will understand communication involves visual, verbal and kinaesthetic features. They will understand signs and symbols carry meaning and will begin to read a range of signs widely used in their immediate environment. They will be able to read and use texts with different types of layout and will understand information presented by a range of visual media including television, theatre and computer. Using a range of visual media and technological media, children will search for, record and present information. Children will use their developing skills in Drama, movement and Art as other media through which they may extend and share their understanding. As children continue to develop an understanding of what they view, they will make more informed choices.
PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH OVERVIEW - GRADE 2 TO 3 Oral Communication: Listening and Speaking •
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Children will appreciate the power of oral language and use speech with increasing awareness and responsibility. They will participate appropriately in discussions and will talk about a wide range of topics. They will use increasingly complex language confidently and creatively, with accuracy, detail and range of vocabulary. They will become increasingly aware of the use of oral language to articulate, organize and reflect on learning. They will begin to communicate in more than one language.
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Children will read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books confidently, fluently and independently and they will be able to select books appropriate to their reading level and for a specific purpose. They will be interested in a variety of literature and will begin to show an appreciation of different literacy styles. They will understand and respond to the ideas, feelings and attitudes expressed in various reading materials and will be able to use reference books, dictionaries and information technology independently. They will read daily in class and will regularly read for a sustained period of time both in class and at home. Students will develop fluency in writing and will write independently and with confidence. They will begin to use a wide and vivid vocabulary with supporting details. They will understand different types of writing have different structures. They will write for a range of purposes, both creative and informational and will plan, edit and review their own writing. They will spell most highfrequency words accurately and use a range of strategies to spell words of increasing complexity. They will present their writing appropriately using a consistent, legible style.
Visual Communication: Viewing and Representing • • •
•
•
Children will experience a wide variety of visual media materials. They will respond to viewing experiences orally and in writing. They will interpret visual media and recognise the power of visual media to influence thinking and behaviour and will begin to learn how to make informed choices in their personal viewing experiences. They will use a variety of materials to plan and create projects with different media and will use electronic media to find information. Children will use their developing skills in Drama, movement and Art as other media through which they extend and share their understanding.
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PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH READING AND WRITING CONTINUUMS - PORTRAITS OF READERS AND WRITERS In keeping with our core beliefs (Touchstones) that “Learning is developmental” and that “Children’s learning can be seen as a continuum”, we use Reading and Writing Continuums as one form of assessment to gauge children’s progress. Children develop at different rates and with different strengths. The continuums reflect the skills the child has mastered and his/her stage of growth as a reader and a writer. In a sense, the continuums offer a road map and the indicators provide the signposts along the way. The following “Portraits of Readers” and “Portraits of Writers” are descriptions of the stages of children’s literacy development typical in the Exploratory Years and Independent and Challenge Years.
EMERGING (ages 4-6) At the Emerging stage, children are curious about print and see themselves as potential readers. They may pretend to read familiar poems and books. Children rely on the illustrations to tell a story but are beginning to focus on the print. They participate in readings of familiar books and often begin to memorize favorites, like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Bill Martin, Jr., 1967). Children begin to make connections between books read aloud, and their own lives and experiences. They enjoy rhyming and playing with words. Emerging readers know most letter names and some letter sounds. They recognise some names, signs, and familiar words. These children are often highly motivated to learn to read and may move through this stage quickly.
PORTRAITS OF READERS PRECONVENTIONAL (ages 3-5) Preconventional learners display curiosity about books and reading. They enjoy listening to books and may have favourites. Children focus mostly on illustrations at this stage as they talk about the story. They love songs and books with rhythm, repetition, and rhyme. Students participate in reading by chiming in when adults read aloud, and children at this age often enjoy hearing the same stories read aloud over and over. Preconventional readers are interested in environmental print, such as restaurant and traffic signs, labels, and logos. Children hold books correctly, turning the pages as they look at the illustrations. They know some letter names and can read and write their first names. Indicators of this stage: • • • • • • • • • • •
Begins to choose reading materials (e.g., books, magazines, and charts) and has favourites. Shows interest in reading signs, labels, and logos (environmental print). Recognises own name in print. Holds book and turns pages correctly. Enjoys playing and experimenting with reading behaviours. Shows beginning/end of book or story. Chants and plays with letters of the alphabet. Shows an awareness that letters have names. Listens and responds to literature. Comments on illustrations in books. Participates in group reading (books, rhymes, poems, and songs).
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Learning about books in ECE. Indicators at this stage: • Memorizes pattern books, poems, and familiar books. • Begins to read signs, labels, and logos (environmental print). • Demonstrates eagerness to read. • Pretends to read. • Uses illustrations to tell stories. • Reads top to bottom, left to right, and front to back with guidance. • Knows most letter names and some letter sounds. • Manipulates sounds within words. • Demonstrates an ability to hear words in sentences. • Recognises some names and words in context.
PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH • • • •
Makes meaningful predictions with guidance. Rhymes and plays with words. Participates in reading of familiar books and poems. Connects books read aloud to own experiences with guidance.
DEVELOPING (ages 5-7) These children see themselves as readers. They can read books with simple patterns, like Dear Zoo (Rod Campbell, 1982) or Quick as a Cricket (Audrey Wood, 1990) or simple texts, like Go Dog Go (P. D. Eastman, 1961). Later in this stage, they can read books with patterns that vary more, like Just for You (Mercer Mayer, 1975), or Cookie’s Week (Cindy Ward, 1988). They begin to look at books independently for short periods of time (5-10 minutes) and like to share books with others. Developing readers know most letter sounds and can read simple words (such as “dog” and “me”) and a few sight words (such as “have” and “love”). Recognizing patterns and word families helps readers generalize what they know about one word to similar new words. They use both print and illustrations to make meaning as they read. Children often read aloud word by word, particularly with a new text. They gain fluency with familiar books and repeated readings. These young readers can retell the main idea of a story and participate in whole group discussions of literature. This is another stage that children may pass through quickly. Indicators at this stage: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Reads books with simple patterns. Begins to read own writing. Recognises and talks about basic genres with guidance. Begins to read independently for short periods (510 minutes). Discusses favorite reading material with others. Relies on illustrations and print. Uses finger-print-voice matching. Knows most letter sounds and letter clusters. Recognises simple words. Uses growing awareness of sound segments (e.g., phonemes, syllables, rhymes) to read words. Begins to make meaningful predictions. Identifies titles and authors in literature (text features). Retells main event or idea in literature. Participates in guided literature discussions. Sees self as reader. Explains why literature is liked/disliked during class discussions with guidance.
BEGINNING (ages 6-8) Beginning readers rely more on print than on
illustrations to create meaning. When they read aloud, they understand basic punctuation, such as periods, question marks, and exclamation marks. At first, they read simple early readers, like Sammy the Seal (Syd Hoff, 1959) and picture books with repetition, like The Napping House (Audrey Wood, 1984). Students take a big step forward when they learn to read longer books, like The Cat in the Hat (1957) or Green Eggs and Ham (1960) by Dr. Seuss. Later in this stage, they can read more difficult early readers, such as Frog and Toad Together (Arnold Lobel, 1971) and more challenging picture books, such as A Bargain for Frances (Russell Hoban, 1970). They often enjoy simple series books, such as the Little Bear books by Else Minarik or the humorous Commander Toad series by Jane Yolen. Many of these books are labeled “I Can Read” books on the covers. Beginning readers take a developmental leap as they begin to integrate reading strategies (meaning, sentence structure, and phonics cues). They are able to read silently for 10-15 minutes. These children know many words by sight and occasionally correct themselves when their reading doesn’t make sense. They are able to discuss the characters and events in a story with the teacher’s help. When they read simple nonfiction texts, such as Mighty Spiders (Fay Robinson, 1996) or Dancing with the Manatees (Faith McNulty, 1994), they are able to talk about what they learn. It may take significantly longer for children to move through this stage since there is a wide range of text complexity at this level. Indicators at this stage: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Reads simple early-reader books. Reads harder early-reader books. Reads and follows simple written directions with guidance. Identifies basic genres (e.g., fiction, nonfiction, and poetry). Uses basic punctuation when reading orally. Reads independently (10-15 minutes). Chooses reading materials independently. Learns and shares information from reading. Uses meaning cues (context). Uses sentence cues (grammar). Uses letter/sound cues and patterns (phonics). Recognises word endings, common contractions, and many high frequency words. Begins to self-correct. Retells beginning, middle, and end with guidance. Discusses characters and story events with guidance. Identifies own reading behaviours with guidance. 2011/2012 CURRICULUM GUIDE - 19
PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH • • • • • • • • • Older “Reading Buddies” read to younger children. EXPANDING (ages 7-9) At the Expanding stage, students solidify skills as they read beginning chapter books. Many children read series books and re-read old favorites while stretching into new types of reading. In the early part of this stage, they may read short series books, like Pee Wee Scouts (Judy Denton) or Pinky and Rex (James Howe). As they build fluency, students often devour series books, like Cam Jansen (David Adler), Bailey School Kids (Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones), or Amber Brown (Paula Danziger). They may also read nonfiction texts on a topic, such as Pompeii . . . Buried Alive! (Edith Kunhardt, 1987). Students are learning how to choose books at their reading level and can read silently for 15-30 minutes. They read aloud fluently and begin to self-correct when they make mistakes or their reading doesn’t make sense. They can usually figure out difficult words but are still building their reading vocabulary. At this stage, children use a variety of reading strategies independently. These students make connections between reading and writing and their own experiences. Expanding readers are able to compare characters and events from different stories. They can talk about their own reading strategies and set goals with adult help. Indicators at this stage: • • • •
Reads easy chapter books. Chooses, reads, and finishes a variety of materials at appropriate level with guidance. Begins to read aloud with fluency. Reads silently for increasingly longer periods (1530 minutes).
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• •
Uses reading strategies appropriately, depending on the text and purpose. Uses word structure cues (e.g., root words, prefixes, suffixes, word chunks) when encountering unknown words. Increases vocabulary by using meaning cues (context). Self-corrects for meaning. Follows written directions. Identifies chapter titles and table of contents (text organizers). Summarizes and retells story events in sequential order. Responds to and makes personal connections with facts, characters, and situations in literature. Compares and contrasts characters and story events. “Reads between the lines” with guidance. Identifies own reading strategies and sets goals with guidance.
BRIDGING (ages 8-10) This is a stage of consolidation when students strengthen their skills by reading longer books with more complex plots, characters, and vocabulary. They often choose well known children’s books, such as the Ramona books (Beverly Cleary) or the Encyclopedia Brown series (Donald Sobol). Students also enjoy more recent series, like Goosebumps (R. L. Stine), Animorphs (K. A. Applegate), and the Baby-sitters Club books (Ann Martin). They may broaden their interests by reading a wider variety of materials, such as Storyworks, Contact for Kids, or Sports Illustrated for Kids magazines, or The Magic Schoolbus (Joanna Cole) nonfiction series. They begin to read aloud with expression and often memorize some of the humorous poetry by Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. With adult guidance, Bridging readers can use resources, such as encyclopedias and the Internet, to find information. They can respond to issues and ideas in books, as well as facts and story events. Many students are able to make connections between their reading and other books and authors. Students at this stage begin to support their opinions with reasons and examples during small group literature discussions. Indicators at this stage: • • • •
Reads medium level chapter books. Chooses reading materials at appropriate level. Expands knowledge of different genres (e.g., realistic fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy). Reads aloud with expression.
PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH • • • • • • • • • • •
Uses resources (e.g., encyclopedias, websites, and nonfiction texts) to locate and sort information with guidance. Gathers information by using the table of contents, captions, glossary, and index (text organizers) with guidance. Gathers and uses information from graphs, charts, tables, and maps with guidance. Increases vocabulary by using context cues, other reading strategies, and resources (e.g., dictionary and thesaurus) with guidance. Demonstrates understanding of the difference between fact and opinion. Follows multi-step written directions independently. Discusses setting, plot, characters, and point of view (literary elements) with guidance. Responds to issues and ideas in literature as well as facts or story events. Makes connections to other authors, books, and perspectives. Participates in small group literature discussions with guidance. Uses reasons and examples to support ideas and opinions with guidance.
PORTRAITS OF WRITERS PRECONVENTIONAL (ages 3-5) At the Preconventional stage, children rely on their pictures to show meaning. They often pretend to write by using scribble writing. Children sometimes make random letters and numbers to represent words. Some children add “words” to their pictures to share meaning. They often tell stories about their pictures. Indicators at this stage: • • • • • • • •
Relies primarily on pictures to convey meaning. Begins to label and add “words” to pictures. Writes first name. Demonstrates awareness that print conveys meaning. Shows awareness of environmental and speech sounds (phonological awareness skill). Makes marks other than drawing on paper (scribbles). Writes random recognizable letters to represent words. Tells about own pictures and writing.
Understanding that pictures convey meaning. EMERGING (ages 4-6) These children begin to see themselves as writers. Some students begin to label their pictures with a few letters. They may write their names and some familiar words in a way that others can read. Students may write just the beginning or the beginning and ending sounds they hear. At the Emerging stage, children often write everything in upper case letters. They may pretend to read their own writing, often elaborating to embellish their stories. Indicators at this stage: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Uses pictures and print to convey meaning. Writes words to describe or support pictures. Copies signs, labels, names, and words (environmental print). Demonstrates understanding of letter/sound relationship. Manipulates sounds within words. Demonstrates an ability to hear words in sentences (phonological awareness skill). Prints with upper case letters. Matches letters to sounds. Uses beginning consonants to make words. Uses beginning and ending consonants to make words. Pretends to read own writing. Sees self as writer. Takes risks with writing.
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PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH DEVELOPING (ages 5-7)
•
Students at the Developing stage write names and familiar words. They begin to write one or two short sentences, such as “MI DG PLS” (“My dog plays”). Developing writers use beginning, middle and ending sounds to make words. For example, learn might be written “LRn.” This developmental reliance on the sounds of letters is called “invented spelling,” “phonetic spelling,” or “temporary spelling.” At this stage, students spell some high frequency words correctly. Students often interchange upper and lower case letters and experiment with capital letters and simple punctuation. Their writing goes from left to right and begins to include spacing. Students are able to read their own compositions aloud immediately after writing, but later may not remember what they wrote.
•
Uses beginning, middle, and ending sounds to make words. Begins to read own writing.
BEGINNING (ages 6-8) At the Beginning stage, children write recognizable short sentences with some descriptive words. They can write several sentences about their lives and experiences or simple facts about a topic. Students sometimes use capitals and periods correctly. Many letters are formed legibly and adults can usually read what the child has written. Students spell some words phonetically and others are spelled correctly. They usually spell simple words and some high frequency words correctly as they become more aware of spelling patterns. Beginning writers often start a story with “Once upon a time” and finish with “The End.” Children may revise by adding details with the teacher’s help. They enjoy sharing their writing with others. Students may stay at this stage longer than the previous ones as they build fluency. Indicators at this stage: • • • • •
Journaling at Recess. Indicators at this stage: • • • • • • • • • •
Writes several sentences about a topic. Writes names and familiar words. Generates own ideas for writing. Writes from top to bottom, left to right, and front to back. Intermixes upper and lower case letters. Experiments with capitals. Experiments with punctuation. Begins to use spacing between words. Uses growing awareness of sound segments (e.g., phonemes, syllables, rhymes) to write words. Spells words on the basis of sounds without regard for conventional spelling patterns.
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• • • • • • • •
Writes 1-2 pages about a topic. Writes about observations and experiences. Writes short nonfiction pieces (simple facts about a topic) with guidance. Chooses own writing topics. Reads own writing and notices mistakes with guidance. Revises by adding details with guidance. Uses spacing between words consistently. Forms most letters legibly. Writes pieces that self and others can read. Uses phonetic spelling to write independently. Spells simple words and some high frequency words correctly. Begins to use periods and capital letters correctly. Shares own writing with others.
EXPANDING (ages 7-9) Students at this stage can write poems and stories about their experiences and interests, as well as short nonfiction pieces. They use complete sentences and their writing contains a logical flow of ideas. Their stories sometimes contain a beginning, middle, and end. Expanding writers can add description, detail, and interesting language with the teacher’s guidance. They enjoy reading their writing aloud and are able to offer
PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH specific feedback to other students. Their editing skills begin to grow, although students may still need help as they edit for simple punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Their writing is legible, and they no longer labour over the physical act of writing. Students spell many common words correctly as they begin to grasp spelling patterns and rules. Indicators at this stage: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Writes short fiction and poetry with guidance. Writes a variety of short nonfiction pieces (e.g., facts about a topic, letters, lists) with guidance. Writes with a central idea. Writes using complete sentences. Organizes ideas in a logical sequence in fiction and nonfiction writing with guidance. Begins to recognise and use interesting language. Uses several prewriting strategies (e.g., web, brainstorm) with guidance. Listens to others’ writing and offers feedback. Begins to consider suggestions from others about own writing. Adds description and detail with guidance. Edits for capitals and punctuation with guidance. Publishes own writing with guidance. Writes legibly. Spells most high frequency words correctly and moves toward conventional spelling. Identifies own writing strategies and sets goals with guidance.
BRIDGING (ages 8-10) Bridging writers begin to develop and organize their ideas into paragraphs. Students at this stage are able to write about their feelings and opinions, as well as fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. However, this is a time of practice and their writing is often uneven. Writers may focus on one aspect of a piece and pay less attention to others. For example, a student may focus on strong verbs and descriptive language, while conventions and organisation move to the back burner. Students still require a great deal of adult modeling and guidance at this stage. Bridging writers are learning that meaning can be made more precise by using description, details, and interesting language. Students experiment with dialogue in their writing. They are able to edit for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. They also experiment with different types of writing as they compose longer pieces in various genres. Bridging writers use the writing process to revise, edit, and publish their work with adult support.
Indicators at this stage: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Writes about feelings and opinions. Writes fiction with clear beginning, middle, and end. Writes poetry using carefully chosen language with guidance. Writes organized nonfiction pieces (e.g., reports, letters, and lists) with guidance. Begins to use paragraphs to organize ideas. Uses strong verbs, interesting language, and dialogue with guidance. Seeks feedback on writing. Revises for clarity with guidance. Revises to enhance ideas by adding description and detail. Uses resources (e.g., thesaurus and word lists) to make writing more effective with guidance. Edits for punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Publishes writing in polished format with guidance. Increases use of visual strategies, spelling rules, and knowledge of word parts to spell correctly. Uses commas and apostrophes correctly with guidance. Uses criteria for effective writing to set own writing goals with guidance.
(Hills, 2001)
WORD STUDY Young children are naturally inquisitive about the world of words that they find themselves immersed in at school. Word study becomes critically important to these emergent writers and readers as they make sense of the mechanics of English. At CIS, we have adopted a developmental approach to word study that enables the children to construct and co-construct their knowledge of words as they build new understandings. (Touchstone #4). To achieve a balanced word study programme teachers from ECE to Grade 3 consider the development of: •
Phonological Knowledge - a study of how sounds combine to make words, (phonemic awareness), and how words are written on a page, (phonics).
•
Word Function Knowledge - a study of sound-symbol relationships, letter patterns, blends and word families.
•
Meaning Knowledge - a study of root words, compound words, affixes, prefixes and suffixes.
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PYP: MATHEMATICS •
Word History Knowledge - a study of base words, Greek and Latin word roots and foreign language borrowings.
Through diagnostic assessment teachers are able to assess the individual learning needs of a child in word study and introduce appropriate strategies and skills when developmentally appropriate.
MATHEMATICS At CIS children are exploring numeracy through their interactions with the world around them. In classrooms, children are garnering experience in hands-on exploration with manipulative materials and in opportunities to investigate real life situations. They consider aspects of number, measurement, data and shape and space as these concepts arise in investigations with their teacher. In ECE and Junior Kindergarten children are building up a rich store of Mathematics experiences which will be formalized in later study as they move on to Senior Kindergarten and beyond. The CIS Mathematics programme enables students to interpret the world around them with the development of strategies, and a body of knowledge, skills and attitudes.
imagination in the discovery of patterns of shape and number, the perceiving of relationships, the making of models, the interpretation of data, and the communication of emerging ideas and concepts. Mathematical understanding will provide children with a body of knowledge upon which to build and reflect and will include: • • • •
Number, Algebra, Pattern and Function Measurement Data Handling and Statistics Space and Shape (CIS Mathematics Curriculum, 2006)
Recognizing that “Learning is developmental,” (our core belief, Touchstone #2) we understand that children will grow through different stages of mathematical thinking. We have organized our work in Numeracy around key stages of development. Teachers use diagnostic assessment to identify the strategies children use and to organize for learning through focused teaching. The following are descriptions of the stages of children’s numeracy development typical in the Exploratory Years and Independent and Challenge Years. Emergent Stage Students are unable to consistently count a given number of objects because they lack the knowledge of counting sequences and/or the ability to match things in one to one correspondence. One To One Counting Stage Students can count to form a set of objects up to ten but cannot solve simple problems that involve joining and separating sets. Counting from One on Materials Stage Students rely on counting physical materials. They count all the numbers in both sets to find an answer. Counting from One by Imaging Stage Students count all the objects in simple joining and separating problems and are able to form visual patterns of the objects in their minds and count them.
Working with standard measurement.
Learning Mathematics requires active inquiry that engages students and teachers in answering questions and in solving real life problems. It fosters creativity and
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Advanced Counting Stage Students understand that the end number in a counting sequence measures the whole set and can relate the addition or subtraction of objects to the forward and backward number sequences by ones, tens, etc. For example, instead of counting all the objects to solve 6 + 5, they recognise that “6” represents all six objects and counts on from there: “7, 8, 9, 10, 11”. This stage
PYP: MATHEMATICS is also the beginning of grouping to solve multiplication and division problems. Early Additive Part - Whole Stage Students recognise that numbers are abstract units that can be treated simultaneously as wholes or can be partitioned and recombined. This is called “Part-Whole Thinking”. A characteristic of this stage is solving of problems by using basic addition and subtraction facts. Students should not be exposed to standard written algorithms, (columns), until they confidently use a range of part-whole strategies. Advanced Additive Part - Whole Students are able to choose appropriately from a repertoire of part-whole strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems. They see the range of possibilities for subdivision and recombining of numbers. Simultaneously, the efficiency of these students in addition and subtraction is reflected in their ability to derive multiplication answers from known facts. They are also able to solve fraction problems using a combination of multiplication and addition based reasoning.
EXPERIENCES TO DEVELOP MATHEMATICAL THINKING In order to support and promote mathematical understanding students will need a wide range of experiences including: classifying, patterning, seriating, measuring, playing with geometric shapes, and playing with and investigating numbers. Learning through inquiry is very natural for young learners. They are keen to explore and make sense of the world around them and they demonstrate an enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge and an understanding of mathematical concepts. In our classrooms children use equipment and resources to solve problems and to make connections to real life situations. They explore ideas and show that they have increasing capacity for language, inquiry, and for understanding other points of view. Language is a critical link in developing conceptual awareness and understanding. Teachers model and engage children throughout the day in mathematical language in meaningful contexts. Children have opportunity to “talk Mathematics” with their teachers and classmates as they share ideas to clarify their own thinking.
They are learning to think mathematically by: • • • • • • • • •
Making sense and finding connections. Using and interacting with technologies. Seeking patterns and generalizing. Posing questions and solving problems. Reflecting and communicating. Conjecturing and verifying/proving. Visualizing and representing. Estimating and being precise. Modeling and predicting.
MATHEMATICS AND THE LEARNING CONTINUUM The frameworks of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and our own CIS curriculum are organized to reflect a continuum of learning. In Mathematics, for example, curriculum expectations stretch across the two years of ECE to Junior Kindergarten, Senior Kindergarten to Grade One, and Grade Two to Grade Three. Children have two years to meet the combined expectations for the end of Junior Kindergarten, Grade One and Grade Three. While children grow through similar developmental stages, they progress at different rates and with different challenges and leaps of understanding. Our core belief that, “Learners’ progress can be seen as a learning continuum” (Touchstone # 7) helps us to capture the particular journey of each child and to meet individual needs. We recognise, however, that assessment must also consider the child’s progress against an expected standard. We gauge the child’s growth as an individual, and consider that growth against a norm for the grade level. We work to hold these two forms of assessment in balance. Both of these kinds of information are needed to complete a full portrait of a child as a learner. We have set outcomes which reflect the expectations of a specific grade level at the end of that academic year. Some children will reach beyond those expectations, while others may need more time to formalize their understanding.
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PYP: MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW - JK MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW: JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN NUMBER (~ 65% Of Programme) STRATEGY: Uses counting strategies Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division One to One Counting • Match objects by one to one correspondence. • Count a set to 10 and beyond by counting all the objects. • Explore the conservation of number through the use of manipulatives. • Model number relationships to 10 using manipulatives. Proportions and ratios Transition from Unequal Sharing to Equal Sharing • Begin to divide a set into equal parts using materials. KNOWLEDGE Number Identification • Read, write and model numbers 0-10. Number Sequence and order • Say number word sequence forwards and backwards 0-10. • Order numbers from 0-10. • Use ordinal numbers to describe the position of things in a sequence. For example: first, second. Groupings/place value • Recognise patterns to 5, including finger patterns. • Estimate with reasonable accuracy, quantities to 10.
For example: Hand spans, blocks, a range of objects. • Use simple measurement terms correctly. For example: tall/short, big/small, empty/full, heavy/light, tomorrow/yesterday. • Identify, compare and sequence events in their daily routine: For example: before, after, bedtime, storytime, today, tomorrow. STATISTICS & DATA HANDLING/PROBABILITY (~ 10% 0f Programme) • • • •
SHAPE AND SPACE (~ 10% 0f Programme) • •
• •
Written recording • Record numerals to match the sets formed.
•
• •
Find, describe and reproduce simple patterns. Create and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials or actions.
MEASUREMENT (~ 10% 0f Programme) •
Estimate, measure, and compare using nonstandard units of measurement for length, capacity, mass.
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Sort, describe and compare 3-D shapes and objects. Use appropriate language to describe basic spatial relationships. For example: above/below, near/far, in/out, next to/ behind/in front of, up/down.
Mathematical Processes
Basic Facts • Recall addition and subtraction facts to 5.
ALGEBRA - PATTERN AND FUNCTIONS (~ 5% Of Programme)
Sort and classify objects into sets according to specific attributes and describe those attributes. For example: colour, size, shape. Place some specific types of objects on concrete graphs and pictographs. For example: favourite food, eye colour. Discuss data represented on class generated and constructed graphs and compare quantities using number words. Use language of probability. For example: impossible, maybe, certain.
• • • •
Problem Solving – begin to develop and apply strategies; persevere when solving problems and conducting mathematical investigations. Reasoning and Proving – apply developing reasoning skills such as pattern recognition and classification to create and investigate possibilities. Reflecting – explain to others how they solved a problem. Selecting Tools and Strategies – appropriate to investigating the problem or mathematical idea. Connecting – to other concepts and mathematical examples in real life. Representing – create basic representations of mathematical ideas using concrete materials, actions, pictures, numbers, etc. Communicating – using everyday language with an emerging mathematical vocabulary.
PYP: MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW - SK MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW: SENIOR KINDERGARTEN NUMBER (~ 65% 0f Programme) STRATEGY: Uses counting strategies Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division Counting from one • Solve simple addition and subtraction problems by counting all the objects. • with materials. • imaging visual patterns of the objects in their minds and counting them. • Solve multiplication and division by counting one to one with materials. Proportions and ratios Equal Sharing • Divide a set into equal parts using materials. • Divide shapes using symmetry (halves). KNOWLEDGE Number Identification • Read, write and model numbers 0-20. Number Sequence and order • Say number word sequence forwards and backwards 0-20. • Say the number before and after a given number to 10, 20 and beyond. • Skip counts by 2’s forwards and backwards 0-20 • Order numbers from 0-20. Groupings/place value • Know groupings within 5. • Know groupings with 5. • Know groupings within 10. • Recognise patterns to 10, 20(objects). • Estimate with reasonable accuracy, quantities to 20. Basic Facts • Recall addition and subtraction facts to 5. Written recording • Write numbers from 1 – 10 correctly. • Record the results of counting and operations using symbols, pictures, diagrams (e.g. 5 and 2 is 7).
ALGEBRA - PATTERN AND FUNCTIONS (~ 5% 0f Programme) • • •
Create, describe and extend patterns using objects, actions, diagrams and words. Recognise and states similarities and differences in a variety of attributes. Use at least one attribute to create a pattern.
MEASUREMENT (~ 10% 0f Programme) •
• • •
Estimate, measure, label and compare using non standard units of measurement (e.g. hand spans, blocks, a range of objects): length, mass, capacity, temperature. Use a calendar to determine the date, and to identify the sequence days of the weeks and months of the year (within the class grouping). Estimate and compare lengths of time, hour, day, week month. (within the class grouping). Relate clocks to telling the time.
STATISTICS & DATA HANDLING/PROBABILITY (~ 10% Of Programme) • • • •
Sort and label objects into sets by one or more attributes. Discuss and compare data represented in teacher guided and student driven diagrams. Create, with support, a simple pictogram of real objects and interpret data by comparing: more, fewer, less than, greater than. Discuss, identify, predict and place outcomes in order of likelihood; impossible and certain.
SHAPE AND SPACE (~ 10% 0f Programme) • • • •
Sort and label 2-D and 3-D shapes using appropriate mathematical vocabulary: sides, corners, circle, square. Create 2-D shapes. Find shapes in the immediate environment. Give and follow simple directions: left, right, forward and backward, above, below, behind, in front.
Mathematical Processes • • • •
Pose possible questions for mathematical investigation. Use simple problem solving strategies. Carry out simple instructions. Suggest answers to questions related to groups and patterns.
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PYP: MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW - GRADE 1 MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW: GRADE 1
•
NUMBER (~ 60% Of Programme)
•
STRATEGY: Uses counting strategies Counting forwards or backwards from One (Imaging) • Imaging visual patterns of the objects in their minds and counting them. • Solve multi-digit addition and subtraction problems using materials.
Groupings/place value • Demonstrate an understanding of the place value system up to 100. • Recall groupings with 10s. - 17 = 10 + 7 - 53 = 5 tens + 3 or 6 tens minus 7
Counting On or Back (Advanced Counting) • Solve simple addition and subtraction problems to 20 and beyond. • With materials. • Imaging visual patterns of the objects in their minds and counting them. For example: 23 + 4 as 1 – 1 counting 23 + 4 using knowledge of basic facts 3 + 4 + 7 24 – 3 using basic facts of 4 -3 = 1 •
Count forwards and backwards in groups of 10 for addition and subtraction up to 100. For example: 23 + 20 as 23 + 10 + 10 35 – 20 as 35 – 10 - 10 Multiplication and division Counting from One • Imaging visual patterns of the objects in their minds and counting them. For example: 4x2 as 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Skip counting • With materials. • Imaging visual patterns of the objects in their minds and counting them. Proportions and ratios • Share sets into equal parts using materials. • Divide shapes using symmetry (halves, quarters). KNOWLEDGE Number Identification • Read, write and model numbers to 100. • Discuss and use fractional name for half and quarter when solving problems. • Increase confidence in recognizing numbers up to 999. Number Sequence and order • Say number word sequences, forwards and backwards, to 100. • Say numbers before and after a given number to 100.
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Skip counts in 2s, 5s and 10s, forwards and backwards to 100. Compare and order numbers to 100.
Basic Facts • Recall addition and subtraction facts to 10, within 10, with 10. • Recall doubles and corresponding halves to 20. • Estimate with reasonable accuracy quantities to 100. Written recording • Record the results of counting and operations using symbols, pictures, diagrams (eg; 5 and 2 is 7). • Record the results of mental addition and subtraction using equations eg: 4 + 5 = 9 ALGEBRA - PATTERN AND FUNCTIONS (~ 10% 0f Programme) •
Create, describe and extend patterns using objects, actions, diagrams and words. • Recognise similarities and differences in a variety of attributes. • Use one attribute to create a pattern. • Recognise, describe and create patterns in numbers: - odd and even. - skip counting 2s,5s and 10s. • Identify patterns and rules for addition and subtraction. • Model with manipulatives the relationship between the operations of addition and subtraction. • Demonstrate an understanding of addition and subtraction and the relationship between these operations when solving problems. For example: start unknown, () + 3 = 7. change unknown, 4 + () = 7. result unknown, 4 + 3 = (). Also for subtraction
PYP: MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW - GRADE 1 MEASUREMENT (~ 10% Of Programme)
Mathematical Processes
•
•
• • • •
Estimate, measure, label and compare using non standard units of measurement: length, mass, capacity and temperature. Understand why we use standard units of measurement to measure. Use a calendar to determine the date, and to identify the sequence days of the weeks and months of the year. Estimate, identify and compare lengths of time, hour, day, week month. Read and write the time using: - the hour. - half hour.
• • • • • • • •
Pose possible questions for mathematical investigation. Use simple problem solving strategies. Carry out simple instructions. Suggest answers to questions related to groups and patterns. Interpret information in context. Effectively plan mathematical explorations. Use own language and mathematical language and diagrams, to explain mathematical ideas. Record the results of mathematical explorations. Record in an organized way and reports the results of mathematical explorations.
STATISTICS & DATA HANDLING/PROBABILITY (~ 10% Of Programme) • • • • •
• •
Sort and label objects into sets by one or more attributes. Discuss and compare data represented in teacher guided and student driven diagrams. Collect, display and interpret data for the purpose of finding information. Understand the purpose of collecting data. Create a pictogram and a simple bar graph from a graph of real objects and interpret data by comparing quantities: more/ fewer/ less than/ greater than. Discuss and compare data represented in class diagrams. Discuss, identify, predict and place outcomes in order of likelihood; impossible, unlikely, likely and certain.
SHAPE AND SPACE (~ 10% 0f Programme) • • • • • •
Sort and label 2-D & 3-D shapes using appropriate mathematical vocabulary: sides, corners, circle, square, oblong, cube. Create 2-D shapes. Find and explain symmetry in the immediate environment. Create and explain simple symmetrical designs. Give and follow simple directions. Describe paths, regions and boundaries of their immediate environment and their position using increasingly complex language.
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PYP: MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW - GRADE 2 MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW: GRADE 2 NUMBER (~ 60% Of Programme) STRATEGY: Transition from Counting strategies to Part-PartWhole(partitioning) strategies Addition and subtraction Counting On or Back (Advanced Counting) • Solve simple addition and subtraction problems to 100. • Imaging visual patterns of the objects in their minds and counting them. For example: 23 + 4 as 1 – 1 counting, 23 + 4 using knowledge of basic facts 3 + 4 = 7, 24 – 3 using basic facts of 4 -3 = 1. • Count forwards and backwards in groups of 10 for addition and subtraction up to 100. For example: 23 + 20 as 23 + 10 + 10 35 – 20 as 35 – 10 – 10 Part-Part-Whole/Partitioning (Early Additive) • Join and separate tens and ones to solve addition and subtraction problems up to 100 in an range of ways including the number line, using objects and mentally. For example: 45 + 27 as 45 + 10 + 10 + 7= 45 + 20 + 7 67 – 34 as 67 – 10 – 10 – 10 – 4 = 67 – 30 – 4 • Use a range of mental strategies to estimate answers and solve addition and subtraction problems. • Use doubles to solve addition and subtraction problems. For example: 17 + 18 as 10 + 10 + 5 + 5 + 2 + 3. • Show on a number line compensation, (tidy numbers), to solve addition and subtraction problems. For example: 29 + 6 as 30 + 5, 51 – 14 as 50 – 14 + 1 • Make 10’s. For example: 8 + 7 as 10 + 5 • Basic facts. • Model simple addition and subtraction of fractions with the same denominator ½ , ¼. Multiplication and division Skip counting (Advanced counting) • Imaging visual patterns of the objects in their minds and counting them. Repeated addition (Early Additive) • Use repeated addition and repeated subtraction to solve multiplication and division problems. 3 x 6 as 6 + 6 + 6, 25 divided by 3 as 25-3-3-3-33-3-3-3 with 1 left over.
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Proportions and ratios Equal sharing (Advanced counting) • Share sets into equal parts by imaging visual patterns of the objects in their minds and counting them • Divide shapes using symmetry (halves, quarter, eighths). Fraction of a number by addition (Early additive) • find a unit of a fraction by using halving or repeated halving. KNOWLEDGE Number Identification • Read, write and model numbers using the base 10 place value system to 1000. • Identify symbols for the most common fractions – ½, ¼, ⅓. Number Sequence and order • Say number word sequences, forwards and backwards, to 100. • Say numbers before and after a given number to 100. • Skip count in 3s, 4s, 5s and explores other numbers • Count, compare and order numbers by 10, 100 1000 and intervals between including naming the number of hundreds, total number of tens and ones in 3 digit numbers. Groupings/place value • Demonstrate an understanding of the place value system up to 100. • Recall groupings with 10s. 17 = 10 + 7 53 = 5 tens + 3 or 6 tens minus 7 Basic Facts • Recall all addition and subtraction facts to 10, within 10, with 10 efficiently and accurately. • Use number patterns to learn and recall multiplication tables for 2s, 5s, 10s. • Recall doubles and corresponding halves to 20. • Estimate with reasonable accuracy quantities to 1000. Written recording • Record the results of counting and operations using diagrams. For example: number lines. • Record the results of mental addition and subtraction using equations. For example: 35 + 24 = 59, 4 x 5 = 20. • Use appropriate mathematical vocabulary and symbols for operations including fractions. • Reasonably estimate answers using rounding and approximation using 10s to 100.
PYP: MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW - GRADE 2 ALGEBRA - PATTERN AND FUNCTIONS (~ 10% Of Programme)
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• •
•
• • • • • •
• • •
Analyse patterns in numbers to 100. Recognise, describe and extend more complex patterns in numbers, objects, diagrams, actions and words. Understand and use the relationship between addition and subtraction. Model multiplication as an array. Identify simple patterns and rules for multiplication and division. Model with manipulatives the relationship between addition and multiplication. Model with manipulatives the relationship between subtraction and division. Understand and use number patterns to solve problems (missing numbers). 6 + () = 10, () + 4 = 10 6 + 4 = () () – 4 = 6, 10 – () = 4 10 – 6 = () Give a rule, extend a pattern and describe it in informal mathematical language. Create a pattern in which two or more attributes change. Apply patterning strategies to problem solving situations.
MEASUREMENT (~ 10% Of Programme) •
• • • • • •
Estimate, measure, label and compare using formal methods and standard units of measurement: length, mass, capacity and temperature. Select and use appropriate tools of measurement: cm, m, kg. Describe measures that fall between numbers on a measuring scale including common fractions. Estimate, measure label and compare area and perimeter. Model addition and subtraction problems using money accurately. Read and write time: - half hour. - quarter hour. Use the calendar to identify the date, sequence of days, weeks and months.
• • •
collected data. Collect and display data in a range of graphs, and interpret the results including the use of spreadsheets and appropriate ICT. Use the scale on the vertical axis of the bar graph to represent large quantities. Find, describe and explain the mode in a set of data and explains its use. Use a simple data base to answer questions and solve problems. Use probability to determine mathematically fair and unfair games and to explain possible outcomes.
SHAPE AND SPACE (~ 10% Of Programme) • • • • • • •
Sort, describe and model regular and irregular polygons; quadrilaterals, triangles, hexagons. Identify, describe and model congruency in 2-D shapes. Identify common 3-D shapes. Combine and transform 2-D shapes to make another shape. Create symmetrical patterns, including tessellations. Identify lines of reflective symmetry. Locate features on a grid using simple coordinates.
Mathematical Processes • • • • • • • • • •
Pose questions for mathematical investigation. Devise and use problem solving strategies. Select and explains appropriate methods for solving problems. Interpret information in context. Effectively plan mathematical explorations. Use own language and mathematical language and diagrams, to explain mathematical ideas. Devise and carry out instructions. Record the results of mathematical explorations. Record in an organized way. Report the results of mathematical explorations and findings.
STATISTICS & DATA HANDLING/PROBABILITY (~ 10% Of Programme) • •
Discuss, compare and create sets and other diagrams from data. Design a simple survey, process and interpret the 2011/2012 CURRICULUM GUIDE - 31
PYP: MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW - GRADE 3 MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW: GRADE 3 NUMBER (~ 40% Of Programme) STRATEGY: Part-Part-Whole (partitioning) strategies Addition and subtraction Part-Part-Whole/Partitioning (Early Additive) • Join and separate tens and ones to solve addition and subtraction problems up to 1000 in an range of ways including the number line, using objects and mentally. For example: 45 + 27 as 45 + 10 + 10 + 7= 45 + 20 + 7 67 – 34 as 67 – 10 – 10 – 10 – 4 = 67 – 30 – 4 • Demonstrate a range of part-part-whole strategies for addition and subtraction: • place value partitioning 43+34 as 40+30+3+4, or 43+30+4 or 63-27 as 63-20 and 43-3-4 • compensation (Tidy Numbers). For example: 19+17 as 20+16, or (doubles) 20 + 20 – 4, 6329 as 63-30+1. • use basic facts. For example: 43+17 as 43+7 and 50+10. • back through 10. For example: 47-9 as 477=40, 40-2=38. • use algorithm with and without renaming. (Check understanding) • Model addition and subtraction of fractions with the same denominator. Multiplication and division Repeated addition (Early Additive). • Demonstrate simple repeated addition and partpart-whole strategies for multiplication and division problems including halving and doubling, splitting one factor into parts and reversing the operation. For example: 3 x 14 as 10 + 10 + 10 + 4 + 4 + 4 3 x 10 + 3 x 4 3 x 19 as 3 x 20 – 3 x 1 45 divided by 4 as repeated subtraction, using known facts, subtracting 10 lots of 4 plus 1 more group of 4 and 1 left remaining. • Know multiplication and repeated addition facts to anticipate the result of division. For example: 20 ÷ 4 = 5 because 5 + 5 = 10 and 10 + 10 = 20. Proportions and ratios Fraction of a number by addition (Early additive). • Find a unit of a fraction mentally by using halving or deriving from known facts. • Explore, share and compare fractions using manipulatives and fractional notation.
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KNOWLEDGE Number Identification • Read, write and solve simple problems for the four operations. • Read, write and model numbers using the Base 10 system to 100 000. • Identify symbols for the most common fractions (1/2, 1/4, 1/3, 1/5, 1/10). • Identify symbols for improper fractions. • Read fractions with the same numerator or denominator. Number Sequence and order • Say the number 1, 10, 100 before and after a given number to 1000. • Skip count in 3s, 4s, 5s and explores other numbers. • Count, compare and order numbers by 10, 100 1000, 10000 and intervals between including naming the number of hundreds, total number of tens and ones in 3 digit numbers. • Create and order fractions with the same numerator or denominator. Groupings/place value • Demonstrate an understanding of the place value system up to 1000. • Knows groupings of 10 that can be made from a 3 digit number. For example: tens in 763 is 76. • Knows the number of 100s in centuries and 1000’s. • Explore the concept of equivalence to 1. For example: two halves = 1, three thirds = 1. Basic Facts • Recall all addition and subtraction facts to 20 efficiently and accurately. For example: 9 + 5, 13 - 7. • Recall multiplication tables for 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 10s and division basic facts efficiently and accurately. • Recall doubles and corresponding halves to 20. • Recall multiples of 100 that add up to 1000 and 1000 that add up to 100 000. • Reasonably estimate answers using rounding and approximation. Written recording • Record the results addition, subtraction and multiplication using diagrams. For example: a number line. • Record the results of calculations using equations. For example: 349 + 452 = 350 + 451 = 801. • Record addition and subtraction problems using algorithms (columns).
PYP: MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW - GRADE 3 •
Use appropriate mathematical vocabulary and symbols for operations including fractions.
ALGEBRA - PATTERN AND FUNCTIONS (~ 15% Of Programme) • • • • • • • • • •
Analyse patterns in numbers to 1000 and beyond - odd, even. - multiples of 5, 10 and 2. Recognise, describe and extend more complex patterns in numbers, objects, diagrams, actions and words. Understand and use the relationship between addition / subtraction, multiplication / division. Identify simple patterns and rules for multiplication and division: order of factors, grouping. Solve problems related to start unknown, change unknown and result unknown for addition and subtraction. Model with manipulatives the relationship between subtraction and division. Understand and use number patterns to solve problems (missing numbers). Given a rule extend a pattern and describe it in mathematical language. Create a pattern in which two or more attributes change. Apply patterning strategies to problem solving situations.
• • • • • •
SHAPE AND SPACE (~ 15% Of Programme) • • • • • • •
MEASUREMENT (~ 15% 0f Programme) •
• • • • •
•
Estimate, measure, label and compare using formal methods and standard units of measurement: length, mass, capacity and temperature. Select and use appropriate tools of measurement. Describe measures that fall between numbers on a measuring scales including common fractions. Estimate, measure, label and compare simple area and perimeter problems. Model with a range of strategies involving problem solving with money. Accurately read and write the time: • 10 minutes. • 5 minutes. • 1 minute. Exposure to the 24 hour clock and time zones.
collected data. Collect and display data in a range of graphs. Interpret the results of graphs including the use of spreadsheets and appropriate ICT. Use the scale on the vertical axis of the bar graph to represent large quantities. Find, describe and explain the mode in a set of data and explain its use. Use a simple data base to answer questions and solve problems. Use probability to determine mathematically fair and unfair games and to explain possible outcomes.
•
Sort, describe and model regular and irregular polygons:quadrilaterals, triangles, pentagon, hexagon and octagon. Identify, describe and model congruency in 2-D shapes. Identify common 3-D shapes. Combine and transform 2-D shapes to make another shape. Create symmetrical patterns, including tessellations. Identify lines of symmetry. Understand an angle as a unit of measure of rotation by comparing and describing rotations: whole turns, half turns, quarter turn, compass points. Use features on a grid to locate positions.
Mathematical Processes • • • • • • • • • •
Pose questions for mathematical investigation. Devise and use problem solving strategies. Select and explains appropriate methods for solving problems. Interpret information in context. Effectively plan mathematical explorations. Use own language and mathematical language and diagrams, to explain mathematical ideas. Devise and carry out instructions. Record the results of mathematical explorations. Record in an organized way. Report the results of mathematical explorations and findings.
STATISTICS & DATA HANDLING/PROBABILITY (~ 15% 0f Programme) • •
Discuss, compare and create sets and other diagrams from data. Design a survey and process and interpret the 2011/2012 CURRICULUM GUIDE - 33
PYP: LANGUAGE B - FRENCH & MANDARIN LANGUAGE B - FRENCH AND MANDARIN
CIS MANDARIN PROGRAMME
Every child benefits from having access to different cultures, perspectives and languages. Acquisition of more than one language enriches personal growth and helps facilitate international understanding. (IBO, 2007)
At CIS, our Mandarin Programme focuses on the use of the Chinese language functionally for communication purposes in everyday situations. The programme has been structured to develop students’ use of Chinese in meaningful and relevant contexts. Mandarin lessons are a motivating and enjoyable experience for the students regardless of what level they are in.
English is the language of instruction at the Canadian International School. We also offer both French and Mandarin instruction from the age of four, or additional English support for students still mastering the English language. Children in JK to Grade 3 have two Mandarin and two French classes per week.
CIS FRENCH PROGRAMME
The Mandarin Programme in the Exploratory Years is designed to achieve the following goals: • •
Cultural awareness: To develop the interest of students in the Mandarin language and the Chinese culture through engaging activities and singing. Social awareness: To enable students to use simple Mandarin in their conversations confidently in a stimulating environment. Language awareness: To introduce the similarities and differences between the writing systems of Chinese and English. For example:
The program we use in French is called “Histoires en action!” (AIM program). It is based upon the use of stories and music for the specific teaching of French as a Foreign Language. Specifically designed stories are written in the form of plays which become the focus for a range of motivating language activities that help students develop confidence and competence in the language as they progress through each story unit. There are also songs, chants and raps that help students learn through rhythmical activities.
•
Another component of this program is the Gesture Approach, a technique that uses hand signs to help students learn and remember the important vocabulary found in the plays, songs and other activities. Each word is associated with a gesture, so that the language is represented visually and kinesthetically.
The focus for the Independence and Challenge Years is deepened to include:
There is also emphasis on the development of all four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) through this program. For young students, the written word is gradually introduced and the focus is on oral language acquisition with plenty of pleasant repetition. Activities are varied, so that students have the opportunity to work individually, with partners, in small groups and as a whole class. Assessment is ongoing. Primarily, the focus in both the Exploratory Years and Independence and Challenge Years is on participation and oral communication, with the addition of reading and writing skills in the second semester for our older students.
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1. Characters in Mandarin are words, not letters. 2. Characters are made up of strokes. 3. Some characters are stylied pictures. •
• •
•
•
•
On-going Assessment: To assess students primarily on participation and oral communication.
Cultural awareness: To develop an understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture and community. Social awareness: To develop an awareness of the role and nature of language in everyday life. Students are encouraged to increase, within realistic limits, their ability to communicate effectively in Mandarin in a stimulating environment. Chinese characters recognition: To introduce character recognition through the Chinese writing system. Simple and independent characters are introduced, reviewed, and reinforced. Reinforcement of and/or support with regular, homeroom assignments can take place. Language awareness: To establish a foundation in the essential skills of the language. Through a thematic approach, students acquire the necessary skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. On-going Assessment: First term students will primarily be assessed on participation and oral communication. Second term students will be assessed on oral communication, reading and writing.
PYP: SOCIAL STUDIES AND SCIENCE SOCIAL STUDIES AND SCIENCE In the PYP, Social Studies is viewed as the study of people in relation to their past, their present and their future, their environment and their society. Social Studies encourages curiosity and develops an understanding of a rapidly changing world. Through Social Studies, students develop an understanding of their personal and cultural identities. They inquire into and learn about globally significant issues in the Units of Inquiry. Organisation of the Social Studies discipline is divided into five significant areas: human systems and economic activities; social organisation and culture; continuity and change through time; human and natural environments, and resources and the environment.
Within the Units of Inquiry, students are provided with opportunities to develop Science specific skills in order to: • • • • • • •
Over the nine years of the Primary Years Programme there are recurring opportunities provided for students to:
• •
•
Formulate and ask questions about the past, the future, places and society. • Draw information from, and respond to, stories about the past from geographical and societal sources. • Use and analyse evidence from a variety of historical, geographical and societal sources. • Sequence in chronological order. • Orientate in relation to place and time. • Identify roles, rights and responsibilities in society. • Assess the accuracy, validity and possible bias of sources. (IBO, 2007)
Observe carefully in order to gather data. Use a variety of instruments and tools to measure data accurately. Use specific vocabulary to explain their observations and experiences. Identify or generate a question or problem to be explored. Plan and carry out systematic investigations, manipulating variables as necessary. Make predictions and hypothesis. Interpret and evaluate data gathered in order to draw conclusions. Consider scientific models and applications. Become confident and competent users of ICT in Science learning. (IBO, 2007)
PROGRAMME OF INQUIRY The chart on the following pages outlines our Programme of Inquiry from Early Childhood to Grade 3. It is a dynamic document and will change throughout the year as teachers plan and reflect on Units of Inquiry.
The focus in Science is on “the exploration of the behaviours, and the interrelationships among, the natural, physical and material worlds”. The scientific method is a model of inquiry which is crucial to the development of scientific understanding. CIS students are engaged in a Science process which encourages “hands-on experience and inquiry, and enables the individual to make informed and responsible decisions, not only in Science but also in other areas of life”. The Science strands that we build our programme from are: living things; earth and space; materials and matter, and forces & energy.
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PYP: UNITS OF INQUIRY Level
An inquiry into
Who we are
Grade 2 7 year olds
Grade 3 8 year olds
An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human. CENTRAL IDEA: Our bodies are made of systems that work together. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Different body systems. • Interdependence among body systems. • Factors that affect the health of bodies. KEY CONCEPTS: Function, Connection, Change
CENTRAL IDEA: Individuals’ contributions make a difference in the lives of others. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Individuals and their contributions. • How contributions make a difference to others. • The qualities of contributors. KEY CONCEPT: Causation
An inquiry into
Where we are in time and place
An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives. CENTRAL IDEA: Migration changes people and places. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Reasons people migrate. • The decisions involved in migration. • The effects of migration on communities and individuals. KEY CONCEPT: Causation, Perspective, Change CENTRAL IDEA: Personal histories shape identity. LINES OF INQUIRY: • The personal histories of people, places and things connected to us. • Ways to document personal histories. • How to use archives, artifacts and historical evidence.
An inquiry into
How we express ourselves An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
CENTRAL IDEA: People can use visual art as a form of communication. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Different forms of visual art. • What artists communicate. • Art appreciation. • The different materials, tools, and techniques used in art. KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Function, Perspective CENTRAL IDEA: Stories can be shared in different ways. LINES OF INQUIRY: • The structure of a story. • How to convey a story. • Why stories are shared. KEY CONCEPT: Form, Function, Reflection
KEY CONCEPT: Change, Connection
SK 5 year olds
Grade 1 6 year olds
CENTRAL IDEA: Through play we learn about ourselves and others. LINES OF INQUIRY: • The reasons we play. • What we learn through play. • The ways people feel and think differently. • Why people feel and think differently.
JK 4 year olds
LINES OF INQUIRY: • The connections that exist between life in the past and life today. • The reasons why things have changed.
CENTRAL IDEA: People communicate in different ways. LINES OF INQUIRY: • How people communicate in different ways. • The reasons why people communicate in different ways. • Choosing the best way to communicate.
KEY CONCEPTS: Function, Perspective, Reflection
KEY CONCEPTS: Change, Connection
KEY CONCEPTS: Function, Causation, Reflection
CENTRAL IDEA: The way we think and act influences our relationships. LINES OF INQUIRY: • How good friends act and think towards each other. • Behaviour that will help our relationships with others. • Why relationships are important.
CENTRAL IDEA: Where we live influences how we live.
CENTRAL IDEA: People create visual art in a variety of ways.
LINES OF INQUIRY: • Different types of environment around the world. • How geography/environment influence lifestyles.
LINES OF INQUIRY: • Why people create art. • How and why particular resources are used in visual art. • The different forms of visual art.
KEY CONCEPT: Form, Connection
KEY CONCEPT: Form
KEY CONCEPTS: Connection, Responsibility
ECE 3 year olds
CENTRAL IDEA: Our lives have similarities and differences to those of people from the past.
CENTRAL IDEA: Every day I can learn about who I am and what I can do.
CENTRAL IDEA: Stories are a source of discovery, emotions and imagination.
LINES OF INQUIRY: • Physical characteristics. • What I can do. • My feelings, likes and dislikes. • Growing and changing.
LINES OF INQUIRY: • Making connections through stories. • Creating and sharing stories. • Presenting stories. KEY CONCEPTS: Connection, Perspective
KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Change CENTRAL IDEA: People play to learn, explore and make friends. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Types of play. • Responsibilities of playing. • Building friendships. • Play, learning and exploring. KEY CONCEPT: Responsibility, Connection
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CENTRAL IDEA: Schools help us to learn. LINES OF INQUIRY: • The school buildings and grounds. • The people at the school. • What we do at school.
CENTRAL IDEA: Art comes in many forms. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Art forms. • Art materials. • Connection between The Arts and self.
KEY CONCEPT: Form
KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Perspective
PYP: UNITS OF INQUIRY An inquiry into
An inquiry into
An inquiry into
An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organisation; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.
An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
CENTRAL IDEA: The design of city structures is based on many factors. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Types of structures. • The factors affecting the design of a structure.
CENTRAL IDEA: Planning events and projects requires organisation and collaboration. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Types of events/projects. • How to organise an event/project. • Decision-making.
CENTRAL IDEA: Plants are a life-sustaining resource for us and other living things. LINES OF INQUIRY: • The structure of a plant. • What plants provide for us and for other living things. • Caring for plant life.
How the world works
KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Function, Connection
How we organise ourselves
Sharing the planet
KEY CONCEPT: Function, Responsibility, Reflection
CENTRAL IDEA: Understanding matter can impact our lives. LINES OF INQUIRY: • The properties of matter. • Investigating changes in matter. • The impact of matter on our lives.
CENTRAL IDEA: People trade to get what they need and want. LINES OF INQUIRY: • The concepts of needs and wants. • Systems of exchange throughout time and place. • How systems of exchange work.
KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Change, Causation
KEY CONCEPTS: Function, Change, Perspective
KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Connection, Function
CENTRAL IDEA: The earth provides us with natural resources that we use daily. LINES OF INQUIRY: • How to identify and describe natural resources and materials. • The origin of materials in items we use. • How resources and materials are changed for daily use. • Changes in the use of materials over time. KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Connection, Change
CENTRAL IDEA: Forces move the things around us. LINES OF INQUIRY: • How different forces work. • The effects of forces. • How people use forces. KEY CONCEPT: Function, Causation
CENTRAL IDEA: We understand materials by working with them. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Unique characteristics of materials. • How materials can be used. • Imaginative use of materials. KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Causation
CENTRAL IDEA: We depend on each other to keep places we live and learn working effectively. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Our roles and responsibilities in the places we live and learn. • How we depend on each other to work effectively. • How our behaviour affects others and their roles.
CENTRAL IDEA: The rainforest is an environment which supports life. LINES OF INQUIRY: • The classification of living and non-living things. • The components of a rainforest. • The interdependence among the living things of the rainforest.
KEY CONCEPTS: Responsibility, Connection
KEY CONCEPTS: Connection, Form
CENTRAL IDEA: Organizing a performance requires planning and working together.
CENTRAL IDEA: We share our environment with other living creatures LINES OF INQUIRY: • Characteristics of animal groups. • Changes in animals during their lifetime. • Needs of living things.
LINES OF INQUIRY: • Types of performances. • Creating a performance. • Roles and responsibilities.
KEY CONCEPTS: Change, Form
KEY CONCEPTS: Responsibility, Function, Reflection CENTRAL IDEA: People work together to provide food. LINES OF INQUIRY: • Places food comes from. • Why people need people. • Process food goes through.
CENTRAL IDEA: We explore our environment through our senses LINES OF INQUIRY: • The natural environment. • How our senses connect us to our world. KEY CONCEPT: Form, Reflection
KEY CONCEPT: Connection / Function CENTRAL IDEA: Light can create shadows and reflections.
LINES OF INQUIRY: • Different sources and uses of light. • Shadows and how they change. • Reflections. KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Causation
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PYP: PHYSICAL EDUCATION PHYSICAL EDUCATION The Physical Education Program is focused on the development of the overall well-being of the student. Through this focus the students are able to develop a sense of self identity, understand the importance of an active lifestyle and learn to interact positively with others. The acquisition of these transferable skills will allow students to become successful contributing members of the school and global communities.
Links with the Unit of Inquiry (UOI) in the classroom. The Physical Education department collaborates with homeroom teachers to create meaningful links with units of inquiry that are introduced in the classroom. Grade
Unit of Inquiry in the class
Physical Education unit that supports the learning
ECE
Who we are
Games
Coordination, manipulation and balance.
JK
Who we are
Adventure challenge
Explore and develop ability to solve tasks.
SK
How we organise ourselves
Movement to music
Locomotor and nonlocomotor skills.
Grade 1
Who we are
Cooperative games
Cooperation and teamwork.
Grade 2
How we express ourselves
Creative movement
Presentation skills. Interactions within a group.
Grade 3
How the world works
Healthy me
Body’s response to exercise. Healthy lifestyle. Importance of nutrition.
Strands The Physical Education Program is built around three strands based in the Primary Year Programme. These strands are Identity, Interactions and Active Living. The following types of experiences are covered within these strands; health-related fitness, individual pursuits, games, movement composition and adventure challenge.
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Our focus
PYP: THE ARTS - ART, DRAMA AND MUSIC ART AND DRAMA
MUSIC
Integral to life itself, art is also an integral part of all education. Especially during the early years of life, art, another language for learning, is a critical part of the curriculum in all good schools for young children. (Althouse et al, 2003)
Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. (Plato) All children are not musically talented – but all children are musical. At CIS we strive to help every student discover his or her natural musical abilities. Music education for our children is an action packed, funfilled, concept driven programme of learning. In ECE, Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten, students find their voice, learn about sounds and explore vocal and instrumental music. Pitch exploration, echo songs, musical finger play, call and response, simple songs, movement, beat motions and song tales are all part of the learning experience which will lay a foundation for the grades ahead. As students move through Grades One to Three our curriculum encompasses five strands: • • • • •
Exploring through Story Drama
At CIS the Arts are not mere “add-ons”, but are essential aspects of our curriculum. We recognise that the Visual Arts, Dance, Movement, Drama, and Music offer children multiple forms of literacy with which they may interpret the world and represent their understanding. We enable children to use the Arts to understand concepts and ideas more deeply, and to share their new learning.
Singing Instruments Creating and composing Notation Listening and appreciation
Throughout the year, our students are given a variety of opportunities where they can turn classroom learning into live music making!
Our Art and Drama specialists work alongside classroom teachers to cooperatively plan and teach Units of Inquiry that integrate with the Arts. Visual Arts instruction includes elements of design, art interpretation, and the development of Art techniques. Drama classes develop children’s skills in verbal and non-verbal expression and may include movement, dance, drama forms such as role play and mime, and performance.
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ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC INFORMATION
ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC INFORMATION HOMEWORK POLICY ECE TO GRADE 3
ASSESSMENT POLICY ECE TO GRADE 3
The CIS homework policy reflects children’s stages of development and growing independence, and is guided by educational research.
•
The primary purpose of assessment in the PYP is to provide feedback on the learning process. Assessment allows teachers to gather information and to use that information to inform and improve instruction, and in turn, to improve student learning.
•
Various assessment strategies, tasks, and tools are used to ensure that diverse learning styles, developmental expectations, and learning outcomes are considered.
•
Twice a year, written reports provide a summative record for students, parents, and the school itself of a student’s progress. Reports contain the essential elements of the programme (knowledge, skills, concepts, attitude, and action); and clearly indicate areas of strength, and areas for improvement. They also address the learner profile, and provide comments from all relevant teachers.
For students in ECE to Grade 3: •
Reading is an essential part of a child’s educational experience. Parents are expected to read with their child on a daily basis.
•
Play is an essential activity for children’s learning. Parents are encouraged to provide ample time for children to have free play at home.
•
At the start of each Unit of Inquiry (UOI), teachers provide parents with inquiry questions. Parents are encouraged to use these questions for engaging in additional school-related home learning experiences.
For students in Grades 1 to 3: •
Homework activities are used to reinforce new concepts and skills, and to help build effective learning habits.
•
Homework activities may include tasks set by teachers to support units of inquiry (UOI), weekly word study, and number knowledge practice.
•
The amount of time that children spend doing homework will vary somewhat from day to day, depending on the learning tasks assigned, and the ability and diligence of the individual student.
•
Parents are expected to give support and encouragement to their child in developing good learning habits by: • • • • • •
Talking with your child about what he or she is learning. Establishing a daily homework routine. Providing a quiet place to do their assigned activities. Being available to answer questions. Reviewing completed tasks. Informing the teacher when problems arise.
THE LIBRARY The Library of the Canadian International School focuses on providing supportive services and program collaboration. Global information literacy and literature that reflect our multicultural school community are integral to active, authentic life long learning and inquiry. The Library is a changing and dynamic place and is an integral part of the busy daily life of the CIS community. The Library staff strive to meet the educational needs of students and staff and to support our IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum. Our goal is to develop every student as a lifelong reader. The Library staff aim to provide a warm and inviting learning environment for all students and their families to enjoy. Students are welcome to use the Library as a place to read and relax, complete homework, and search for books before and after school, at recess and at lunch time. The Library is open each school day from 8:00 a.m. until 4:50 p.m. Students are able to borrow books during their weekly class book exchange period and may also drop in to exchange or renew books at any time. Students may borrow up to three (3) independent reading books. Books for Literature Circles or Novel Studies are in addition to their independent reading books.
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ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC INFORMATION All students are also permitted to borrow one additional book, in their mother-tongue, from our World Languages Collection. Additional resources available to our students (links are available from our school website): •
http://cislearningcentre.follettdestiny.com The learning centre database is your centralized information link. Through that one site, you have links to all of the following databases, as well as all of the resources that we house within the library.
•
http://search.ebscohost.com/ Username = cis Password = Singapore EBSCO is our online information warehouse, providing access to over 80,000 magazines, newspapers and professional journals from around the world. •
http://infoweb.newsbank.com Username = candnis Password = candnis Newsbank is our online source for newspapers from around the world. Easy to browse, as well as conduct specific searches targeting particular continents, regions of the world or even worldwide searches.
OUR POLICY FOR LOST LIBRARY BOOKS
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, students work with their teachers and guest experts in exploring the mysteries of these sites. These resource rich environments spark curiosity, provide challenges and offer variety for personal choices of topics of interest - all elements critical to making learning engaging for children. The Open Minds Programme enhances the inquirybased learning that is the keystone of the Primary Years Programme. Experiencing the inquiry process in these settings encourages children to take responsibility for their learning and gives them Exploring Tropical Crops at the Singapore Zoo time to focus on the things that matter to them. Children engage in handson, minds-on learning which enables them to build on their prior knowledge, and to achieve a deeper level of understanding of their world and of themselves as learners. In exciting real world settings children put their observation, questioning and critical thinking skills into action to interpret their experience. Research skills important to this inquiry include: • • • • • •
Observing Describing Building Relationships Formulating and Testing Hypotheses Developing Concepts Extending Knowledge
Books can become lost despite students’ and families’ best efforts to care for them. However, part of being a responsible student is taking care of school property. If a book is lost, the person who signed out the book is responsible for paying the replacement charge. If the book is found and returned to the Library no later than September 1 of the following school year, a refund will be issued. Contact for the Toh Tuck Library: Ms. Isabel Jones: isabel.jones@cis.edu.sg
OPEN MINDS PROGRAMME - MAKING THE WORLD OUR CLASSROOM! CIS students in Grades 1 to 8 have opportunities each year to participate in Open Minds. This is an exciting, innovative programme that moves the classroom into real world settings. At sites like the Singapore Zoo, the Art Museums of Singapore, the Science Centre and
Exploring Art at the Singapore Art Gallery. Journaling, sketching and reflecting are important to the children’s documentation of their learning. In the Open Minds environment, their skills as writers and artists expand to match the richness of their experiences.
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ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC INFORMATION Open Minds learning experiences occur throughout the year and recent focus areas for the grades include: GRADE 1 Unit of Inquiry: Sharing the planet. Central Idea: The rainforest is an environment which supports life. Open Minds Site: Singapore Zoo. GRADE 2 Unit of Inquiry: Sharing the planet. Central Idea: The earth provides us with the natural resources that we use daily. Open Minds Site: Singapore Science Centre and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. GRADE 3 Unit of Inquiry: How we express ourselves. Central Idea: People can use visual arts as a form of communication. Open Minds Sites: Singapore Art Museum, MICA and Tyler Print Institute. Unique, Valuable, Memorable. Open Minds is the ultimate field experience.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Students often arrive at school with a great deal of technology “know how” and our task, as teachers, is to help them understand that the computer is a tool for work and learning as well as a source of fun and exploration. Our programme is designed to help students acquire skills and to develop a greater understanding of how to apply those skills in meaningful and relevant ways in their learning. Our Teacher-librarians work closely with teachers in planning Units of Inquiry in the Primary Years Programme. Our focus is on integrating technology and curriculum to support student learning. Information technology is another way to open up the world to a child.
ACADEMIC RESOURCE CIS provides limited services for children with learning
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challenges. Academic Resource support is available to those students who require assistance with specific aspects of their regular classroom programme. Children may receive special support in the classroom or they may participate in an individual or group setting to maximize their learning.
ESOL - ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES The English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programme offers children who are new to English an opportunity to develop the language skills they need to be successful learners. Following an assessment of their oral language, reading and writing abilities, children may attend ESOL classes in place of French or Mandarin. In ESOL classrooms, children have the support they need to develop their language skills in a dynamic environment with a smaller class size. The ESOL curriculum provides a framework for learning outcomes for children with different levels of ability in English, and links with the Primary Years Programme (PYP) followed in home room classes.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMME The Canadian International School is very proud of our students, teachers, and parents for their commitment to the wider community. We know that learning outside of the classroom and helping others is an important part of becoming responsible global citizens. Our efforts have an impact on the world as well as ourselves. CIS works in partnership with development projects in Cambodia and Indonesia, and with charities here in Singapore. For over ten years, students and teachers have been holding Handicraft Silk Sales and raising funds for Tabitha, a development program founded by Canadian, Janne Ritskes. A group of committed high school students travel to Cambodia each year to build houses for Tabitha and to undertake various service projects. CIS supports the Maryknoll AIDS Hospice in Phnom Penh, and the People’s Improvement Organisation, who sponsor three schools at the city dump. Locally, students and teachers are proud to participate in a yearly worldwide cancer fundraiser, the Marathon of Hope in memory of Canadian hero, Terry Fox. We also join forces with the Canadian Association to collect teddy bears for hospitalized children in December and raise funds for needy children with critical and chronic illnesses.
NOTES
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REFERENCES TURNING TO ONE ANOTHER There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about. Ask, “What’s possible?” not What’s wrong?” Keep asking. Notice what you care about. Assume that many others share your dreams. Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters. Talk to people you know. Talk to people you don’t know. Talk to people you never talk to. Be intrigued by the differences you hear. Expect to be surprised. Treasure curiosity more than certainty. Invite in everybody who cares to work on what’s possible. Acknowledge that everyone is an expert about something. Know that creative solutions come from new connections. Remember, you don’t fear people whose story you know. Real listening always brings people closer together. Trust that meaningful conversations can change your world. Rely on human goodness. Stay together. Margaret Wheatley, 2002
REFERENCES Althouse, R. et al. (2003). The Colours of Learning: Integrating the Visual Arts Into the Early Childhood Curriculum. New York, New York: Teachers College Press. Caldwell, L.B. (1997). Bringing Reggio Emilia Home: An Innovative Approach to Early Childhood Education. New York, New York: Teachers College Press. Campbell-Hill. B, Developmental Continuums: A Framework for Literacy Instruction and Assessment K-8. ChristopherGordon Publishers, Inc.2001. International Baccalaureate Organization. (2007). Making the PYP Happen: A Curriculum Framework for International Primary Education. Chippenham, Wiltshire: Antony Rowe Ltd. Edwards, E. et al. (1998). The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach - Advanced Reflection, Second Edition. Greenwich, Connecticut: Ablex Publishing Corporation. Rinaldi, C. (2006). Reggio Emilia: The Image of the Child and the Child’s Environment as a Fundamental Principle. In L. Gandini & C.P. Edwards (Eds.), Bambini: The Italian Approach to Infant Toddler Care. New York, New York: Teachers College Press.
Canadian International School
Tanjong Katong Campus Early Childhood Education to Grade 10 371 Tanjong Katong Road Singapore 437128 T: +65 6345 1573 F: +65 6345 4057 E: admissionstk@cis.edu.sg Lakeside Campus Early Childhood Education to Grade 12 7 Jurong West Street 41 Singapore 649414 T: +65 6467 1732 F: +65 6467 1729 E: admissions@cis.edu.sg URL: www.cis.edu.sg
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