Curriculum Guide

This site has been prepared to provide an overview of the District 97 curriculum at each grade level. It is not meant to be all-inclusive. Instead, its purpose is to provide basic information about District 97's curriculum and encourage parents to participate more fully in their child’s educational experience.

Common Core State Standards

District 97 is in the process of aligning our curriculum with the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS).   The CCSS is a state-led effort designed to improve educational outcomes for students by developing a set of consistent, clear K-12 academic standards in English language arts and mathematics.  These standards are relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills young people need to be prepared for both college and work in a global economy.

http://www.corestandards.org/

K-5 Literacy Curriculum

Our current K-5 literacy curriculum is based on the Balanced Literacy Framework which is a comprehensive program of language arts instruction.  It contains the components necessary for students to master written and oral communication.  The areas of focus include reading, writing, speaking and listening.  Over the course of the grades there is an emphasis on phonemic awareness, phonics, grammar skills, reading and comprehension strategies and writing.    With the balanced literacy framework there is a balance of both direct and indirect instruction.

Curriculum materials utilized: Treasures from Macmillan McGraw-Hill

http://activities.macmillanmh.com/reading/treasures/html/main_student.html

K-5 Math Curriculum

Our math program utilizes the Everyday Mathematics curriculum developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project and published by McGraw-Hill Education.  The Everyday Mathematics program is esearch based focused on developing children’s understandings and skills in ways that produce life-long mathematical learners.

The Everyday Mathematics curriculum emphasizes:

• Use of concrete, real-life examples that are meaningful and memorable as an introduction to key mathematical concepts.
• Repeated exposures to mathematical concepts and skills to develop children’s ability to recall knowledge from long-term memory.
• Frequent practice of basic computation skills to build mastery of procedures and quick recall of facts, often through games and verbal exercises.
• Use of multiple methods and problem-solving strategies to foster true proficiency and accommodate different learning styles.

http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/