Curriculum
American Leadership Academy is committed to inspiring excellence in our students through a classical, principle based education. Such an educational program provides each student with the ability to think critically, creatively solve problems and express themselves articulately in speech and writing. Though many factors will help us reach this goal, our chosen curriculum will be essential in helping students succeed. We have chosen curriculum that is comprehensive, research-based, multi-sensory and flexible enough to accommodate many different learning styles and levels of knowledge.
E.D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge Sequence: A Basic Framework
American Leadership Academy will be using the E.D Hirsch Core Knowledge curriculum as a basic framework for all the academics that will be taught. Although much information is valuable, not all is of equal value. The Core Knowledge curriculum selects specific information designed to help all children develop a well-rounded cultural literacy and skills in the areas of Language Arts, History and Geography, Visual Arts, Music, Mathematics, and Science.
The Core Knowledge Sequence operates under the idea that students learn by connecting new knowledge to the knowledge students have already acquired. If new knowledge and skills are not connected to previous learning, the new information or skill is easily forgotten. In the Core Knowledge curriculum, each year is designed to build on the knowledge and skills learned in previous years, in hopes that the knowledge will become the basis for what will be learned in the coming years. An example of this sequence is as follows in the subject area of world history. In Kindergarten, students learn about the seven continents. Then in first through third grades, the students learn about early civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece and Rome. In the fourth grade, the students learn about the middle ages, spread of Islam, African kingdoms, Chinese dynasties.
The following year, students learn about European Exploration, Renaissance, Reformation and Feudal Japan. And finally, in sixth grade, students learn topics which build from what has been taught over the years, such as the Spread of Christianity, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Industrialism, Capitalism and Socialism. While Core Knowledge is very comprehensive, it is not designed to take up the entire school day. It provides a framework with plenty of room to include additional curricula according to the needs of the students and the requirements of individual states. Johns Hopkins University conducted a three-year study of Core Knowledge schools around the United States and found that at schools where more than half of classrooms used Core Knowledge, their students performed better on standardized tests. Researchers called the improvement "educationally meaningful." For more information, visit the Core Knowledge website at http://www.coreknowledge.org.
Mathematics Curriculum
Singapore Mathematics
Our math curriculum is Singapore Math. Many young children experience difficulty in trying to understand the one-to-one correspondence between the numbers they are saying and the items they are counting. Singapore math addresses this by adding a pictorial component to bridge the gap between the manipulative to the abstract. The tens-base approach of Singapore Math helps students to better understand place value. Understanding place value is very important in order to move on to multiple-digit arithmetic. Students often make mistakes when regrouping. Singapore gives students a more concrete understanding of place value, which will help them avoid these mistakes. The Singapore Math website is http://www.singaporemath.com. You may also be interested in www.singaporemathtraining.com for additional information.
English/Reading Curriculum
The Spalding Method
The Spalding Method is a comprehensive approach to language arts. It teaches correct spelling, reading and writing through phonics. During multi-sensory spelling lessons students learn the rules and phonograms that make up the English language. Students learn to connect letters to the sounds they make during these spelling lessons. This allows students to better concentrate on understanding the content of what they are reading. Students taught under the Spalding method have achieved scores in reading and writing which are higher than state and national averages. Spalding's proven track record has been successfully used in traditional classrooms, as well as with students with special needs and those with students learning English as a second language. For more information on the Spalding Method: http://www.spalding.org/.
Shurley English
Shurley English is a fun, challenging and well-researched approach to teaching students the concepts and rules of the English language. Using repetition, teacher-student interaction and fun methods like jingles, students are able to master challenging skills. Throughout the learning process, students are encouraged to "see it, hear it, say it, do it" so that the needs of all learning styles will be met. >Students are taught how to merge the skills they learn with the writing process. Doing so helps both teachers and students focus more on advanced grammar and writing. A major advantage of learning the parts of a sentence through Shurley English is that these parts are always presented as part of a cohesive whole. In other words, students are taught (through a Q&A approach) how to identify the nouns, verbs, adjectives and other parts of speech within a sentence. This approach gives students a better understanding of how words fit together and encourages higher-level thinking as they work on their own to solve difficult language problems. In addition to proven effectiveness and high test achievement, students and teachers enjoy the Shurley English approach. Students learn to love language and writing. http://www.shurleyenglish.com
Curriculum Resources
Shurley Parent Help Booklets and Practice Sheets by grade level
Math Fun and Extra Practice:
www.aplusmath.com
www.funbrain.com
www.livingmaths.com
www.mathtv.com
www.mathmovesu.com
www.thinkingblocks.com
www.mathfactcafe.com
www.mathstories.com
www.brainbashers.com
We have been informed that the What your _____ Grader Needs to Know books by E.D. Hirsch can be purchased at Costco and Sams Club for less than we can get them through Core Knowledge. They are also available at Barnes and Noble.
We hope that these resources are useful to you as we progress through the school year. We appreciate your input and suggestions in making ALA a great place for your children to be.