elementary school curriculum guide

CurriCulum Guide - 2012/2013elemeNTArY SChool - eCe To GrAde 3

lAKeSide CAmpuS

Canadian International School Pte. Ltd.CPE UEN: 199002243H

Period of Registration: 8 June 2011 to 7 June 2015Printed: August 2011

All information is correct at the time of printing but is subject to change.

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.

THE EXPLORATORY YEARSECE TO SK

THE INDEPENDENCE AND CHALLENGE YEARSGRADES 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:TheIBLearnerProfile 11 PYP:LanguageA-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

2011/2012CURRICULUMGUIDE-3

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 thenskippedpastme.Itwasthefirstmorningafteraholidayandweallfeltasifwehadnotseeneachotherforalongtime. 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 thisdiversity, 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.

A footprint that will make an impression and leave a mark!

The Husky, renowned for its strength and intelligence in Canada’sArctic,istheofficialmascotoftheCanadianInternational School. As our logo, the Husky’s paw printrepresentsfourstagesofsignificantgrowthinourstudents’ learning.

1.TheExploratoryYears-ChildreninEarlyChildhoodand 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 fourtoeight(ages9-12)makeupourMiddleSchooland are located at the Jurong East and Tanjong Katong Campuses.

4.TheDefiningYears-StudentsinGradesninetotwelve(ages13-17)formourHighSchoolatourJurongEastCampus.

Together, the four pads complete a footprint to follow from Early Childhood to High School graduation. To

THE CIS HUSKY PAWensure that our programs reflect the changing needsand 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 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

4-2011/2012CURRICULUMGUIDE

Exploring techniques for painting in ECE.

THE CIS HUSKY PAWto explore ideas, and working with others are readily identifiable features. There are increasingopportunities 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.

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 HorizonsYears”areincreasinglyabletoreflectontheircapacities as learners. A strong emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of personal strengths and

areasforgrowth,andonbuildingconfidenceandskillsforleadership. 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

Thisfinalstageinourprogrammepreparesourstudentsfor 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 contextwithin a specific situation and within the world as awhole. This is a time of independence, leadership and service.


Focusing on a Science experiment in Grade 2.

Investigating further in High School.

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 whetherornotapracticefitswithwhatwebelieveabouthow 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.

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 forchildrenreflect theirdifferentstagesofgrowthandlevels of independence.

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 acquiringlifelong 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,toinquire,toreflect,tocompareandtoreconciledifferent 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.

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 childrenexplore theoutdoorsonfield tripsand inourEnchanted Garden.

Ready to risk trying something new.


TOUCHSTONES FOR LEARNING

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.

Investigating artifacts together in Grade 1.

ECE - Max makes an “x” to print his name for the first time.

Writing on the first day of school.

Literacy Continuums

Children grow through different stages as readers and writers.


DEVELOPINGAGES 5 - 7

BEGINNINGAGES 6 - 8

EMERGINGAGES 4 - 6

PRECONVENTIONALAGES 3 - 5

EXPANDING AGES 7 - 9


There are multiple forms of representation through which children may develop and express their understanding.

“Forms of representation” are the different systems of symbols which we use to express meaning. Children need to be fluent in themethods, 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.

Learners make the best progress toward their academic potential when they are challenged with high standards.

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.


THE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME

THE EXPLORATORY YEARSTHE 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 guidetheirinquiriesintoavarietyofsignificantunitsofstudy. 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.

Each Unit of Inquiry:

• Isasignificant,relevantandchallenginglearningexperience.

• 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

ThePYPframeworkincorporatesfiveessentialelements: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: What is it like? Function: How does it work? Connection: How is it connected to other things? Change: How is it changing? Perspective: What are the points of view? Responsibility: What are our responsibilities? Reflection: How do we know? Causation: 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 allcultures. 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?”

Therearefivesetsofskillswhicharethefocusacrossthe disciplines in the PYP:

• Thinking Skills • Communication Skills • Social Skills • Research Skills • Self-Management Skills


PYP: IB LEARNER PROFILEAttitudes: “What do we want students to value?”

The Primary Years Programme encourages a set of attitudes in students including:

• Curiosity • Tolerance• Creativity • Respect• Co-operation • Integrity • Confidence • Independence • Commitment • Enthusiasm• Appreciation • Empathy

Action: “How do we want students to act?”

Enabling students to take action is an important aspect of thePYP.Ourstudentsaretaught toreflect,chooseand 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.

An internationally-minded student demonstrates the attributes of the PYP Learner Profile. Our goal is todevelop 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.

Our students are:

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.

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 significantconceptsatschoolandcanrememberwhatthey 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.

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.

Practicing respect and care for the natural environment.


THE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP)BENEFITS OF THE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME AT CIS

• 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.

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, toexpress their ideas and to ask and answer questions of importance to them.

“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. Playisthevehiclethroughwhichtheywilltaketheirfirststeps in writing, reading, number, problem solving and creativethinking,andindevelopingfineandgrossmotormovement. 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Displays of artifacts and materials related to topics of study which offer children an experience to probe


PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISHfurther 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 firstPreconventionalstageofreading.

• 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.

• Mathematics “manipulatives” which are used in hands-on 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 therules.Childrenuseourfield,sandboxandcanopyareas 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 separationbetween 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 theirworld.Inthefindingsoftheir2009studyMillerandAlmon 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, andpermeatesthewholecurriculum,”(IBO2007).Ourprogramme focuses on developing children’s depth of understanding,fluency incommunicationandmasteryof 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 theyuselanguageasatooltothinkabout,orreflectona 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.


• 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.


PYP: LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH OVERVIEW - EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TO

JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN

Oral Communication: Listening and Speaking

Written Communication: Reading & Writing Visual Communication: Viewing and Representing

• 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.

• 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 theirname(and/orthoseoffamilymembers) 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.

• 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.



CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH OVERVIEW - SENIOR KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 1



• Children will use a variety of oral language appropriately and with increasingconfidence.

• 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.

• Children will read for pleasure and information with increasing independence.

• Theywillbeconfidentabouttheirown 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.

• Childrenwillwriteconfidentlywithdevelopinglegibilityandfluency.

• 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 high-frequency 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 demonstrateconfidenceinattempting to write unfamiliar words using a variety of strategies.

• Daily independent and instructional writing are essential.

• 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.



CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LANGUAGE A - ENGLISH OVERVIEW - GRADE 2 TO 3



• 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 complexlanguageconfidentlyand creatively, with accuracy, detail and range of vocabulary.

• They will become increasingly aware of the use of oral language to articulate, organize andreflectonlearning.

• They will begin to communicate in more than one language.

• Children will read a variety of fictionandnon-fictionbooksconfidently,fluentlyandindependently and they will be able to select books appropriate to their reading level and for a specificpurpose.

• 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.

• Studentswilldevelopfluencyin 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 high-frequency 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.

• 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 ofvisualmediatoinfluencethinking 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 willuseelectronicmediatofindinformation.

• Children will use their developing skills in Drama, movement and Art as other media through which they extend and share their understanding.



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/herstage 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.

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 restaurantandtrafficsigns,labels,andlogos.Childrenhold books correctly, turning the pages as they look at the illustrations. They know some letter names and can readandwritetheirfirstnames.

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.• Showsbeginning/endofbookorstory.• 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).

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.

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.


Learning about books in ECE.


• 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, likeGo Dog Go (P. D. Eastman, 1961). Later in this stage, they can readbooks with patterns that vary more, like Just for You (MercerMayer,1975),orCookie’s Week (Cindy Ward, 1988).They begin to look at books independently forshortperiodsof time (5-10minutes)and like tosharebooks 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 byword,particularlywithanewtext.Theygainfluencywith 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 (5-

10minutes).• Discusses favorite reading material with others.• Relies on illustrations and print.• Usesfinger-print-voicematching.• 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.• Identifiestitlesandauthorsinliterature(text

features).• Retells main event or idea in literature.• Participates in guided literature discussions.• Sees self as reader. • Explainswhyliteratureisliked/dislikedduringclass

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, questionmarks, and exclamationmarks.At first, theyread simple early readers, like Sammy the Seal (Syd Hoff,1959)andpicturebookswithrepetition, likeThe Napping House (AudreyWood,1984).Studentstakeabig step forward when they learn to read longer books, like The Cat in the Hat(1957)orGreen Eggs and Ham (1960)byDr.Seuss.

Later in this stage, they can readmore difficult earlyreaders, such as Frog and Toad Together (Arnold Lobel,1971)andmorechallengingpicturebooks,suchas A Bargain for Frances(RussellHoban,1970).Theyoften 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 for10-15minutes.Thesechildrenknowmanywords 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 nonfictiontexts, such as Mighty Spiders (FayRobinson, 1996)or Dancing with the Manatees(FaithMcNulty,1994),they are able to talk about what they learn. It may take significantly longer for children to move through thisstage since there is a wide range of text complexity at this level.


• Reads simple early-reader books.• Reads harder early-reader books.• Reads and follows simple written directions with • guidance. • Identifiesbasicgenres(e.g.,fiction,nonfiction,and• poetry).• Uses basic punctuation when reading orally.• Readsindependently(10-15minutes).• Chooses reading materials independently.• Learns and shares information from reading.• Uses meaning cues (context).• Uses sentence cues (grammar).• Usesletter/soundcuesandpatterns(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.• Identifiesownreadingbehaviourswithguidance.



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 theybuildfluency,studentsoftendevourseriesbooks,like Cam Jansen (David Adler), Bailey School Kids (Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones), or Amber Brown(PaulaDanziger).Theymayalsoreadnonfictiontexts on a topic, such as Pompeii . . . Buried Alive! (Edith Kunhardt, 1987). Students are learning how tochoose books at their reading level and can read silently for15-30minutes.Theyreadaloudfluentlyandbegintoself-correct when they make mistakes or their reading doesn’tmakesense.Theycanusuallyfigureoutdifficultwords 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.


• Reads easy chapter books.• Chooses,reads,andfinishesavarietyofmaterials

at appropriate level with guidance.• Beginstoreadaloudwithfluency.• Readssilentlyforincreasinglylongerperiods(15-

30 minutes).

• Uses reading strategies appropriately, depending on the text and purpose.

• Uses word structure cues (e.g., root words, prefixes,suffixes,wordchunks)whenencounteringunknown words.

• Increases vocabulary by using meaning cues (context).

• Self-corrects for meaning.• Follows written directions.• Identifieschaptertitlesandtableofcontents(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.• Identifiesownreadingstrategiesandsetsgoals

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 withexpression and often memorize some of the humorous poetry by Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. With adult guidance, Bridging readers can use resources, such as encyclopediasandtheInternet,tofindinformation.Theycan 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.


• Reads medium level chapter books.• Chooses reading materials at appropriate level. • Expands knowledge of different genres (e.g.,

realisticfiction,historicalfiction,andfantasy).• Reads aloud with expression.

Older “Reading Buddies” read to younger children.



• Uses resources (e.g., encyclopedias, websites, andnonfictiontexts)tolocateandsortinformationwith 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.


• Relies primarily on pictures to convey meaning. • Begins to label and add “words” to pictures.• Writesfirstname.• 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.

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.


• Uses pictures and print to convey meaning.• Writes words to describe or support pictures. • Copies signs, labels, names, and words

(environmental print).• Demonstratesunderstandingofletter/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.

Understanding that pictures convey meaning.



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.


• 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.

• 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”andfinishwith“TheEnd.”Childrenmayreviseby 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.


• Writes1-2pagesaboutatopic.• Writes about observations and experiences. • Writesshortnonfictionpieces(simplefactsabouta

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 andtheir writing contains a logical flow of ideas. Theirstories 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

Journaling at Recess.



specificfeedbacktootherstudents.Theireditingskillsbegin 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.


• Writesshortfictionandpoetrywithguidance.• Writesavarietyofshortnonfictionpieces(e.g.,

facts about a topic, letters, lists) with guidance. • Writes with a central idea.• Writes using complete sentences.• Organizesideasinalogicalsequenceinfiction

andnonfictionwritingwithguidance.• 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.• Identifiesownwritingstrategiesandsetsgoalswith

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,andnonfiction.However,thisisatimeofpractice 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.


• Writes about feelings and opinions. • Writesfictionwithclearbeginning,middle,and

end. • Writes poetry using carefully chosen language with

guidance. • Writesorganizednonfictionpieces(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 worldofwords that theyfind themselves immersed inat 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,prefixesandsuffixes.



• 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.

Learning Mathematics requires active inquiry that engages students and teachers in answering questions and in solving real life problems. It fosters creativity and

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 bodyofknowledgeuponwhichtobuildandreflectandwill 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 countingsequencesand/ortheabilitytomatchthingsinone 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 countallthenumbersinbothsetstofindananswer.

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.

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 andcountsonfromthere:“7,8,9,10,11”.Thisstage

Working with standard measurement.


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),untiltheyconfidentlyusearangeof 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 inadditionandsubtractionisreflectedintheirabilitytoderive 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:

• Makingsenseandfindingconnections.• Using and interacting with technologies. • Seeking patterns and generalizing. • Posing questions and solving problems.• Reflectingandcommunicating.• Conjecturingandverifying/proving.• Visualizing and representing. • Estimating and being precise. • Modeling and predicting.

MATHEMATICS AND THE LEARNING CONTINUUM

The frameworks of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) andourownCIScurriculumareorganizedtoreflectacontinuum 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 theparticular 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.

Wehavesetoutcomeswhichreflecttheexpectationsofaspecificgradelevelattheendofthatacademicyear.Some children will reach beyond those expectations, while others may need more time to formalize their understanding.


PYP: MATHEMATICS

PYP: MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW - JKMATHEMATICS OVERVIEW: JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN

NUMBER (~ 65% Of Programme)

STRATEGY: Uses counting strategiesAddition, subtraction, multiplication and divisionOne to One Counting• Match objects by one to one correspondence.• Countasetto10andbeyondbycountingallthe

objects.• Explore the conservation of number through the

use of manipulatives.• Modelnumberrelationshipsto10using

manipulatives.

Proportions and ratiosTransition from Unequal Sharing to Equal Sharing• Begin to divide a set into equal parts using

materials.

KNOWLEDGENumber Identification• Read,writeandmodelnumbers0-10.

Number Sequence and order• Say number word sequence forwards and

backwards0-10.• Ordernumbersfrom0-10.• Use ordinal numbers to describe the position of

thingsinasequence.Forexample:first,second.

Groupings/place value• Recognisepatternsto5,includingfingerpatterns.• Estimate with reasonable accuracy, quantities to

10.

Basic Facts• Recall addition and subtraction facts to 5.

Written recording• Record numerals to match the sets formed.

ALGEBRA - PATTERN AND FUNCTIONS (~ 5% Of Programme)

• Find, describe and reproduce simple patterns.• Create and extend simple patterns using a variety

of materials or actions.

MEASUREMENT (~10%0fProgramme)

• Estimate, measure, and compare using non- standard units of measurement for length, capacity, mass.

For example: Hand spans, blocks, a range of objects.• Use simple measurement terms correctly. Forexample: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%0fProgramme)

• Sort and classify objects into sets according to specificattributesanddescribethoseattributes.For example: colour, size, shape.

• Placesomespecifictypesofobjectsonconcretegraphs 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.

SHAPE AND SPACE (~10%0fProgramme)

• Sort, describe and compare 3-D shapes and objects.

• Use appropriate language to describe basic spatial relationships.

Forexample:above/below,near/far,in/out,nextto/behind/infrontof,up/down.

Mathematical Processes

• Problem Solving – begin to develop and apply strategies; persevere when solving problems and conducting mathematical investigations.

• Reasoning and Proving – apply developing reasoning skillssuchaspatternrecognitionandclassificationto 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 - SKMATHEMATICS OVERVIEW: SENIOR KINDERGARTEN

NUMBER (~ 65% 0f Programme)

STRATEGY: Uses counting strategiesAddition, 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 ratiosEqual Sharing• Divide a set into equal parts using materials.• Divide shapes using symmetry (halves).

KNOWLEDGENumber 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

to10,20andbeyond.• 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.• Knowgroupingswithin10.• Recognisepatternsto10,20(objects).• Estimate with reasonable accuracy, quantities to

20.

Basic Facts• Recall addition and subtraction facts to 5.

Written recording• Writenumbersfrom1–10correctly.• 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%0fProgramme)

• 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%OfProgramme)

• 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%0fProgramme)

• 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.


• Pose possible questions for mathematical investigation.

• Use simple problem solving strategies.• Carry out simple instructions.• Suggest answers to questions related to groups

and patterns.


PYP: MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW - GRADE 1

MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW: GRADE 1

NUMBER (~ 60% Of Programme)

STRATEGY: Uses counting strategiesCounting forwards or backwards from One (Imag-ing)• Imaging visual patterns of the objects in their

minds and counting them.• Solve multi-digit addition and subtraction problems

using materials.

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

• Countforwardsandbackwardsingroupsof10foradditionandsubtractionupto100.

For example: 23 + 20 as 23 + 10 + 10 35 – 20 as 35 – 10 - 10

Multiplication and divisionCounting 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).

KNOWLEDGENumber Identification• Read,writeandmodelnumbersto100.• Discuss and use fractional name for half and

quarter when solving problems.• Increaseconfidenceinrecognizingnumbersupto

999.

Number Sequence and order• Say number word sequences, forwards and back-

wards,to100.• Say numbers before and after a given number to

100.

• Skipcountsin2s,5sand10s,forwardsandback-wardsto100.

• Compareandordernumbersto100.

Groupings/place value• Demonstrate an understanding of the place value

systemupto100.• Recallgroupingswith10s.

-17=10+7-53=5tens+3or6tensminus7

Basic Facts• Recalladditionandsubtractionfactsto10,within

10,with10.• 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 subtractionusingequationseg:4+5=9

ALGEBRA - PATTERN AND FUNCTIONS (~10%0fProgramme)

• 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. -skipcounting2s,5sand10s.

• 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 1MEASUREMENT (~10%OfProgramme)

• 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.


• 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 offindinginformation.

• Understand the purpose of collecting data.• Create a pictogram and a simple bar graph from

a graph of real objects and interpret data by comparingquantities:more/fewer/lessthan/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%0fProgramme)

• 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.


• 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.



MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW: GRADE 2NUMBER (~ 60% Of Programme)

STRATEGY: Transition from Counting strategies to Part-Part-Whole(partitioning) strategies

Addition and subtractionCounting 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 1–1counting,23+4usingknowledgeofbasicfacts3+4=7,24–3usingbasicfactsof4-3=1.

• Countforwardsandbackwardsingroupsof10foradditionandsubtractionupto100.Forexample:23+20as23+10+1035–20as35–10–10

Part-Part-Whole/Partitioning (Early Additive)• Join and separate tens and ones to solve addition

andsubtractionproblemsupto100inanrangeofways 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.Forexample:17+18as10+10+5+ 5 + 2 + 3.

• Show on a number line compensation, (tidy numbers), to solve addition and subtraction problems. Forexample:29+6as30+5,51–14as50–14+1

• Make10’s.Forexample:8+7as10+5• Basic facts.

• Model simple addition and subtraction of fractions with the same denominator ½ , ¼.

Multiplication and divisionSkip 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 25-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3with1leftover.

Proportions and ratiosEqual sharing (Advanced counting)• Share sets into equal parts by imaging visual pat-

terns of the objects in their minds and counting them

• Divide shapes using symmetry (halves, quarter, eighths).

Fraction of a number by addition (Early additive)• findaunitofafractionbyusinghalvingorrepeated

halving.

KNOWLEDGENumber Identification• Read,writeandmodelnumbersusingthebase10

placevaluesystemto1000.• Identify symbols for the most common fractions –

½,¼,⅓.

Number Sequence and order• Say number word sequences, forwards and back-

wards,to100.• Say numbers before and after a given number to

100.• Skip count in 3s, 4s, 5s and explores other num-

bers• Count,compareandordernumbersby10,100

1000andintervalsbetweenincludingnamingthenumber of hundreds, total number of tens and ones in 3 digit numbers.


systemupto100.• Recallgroupingswith10s. 17 = 10 + 7 53 = 5 tens + 3 or 6 tens minus 7

Basic Facts• Recallalladditionandsubtractionfactsto10,

within10,with10efficientlyandaccurately.• Use number patterns to learn and recall

multiplicationtablesfor2s,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 us-

ing diagrams. For example: number lines.• Record the results of mental addition and subtrac-

tionusingequations.Forexample:35+24=59,4x5=20.

• Use appropriate mathematical vocabulary and symbols for operations including fractions.

• Reasonably estimate answers using rounding and approximationusing10sto100.


ALGEBRA - PATTERN AND FUNCTIONS (~10%OfProgramme)

• Analysepatternsinnumbersto100.• 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=106+4=()()–4=6,10–()=410–6=()

• 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%OfProgramme)

• 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.


• Discuss, compare and create sets and other diagrams from data.

• Design a simple survey, process and interpret the

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%OfProgramme)

• 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.• Identifylinesofreflectivesymmetry.• Locate features on a grid using simple coordinates.


• 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

andfindings.



MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW: GRADE 3NUMBER (~ 40% Of Programme)

STRATEGY: Part-Part-Whole (partitioning) strategies

Addition and subtractionPart-Part-Whole/Partitioning (Early Additive)• Join and separate tens and ones to solve

additionandsubtractionproblemsupto1000in an range of ways including the number line, using objects and mentally. For example: 45+27as45+10+10+7=45+20+767–34as67–10–10–10–4=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,

or43+30+4or63-27as63-20and43-3-4• compensation (Tidy Numbers). For example:

19+17as 20+16,or(doubles)20+20–4,63-29as63-30+1.

• usebasicfacts.Forexample:43+17as43+7and50+10.

• backthrough10.Forexample:47-9as47-7=40,40-2=38.

• use algorithm with and without renaming. (Check understanding)

• Model addition and subtraction of fractions with the same denominator.

Multiplication and divisionRepeated addition (Early Additive).• Demonstrate simple repeated addition and part-

part-whole strategies for multiplication and division problems including halving and doubling, splitting one factor into parts and reversing the operation.

Forexample:3x14as10+10+10+4+4+43x10+3x43x19as3x20–3x1 45 divided by 4 as repeated subtraction, usingknownfacts,subtracting10lotsof4plus1moregroupof4and1left remaining. • Know multiplication and repeated addition facts to

anticipate the result of division. Forexample:20÷4=5because5+5=10and10+10=20.

Proportions and ratiosFraction 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 ma-

nipulatives and fractional notation.

KNOWLEDGENumber Identification• Read, write and solve simple problems for the four

operations. • Read,writeandmodelnumbersusingtheBase10

systemto100000.• 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• Saythenumber1,10,100beforeandaftera

givennumberto1000.• Skip count in 3s, 4s, 5s and explores other

numbers.• Count,compareandordernumbersby10,100

1000,10000andintervalsbetweenincludingnaming the number of hundreds, total number of tens and ones in 3 digit numbers.

• Create and order fractions with the same numerator or denominator.


systemupto1000.• Knowsgroupingsof10thatcanbemadefroma3

digitnumber.Forexample:tensin763is76.• Knowsthenumberof100sincenturiesand

1000’s.• Exploretheconceptofequivalenceto1.For

example:twohalves=1,threethirds=1.

Basic Facts• Recall all addition and subtraction facts to 20

efficientlyandaccurately.Forexample:9+5,13-7.

• Recallmultiplicationtablesfor2s,3s,4s,5s,10sanddivisionbasicfactsefficientlyandaccurately.

• Recall doubles and corresponding halves to 20.• Recallmultiplesof100thataddupto1000and

1000thataddupto100000.• 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. Forexample:349+452=350+451=801.

• Record addition and subtraction problems using algorithms (columns).



• Use appropriate mathematical vocabulary and symbols for operations including fractions.

ALGEBRA - PATTERN AND FUNCTIONS (~15%OfProgramme)

• Analysepatternsinnumbersto1000andbeyond- odd, even.-multiplesof5,10and2.

• 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.

MEASUREMENT (~15%0fProgramme)

• 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:

• 10minutes.• 5 minutes.• 1minute.

• Exposure to the 24 hour clock and time zones.

STATISTICS & DATA HANDLING/PROBABILITY (~15%0fProgramme)

• Discuss, compare and create sets and other diagrams from data.

• Design a survey and process and interpret the

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.

SHAPE AND SPACE (~15%OfProgramme)

• 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.


• 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

andfindings.




LANGUAGE B - FRENCH AND MANDARIN

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)

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 program we use in French is called “Histoires en action!” (AIM program). It is based upon the use of storiesandmusicforthespecificteachingofFrenchasaForeignLanguage.Specificallydesignedstoriesarewritten in the form of plays which become the focus for a range of motivating language activities that help students developconfidenceandcompetenceinthelanguageasthey 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.

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.

CIS MANDARIN PROGRAMME

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.

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 astimulating environment.

• Language awareness: To introduce the similarities and differences between the writing systems of Chinese and English. For example:

1.CharactersinMandarinarewords,notletters.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.

The focus for the Independence and Challenge Years is deepened to include:

• 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,andreinforced.Reinforcementofand/orsupport 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: LANGUAGE B - FRENCH & MANDARIN

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 andlearnaboutgloballysignificant issuesintheUnitsof 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.

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)

The focus in Science is on “the exploration of the behaviours, and the interrelationships among, the natural, physical and material worlds”. The scientificmethod is a model of inquiry which is crucial to the developmentofscientificunderstanding.CISstudentsare 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.

Within the Units of Inquiry, students are provided with opportunitiestodevelopSciencespecificskillsinorderto:

• Observe carefully in order to gather data.• Use a variety of instruments and tools to measure

data accurately.• Usespecificvocabularytoexplaintheir

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.• Considerscientificmodelsandapplications.• BecomeconfidentandcompetentusersofICTin

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 asteachersplanandreflectonUnitsofInquiry.

PYP: SOCIAL STUDIES AND SCIENCE


PYP: UNITS OF INQUIRY Level An inquiry into

Who we areAn 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.

An inquiry into Where we are in time and

placeAn 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.

An inquiry into

How we express ourselvesAn inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the waysinwhichwereflecton,extendandenjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

Gra

de 3

8 ye

ar o

lds

CENTRAL IDEA: Our bodies are made of systems that work together. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Differentbodysystems.•Interdependenceamongbodysystems.•Factorsthataffectthehealthofbodies.

KEY CONCEPTS: Function, Connection, Change

CENTRAL IDEA: Migration changes people and places. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Reasonspeoplemigrate.•Thedecisionsinvolvedinmigration.•Theeffectsofmigrationoncommunitiesand

individuals.

KEY CONCEPT: Causation, Perspective, Change

CENTRAL IDEA: People can use visual art as a form of communication. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Differentformsofvisualart.•Whatartistscommunicate.•Artappreciation.•Thedifferentmaterials,tools,andtechniques

used in art.

KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Function, Perspective

Gra

de 2

7yearolds

CENTRAL IDEA: Individuals’ contributions make a difference in the lives of others. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Individualsandtheircontributions.•Howcontributionsmakeadifferencetoothers.•Thequalitiesofcontributors.

KEY CONCEPT: Causation

CENTRAL IDEA: Personal histories shape identity. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Thepersonalhistoriesofpeople,placesand things connected to us.•Waystodocumentpersonalhistories.•Howtousearchives,artifactsandhistorical

evidence.

KEY CONCEPT: Change, Connection

CENTRAL IDEA: Stories can be shared in different ways. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Thestructureofastory.•Howtoconveyastory.•Whystoriesareshared.

KEYCONCEPT:Form,Function,Reflection

Grade1

6 ye

ar o

lds

CENTRAL IDEA: Through play we learn about ourselves and others.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Thereasonsweplay.•Whatwelearnthroughplay.•Thewayspeoplefeelandthinkdifferently.•Whypeoplefeelandthinkdifferently.

KEY CONCEPTS: Function, Perspective, Reflection

CENTRAL IDEA: Our lives have similarities and differences to those of people from the past.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Theconnectionsthatexistbetweenlifeinthe

past and life today.•Thereasonswhythingshavechanged.

KEY CONCEPTS: Change, Connection

CENTRAL IDEA: People communicate in different ways.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Howpeoplecommunicateindifferentways.•Thereasonswhypeoplecommunicatein

different ways.•Choosingthebestwaytocommunicate.

KEY CONCEPTS: Function, Causation, Reflection

SK

5 ye

ar o

lds

CENTRAL IDEA: The way we think and act influences our relationships. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Howgoodfriendsactandthinktowardseach

other.•Behaviourthatwillhelpourrelationshipswith

others.•Whyrelationshipsareimportant.

KEY CONCEPTS: Connection, Responsibility

CENTRAL IDEA: Where we live influenceshow we live.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Differenttypesofenvironmentaroundthe world.•Howgeography/environmentinfluence lifestyles.

KEY CONCEPT: Form, Connection

CENTRAL IDEA: People create visual artin a variety of ways.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Whypeoplecreateart.•Howandwhyparticularresourcesare used in visual art.•Thedifferentformsofvisualart.

KEY CONCEPT: Form

JK4

year

old

s

CENTRAL IDEA: Every day I can learn about who I am and what I can do.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Physicalcharacteristics.•WhatIcando.•Myfeelings,likesanddislikes.•Growingandchanging.

KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Change

CENTRAL IDEA: Stories are a source of discovery, emotions and imagination.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Makingconnectionsthroughstories.•Creatingandsharingstories.•Presentingstories.

KEY CONCEPTS: Connection, Perspective

EC

E3

year

old

s

CENTRAL IDEA: People play to learn, explore and make friends. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Typesofplay.•Responsibilitiesofplaying.•Buildingfriendships.•Play,learningandexploring.

KEY CONCEPT: Responsibility, Connection

CENTRAL IDEA: Schools help us to learn.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Theschoolbuildingsandgrounds.•Thepeopleattheschool.•Whatwedoatschool.

KEY CONCEPT: Form

CENTRAL IDEA: Art comes in many forms. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Artforms.•Artmaterials.•ConnectionbetweenTheArtsandself.

KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Perspective


PYP: UNITS OF INQUIRYAn inquiry into

How the world worksAn 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 scientificprinciples;theimpactofscientificandtechnological advances on society and on the environment.

An inquiry into

How we organise ourselvesAn 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

Sharing the planetAn inquiry into rights and responsibilities in thestruggletosharefiniteresourceswithother people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peaceandconflictresolution.

CENTRAL IDEA: The design of city structures is based on many factors. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Typesofstructures.•Thefactorsaffectingthedesignofastructure.

KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Function, Connection

CENTRAL IDEA: Planning events and projects requires organisation and collaboration. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Typesofevents/projects.•Howtoorganiseanevent/project.•Decision-making.

KEYCONCEPT:Function,Responsibility,Reflection

CENTRAL IDEA: Plants are a life-sustaining resource for us and other living things. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Thestructureofaplant.•Whatplantsprovideforusandforotherliving

things.•Caringforplantlife.

KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Connection, Function

CENTRAL IDEA: Understanding matter can impact our lives. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Thepropertiesofmatter.•Investigatingchangesinmatter.•Theimpactofmatteronourlives.

KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Change, Causation

CENTRAL IDEA: People trade to get what they need and want. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Theconceptsofneedsandwants.•Systemsofexchangethroughouttimeandplace.•Howsystemsofexchangework.

KEY CONCEPTS: Function, Change, Perspective

CENTRAL IDEA: The earth provides us with natural resources that we use daily.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Howtoidentifyanddescribenaturalresourcesand

materials.•Theoriginofmaterialsinitemsweuse.•Howresourcesandmaterialsarechangedfordaily

use.•Changesintheuseofmaterialsovertime.

KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Connection, Change

CENTRAL IDEA: Forces move the things around us. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Howdifferentforceswork.•Theeffectsofforces.•Howpeopleuseforces.

KEY CONCEPT: Function, Causation

CENTRAL IDEA: We depend on each other to keep places we live and learn working effectively.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Ourrolesandresponsibilitiesintheplaceswelive

and learn.•Howwedependoneachothertoworkeffectively.•Howourbehaviouraffectsothersandtheirroles.

KEY CONCEPTS: Responsibility, Connection

CENTRAL IDEA: The rainforest is an environment which supports life. LINES OF INQUIRY:•Theclassificationoflivingandnon-livingthings.•Thecomponentsofarainforest.•Theinterdependenceamongthelivingthingsofthe

rainforest.

KEY CONCEPTS: Connection, Form

CENTRAL IDEA: We understand materials by working with them.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Uniquecharacteristicsofmaterials.•Howmaterialscanbeused.•Imaginativeuseofmaterials.

KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Causation

CENTRAL IDEA: Organizing aperformance requires planning andworking together.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Typesofperformances.•Creatingaperformance.•Rolesandresponsibilities.

KEY CONCEPTS: Responsibility, Function, Reflection

CENTRAL IDEA: We share our environment with other living creatures LINES OF INQUIRY:•Characteristicsofanimalgroups.•Changesinanimalsduringtheirlifetime.•Needsoflivingthings.

KEY CONCEPTS: Change, Form

CENTRAL IDEA: People work togetherto provide food.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Placesfoodcomesfrom.•Whypeopleneedpeople.•Processfoodgoesthrough.

KEYCONCEPT:Connection/Function

CENTRAL IDEA: We explore our environment through our senses LINES OF INQUIRY:•Thenaturalenvironment.•Howoursensesconnectustoourworld.

KEYCONCEPT:Form,Reflection

CENTRAL IDEA: Light can create shadows and reflections.

LINES OF INQUIRY:•Differentsourcesandusesoflight.•Shadowsandhowtheychange.•Reflections.

KEY CONCEPTS: Form, Causation


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.

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, individualpursuits, games, movement composition and adventure challenge.

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

Our focus

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 non-locomotor skills.

Grade1 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.

PYP: PHYSICAL EDUCATION


ART AND DRAMA

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)

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.

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.

MUSIC 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, fun-filled, concept driven programmeof learning. InECE,Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten, students find theirvoice, learnaboutsoundsandexplorevocaland 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 curriculumencompassesfivestrands:

• 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!

Exploring through Story Drama

PYP: THE ARTS - ART, DRAMA AND MUSIC


NOTES


ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC

INFORMATION

ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC INFORMATIONHOMEWORK POLICY ECE TO GRADE 3

TheCIShomeworkpolicy reflectschildren’sstagesofdevelopment and growing independence, and is guided by educational research.

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 isanessentialactivity forchildren’s learning.Parents are encouraged to provide ample time for children to have free play at home.

• AtthestartofeachUnitofInquiry(UOI),teachersprovide parents with inquiry questions. Parents are encouraged to use these questions for engaging in additional school-related home learning experiences.

ForstudentsinGrades1to3:

• Homework activities are used to reinforce newconcepts and skills, and to help build effective learning habits.

• Homework activities may include tasks set byteachers to support units of inquiry (UOI), weekly word study, and number knowledge practice.

• The amount of time that children spend doinghomework 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 andencouragement to their child in developing good learning habits by:

• Talkingwithyourchildaboutwhatheorsheislearning.

• Establishingadailyhomeworkroutine.• Providing a quiet place to do their assigned

activities.• Beingavailabletoanswerquestions.• Reviewingcompletedtasks.• Informingtheteacherwhenproblemsarise.

ASSESSMENT POLICY ECE TO GRADE 3

• The primary purpose of assessment in the PYPis 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 toolsare used to ensure that diverse learning styles, developmental expectations, and learning outcomes are considered.

• Twiceayear,writtenreportsprovideasummativerecord 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. Theyalsoaddressthe learnerprofile,andprovidecomments from all relevant teachers.

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 areintegral 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.


ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC INFORMATIONAll 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 particularcontinents, regions of the world or even worldwide searches.

OUR POLICY FOR LOST LIBRARY BOOKS 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 September1ofthefollowingschoolyear,arefundwillbe issued. Contact for the Toh Tuck Library:Ms. Isabel Jones: [email protected]

OPEN MINDS PROGRAMME - MAKING THE WORLD OUR CLASSROOM!

CISstudentsinGrades1to8haveopportunitieseachyear 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

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 inquiry- based 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 hands-on, 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

Journaling,sketchingandreflectingareimportanttothechildren’s documentation of their learning. In the Open Minds environment, their skills as writers and artists expand to match the richness of their experiences.


Exploring Art at the Singapore Art Gallery.

ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC INFORMATIONOpen 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 ultimatefieldexperience.

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

challenges. Academic Resource support is available to thosestudentswhorequireassistancewithspecificaspects 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


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).BringingReggioEmiliaHome:AnInnovativeApproachtoEarlyChildhoodEducation.NewYork, New York: Teachers College Press.

Campbell-Hill. B, Developmental Continuums: A Framework for Literacy Instruction and Assessment K-8. Christopher- GordonPublishers,Inc.2001.

InternationalBaccalaureateOrganization.(2007).MakingthePYPHappen:ACurriculumFrameworkforInternationalPrimary Education. Chippenham, Wiltshire: Antony Rowe Ltd.

Edwards,E.etal.(1998).TheHundredLanguagesofChildren:TheReggioEmiliaApproach-AdvancedReflection,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 Pte. Ltd.CPE UEN: 199002243H

Period of Registration: 8 June 2011 to 7 June 2015Printed: August 2011

All information is correct at the time of printing but is subject to change.

Canadian international School

Tanjong Katong Campus early Childhood education to Grade 10371 Tanjong Katong RoadSingapore 437128T: +65 6345 1573F: +65 6345 4057E: [email protected]

lakeside Campus early Childhood education to Grade 127 Jurong West Street 41Singapore 649414T: +65 6467 1732F: +65 6467 1729E: [email protected]

url: www.cis.edu.sg

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