Academics

The Language Arts curriculum is a whole language approach that is used in combination with phonics instruction. Students meet in small guided reading groups that are literature based. Choral reading, readers theater, listening and speaking experiences, journal writing, story dictation, group writing experiences, and exposure to all forms of quality children’s literature build the child’s appreciation for the written word and the ultimate mastery of the skills of reading and writing. All reading activities emphasize reading for meaning and teach strategies to decode unknown words. Children are encouraged to progress at their own pace. As their skills develop, they are exposed to non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and narratives. They also engage in an independent study of spelling words through a variety of creative practice options. Students develop a love of language arts by being able to approach reading and writing in their own unique styles.

The Math curriculum is based on GO Math! which is an approach that emphasizes the existence of mathematics in everyday life. Concepts are developed through whole and small group instruction, manipulation of materials, and daily routines, such as calendar and attendance. Counting games, math board games, geometry, and class preference graphs are some of the ways that our children develop number sense. Younger students focus on recognition of numbers, counting by tens, a basic understanding of place value, and beginning addition and subtraction. Older students focus on more complex addition and subtraction, patterns, coins and currency, telling time, graphing, number lines, numeration and order, and problem solving. Students are encouraged to work at their own pace to support mastery of the skills and concepts.

The Science curriculum is studied in a two-year loop. Our primary area of study is organisms and includes any living structure capable of growth and reproduction. This broad theme enables students to learn about many living things! The first year focuses on the science around us as students explore scientific topics through concrete activities designed to help them become more acutely aware of the natural world. The second year focuses on life cycles and systems including plants, trees, our bodies, and our senses.

The Social Studies curriculum is taught through integration with a variety of other subjects. Students learn about their role and place in the world through the studies of self, family, and the Earth itself. They learn what it means to be a good citizen and how good citizenship is developed. Students study people around the world by learning about their customs and celebrations. They learn about their own background so that they can fully participate in the celebration of all national holidays. As they learn about each other, the cohort grows into a community. School-wide celebrations develop a feeling of community that extends beyond the cohort to include the rest of the school as well. Field trips and parent visits enhance the learning experience.

We utilize the iTalAm Hebrew language program, which is used in many day schools around the world.  iTalAm supports the acquisition of language through the use of all five senses, and by creating a visual and auditory Hebrew environment in the classroom that encourages the development of speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Students acquire a basic Hebrew vocabulary that includes colors, numbers, days of the week, classroom, and family. They further acquire a repertoire of phrases that they are able to use correctly. Students develop the ability to read Hebrew by mastering the letter and vowel sounds, enabling them to decode unfamiliar words and phrases. They also develop a bank of sight words that they are able to recognize instantly. By the end of the second year in Parparim, students are able to read and comprehend simple picture books in Hebrew. Students also learn to write their names, and to write simple words and phrases in Hebrew.

Parparim students are introduced to the narrative sections of the five books of the Torah. They are guided to identify the main characters and frequently occurring Hebrew vocabulary in the text. Drama, creative writing, artwork, music, cooking, and supplementary stories enhance the lessons.

As each holiday approaches, students are taught to recognize the symbols that pertain to the holiday. They increase their knowledge of each holiday’s customs and rituals and learn to recite the blessings associated with them. Shabbat is joyfully acknowledged each week, with special preparations and prayers.

Students become familiar with basic prayers in the morning service, with key words found in those prayers, and with the rituals of Prayer. The Torah is taken out on Mondays and Thursdays, and Havdalah is recited on the first day of the school week. Students also learn the appropriate blessings for food. Students utilize prayer charts during daily tefillot and gradually increase their ability to read some of the prayers in Hebrew. At the end of the year, parents of older Parparim students join together with their children in their morning prayers and then present their children with a beautifully covered and inscribed siddur.