The Ellington curriculum develops children's knowledge and skills physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually, while helping children to become independent learners.

Each child is viewed as a unique person with an individual pattern and pace of growth. Different levels of ability, development, and learning styles are expected, accepted, and used to design curriculum and instruction.

Curriculum areas are frequently combined to show relationships among different subjects. For example, language arts and math activities are combined with science and social studies as students find solutions to a challenging problem.

Language Arts

Reading

Our reading program uses Houghton Mifflin Literature Experience (1991 Edition.) It consists of two books entitled Silly Things Happen and Come One, Come All. Each book has several themes that students read and write about. They work on theme projects, and complete other enrichment activities. The major skills include previewing and predicting, recognizing story elements, composing/writing, decoding and word meaning. Themes include The Best Friends Club, Funny Business, The World of Information, Growing Up, Aesop's Fables, In and Out of Trouble, Tomie dePaola.

Writing

Children write and publish stories using the writing process which includes: prewriting (brainstorming, story maps, etc.) first draft, revising, editing, and publishing. When writing, students are responsible for complete sentences, correct punctuation and capitalization. Demand writing experiences are also provided.

Spelling

The Cast-A-Spell program teaches students the strategies required to learn to spell with ease. With daily training, the students learn to use the auditory, visual and kinesthetic process required to spell words. The children must master a core group of words.

Handwriting

Follows the Zaner-Bloser handwriting program.

Mathematics

For math instruction, the math program Trailblazers is used. It consists of a "hands-on" approach to integrate math skills and concepts. The children learn and use problem solving strategies, regroup in addition and subtraction, and prepare for multiplication through repeated addition using concrete materials. The children also work on skills involving measurement, geometry, graphing and estimation.

Social Studies

Students learn basic types and characteristics of communities. They use these characteristics to compare and contrast Ellington and a community in Italy. In geography, students continue to learn map symbols, and to locate Ellington, our state, nation, and continent on a map.

Science/Health

The units covered are: Health (including Here's Looking at You 2000), animals, weather, environment, and length and capacity. Students learn from hands-on projects, experiments, readings, etc.

Physical Education

The Physical Education program engages students in carefully planned and sequenced movement experiences that enable them to learn about themselves and their world.

Music

This program develops an appreciation for various types of music and skills such as melody and rhythm.

Art

The program develops an appreciation of art and life-long interest in learning more about art. Content is based on Art Appreciation, Art History, Art Criticism, and Art Creation.

Technology

Use of technology is an integrated part of most areas of the curriculum.

Homework

The homework guideline for grade two is 15 minutes nightly. To establish good work habits, parents are encouraged to set aside this time whether or not there is a formal assignment. Typically, homework includes reading books at home on a regular basis, engaging in activities which contribute to classroom projects and reinforce skill development, and practicing penmanship.

Updated 1 May 2002.