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Elementary School: 2nd through 5th Grades

Journey’s elementary students are increasing incrementally in their knowledge and skills. They become more self-assured as they gain the ability to think clearly, question, and reason. In the elementary years our students are becoming more independent and self-confidence they learn and succeed. They begin to take responsibility for their actions and performance as they approach school with enthusiasm.

Language Arts

  • Oral reading fluency is developed as students master the art of answering written response questions, expand vocabulary, and build grammar and phonics skills.
  • Students are constantly provided with practice in order to increase their confidence and fluency.
  • Reading progress is assessed along the way to provide additional support as well as to challenge students.
  • Students are inspired with reading selections across a variety of genres as they are taught inquiry that helps them learn to question, investigate, and explore.
  • Students are tested weekly on skills, spelling, and vocabulary taught and/or reviewed during the week.

Composition

  • Writing well helps students to express themselves in important ways. Journey students are taught this skillset that gives them an academic edge.
  • Students learn a wide variety of writing types including descriptive, narrative, persuasive and expository pieces.
  • The writing process is taught using guided instruction that teaches students how to follow a structured formula that enables them to become stronger, more confident writers.
  • Multi-paragraph compositions are introduced and worked on throughout the year.
  • Students are taught to tap into their individual creativity to develop organization, voice, and confidence in writing.

Math

  • Students become mathematically proficient in fluency with computational and conceptual understanding.
  • Journey’s math program focuses on a five-step problem solving process, which guides students to understand, plan, solve, check and explain.
  • Students are taught a consistent process for evaluating different problem-solving situations and learn how to demonstrate perseverance while working on a problem.
  • A strategy to problem solving is taught by first working to understand the problem and then make a plan before solving. Students are taught to end by checking their solutions, providing opportunities to ask, “Does this make sense?” and re-direct if necessary.
  • Students are exposed to different concepts at the same time through incremental instruction and mixed practice, review, and assessment. They learn the importance of making sense of quantities and their relationships and of carefully considering the units involved.
  • Math problems do not focus simply on one concept, but rather may involve multiple concepts just as they would in real-world situations. Therefore, it is essential that students can make connections, think about what the quantities mean in a specific context, and solve appropriately.

Social Studies

  • 2nd and 3rd grade Journey students focus on the world around them; from their own neighborhood to around the world. Social Studies are taught in units.
    • Units include: famous Americans, historical events that shaped our country, maps and map skills, landforms and bodies of water, holiday customs and traditions, communities, careers, and symbols of America.
  • 4th & 5th grade students are taught world history beginning with ancient times through the middle ages.
  • A study of world history helps students to form a better understanding of the scale involved in a specific moment in history.
  • Every year 4th and 5th graders study the history of Nevadaand its role in shaping the U.S. They can participate in our Nevada history trip every other year to Carson City.
  • Simple geography is taught including continents, oceans, and countries.
  • Student’s recognize patterns in history and gain an understanding of the significance of the past to their own life and to current social issues.
  • Maps are utilized to provide context and relevance to topics covered in class as students more easily visualize complex ideas and situations.

Science

  • 2nd and 3rd grade science is explored in units including the body, weather, seasons, plants, insects, and animals.
  • 4th and 5th grade students study a variety of science related subjects including general science, life science, earth science, and physical science.
  • Hands-on scientific experiments allow students to become more engaged in the scientific process.
  • Students learn how to incorporate the scientific method with each experiment.
  • Lessons open the world of science through inquiring, exploration and discovery with the objective of piquing student’s curiosity to investigating further.
  • Students are engaged in teacher led demonstrations that promote inquiry, illuminates key concepts and, most importantly, leads to heightened curiosity.