Kentwood Elementary

Grade Levels

Kindergarten
Kindergarten is an important year for students and parents. While focusing on academics, we allow for the developmental aspects associated with students’ age range (4-6) and support that difference. Language Arts is taught through the Open Court reading program which focuses on alphabetic principles, phonics, letters and their sounds, and grammar usage. Math is taught through a combination of hands-on learning and paperwork. Our units include beginning numbers, number values, greater and smaller, money, time, addition to 10, subtraction to 10, sorting/graphing and measurement. We learn about the calendar, the days of the week and months of the year. Social Studies units include community helpers, holidays, rules we live by, and places/things. Science units include the five senses, apples, seasons, nutrition, dental health, the ocean, from seed to plant, sink/float, trees, wood and living things.

Field Trip: Aquarium of the Pacific
Mad Science Workshop (Slime Time)

1st Grade
Rigorous academics continue in 1st grade. Students will enjoy a curriculum with an emphasis on developing strong reading and writing skills. By the end of 1st grade, each student should be reading with a fluency of 65 words per minute. Students will further develop their writing skills by creating complete, detailed sentences with correct punctuation. Math will continue with addition and subtraction. Students will work on telling time, measurement and money skills. In Science and Social studies, students will explore the world around us through exciting, hands-on, inquiry based lessons.

Field Trips: TheatreWorks (popular books brought to life on stage)
Mad Science Workshop (Dry Ice Capades)

2nd Grade
2nd grade is a year of transformation where students become independent and responsible learners. Students write their homework every night in a homework log. Language Arts focuses on skills of spelling, sight words, reading fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary strategies, synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, articles, conjunctions), punctuation, paragraph writing, letter writing, sentence structure and so much more! Weekly spelling tests are introduced. Math focuses on adding and subtracting two and three digit numbers, critical thinking skills, fractions, multiplication and division by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s and 10’s, word problems, adding with regrouping, subtracting and borrowing, money, number sequencing, odd and even numbers, number values, place value, and standard and expanded notation. Social Studies focuses on different cultures, heritage, then and now, courageous american figures, and american history. Science units include fossils and dinosaurs.

Field Trip: Cabrillo Beach
Mad Science Workshop (Dinosaurs)

3rd Grade
3rd grade is a transition year for students. We are no longer learning to read, but reading to learn. Language Arts focuses on comprehension and understanding what you have read. We work on prefixes, suffixes and base word knowledge. Students also learn cursive. Math focuses on multiplication and division, place value, geometry and statistics. Our Social Studies unit covers community which includes those who lived on the land before us, the Native Americans. We also learn about what cities need to govern their communities. Science focuses on space, life cycles, the food chain and matter.

Field Trip: City Hall
Mad Science Workshop (Matter of Fact)

4th Grade
In 4th grade we continue to learn by reading with higher level texts. Language Arts focuses on comprehension, building vocabulary and seeing the connection between reading and writing. Writing is a major focus and students move from writing one paragraph to writing multiple paragraphs with a thesis, topic sentence and supporting details. Math continues building on previously learned skills. The Math unit includes rounding numbers, comparing fractions and decimals, placing fractions and decimals on a number line, place value to a million and composite and prime numbers. Social Studies focus on California geography and history. Students will participate in the Walk Through California program (2 ½ hour interactive program where students participate in an imaginary trip through California history and geography) and the Gold Rush simulation game. Science includes life science (ecosystems, food chains, food webs), earth science (types of rocks and how they are formed), and physical science (magnets and electricity).

Field Trips: California Museum of Science (Big Lab), Autry National Center
Mad Science Workshop (Current Events)
Special Events: Walk through California Program
Orchestra (limited number of students)

5th Grade
5th grade is the year we refine students’ skills and prepare them for the transition to middle school. Language Arts will emphasize writing skills, parts of speech, fluency and comprehension. Math will focus on division, fractions, decimals, algebra, geometry (formulas) and statistics. Science units cover plant versus animal life, water, energy, rocks & minerals, and the solar system. Our Social Studies unit is the United States. This unit culminates in the Walk Through the American Revolution program. In this program students will compete in teams to answer historical facts and win prizes, they will dress in historical costumes and re-enact famous battles, Paul Revere’s ride and the signing of the Constitution.

Field Trips: Griffith Park Observatory, Reagan Museum
Mad Science Workshop (Junior Reactors)
Special Events: Walk Through the American Revolution Program, Outdoor Science School (tentative)
Orchestra (limited number of students)

EVENTS