Primary Grades K-3
English Language Arts Programming
Open Up Resouce- EL Education- Hillside educators and students utilize EL Education as a core ELA program to address various reading, vocabulary, and writing skills. EL was created to support students to build skills and content knowledge all while helping them become more confident and collaborative learners. Designed to provide implicit and systematic instruction, EL Education offers comprehensive English and Language arts experiences to assess language standards and engage students in meaningful content.
Each grade level covers four modules within the school year. The four modules allow students to build important content knowledge based on a compelling topic related to science, social studies, or literature. Each module uses rich authentic text.
Content Topics of Modules
EL Education Curriculum Addressing Standards for Literacy
Reading Standards
| Text Complexity | Frequent use of grade-appropriate complex text at all grade levels for all students; at the K-2 level many close read-alouds are conducted with texts two or three grade levels above what students can read on their own to encourage high-level thinking and discourse; scaffolds so that all students are successful; Language Dives for all students (more frequent for ELLs); story time to launch every K-2 Lab session |
| Vocabulary | Intentional vocabulary building from content-based text; attention to figuring out words from context; decoding; emphasis on academic (Tier 2) vocabulary |
| Close Reading | Teacher-led close reading or close read-alouds of content-based texts; carefully developed text-dependent questions; multiple reads for deepening comprehension; focus question that drives a series of sessions on a single text |
| Volume or Reading | Daily Accountable Independent Reading at each individual student’s level (or rereading complex text previously read with teacher support); reading to deepen and expand content knowledge and vocabulary; story time to launch every K-2 Lab session. |
| Research | Gathering evidence for knowledge building before writing; Accountable Independent Reading; K-2 Research Lab |
| Fluency | Multiple reads of complex text; research reading; volume of reading; reading decodable texts (in the K-2 Reading Foundations Skills Block) |
| Foundational Skills | A dedicated hour per day to explicitly teach the letter-sound patterns of the English language (in the K-2 Reading Foundations Skills Block) |
Writing Standards
| Writing Reflects Content Understanding | All writing supports content knowledge: Students write both as they are learning content knowledge (e.g., note-taking) and as they synthesize that knowledge (e.g., in their formal writing); note-taking in the K-2 Research Lab |
| Specific Instruction in Aspects of Writing | Writing skills (e.g., use of introductions, transitions) and approaches (e.g., gathering evidence to support a statement) are scaffolded specifically for particular writing in each module |
| Writing Fluency, Ease of Writing | Frequent “short writes” as well as more developed pieces; almost daily writing in the K-2 module lessons; goal-setting and reflection in the K-2 Labs; writing practice as one specific component of the 3-5 Additional Language and Literacy Block |
| Oral Processing of Ideas Before Writing | Frequent opportunities for students to “orally rehearse” ideas and thinking before writing, including structured conversations and Language Dives |
| Writing Process (Plan, Draft. Confer, Revise, Edit) | Instruction and scaffolding in each aspect of the writing process; emphasis on use of models, critique (kind, specific, and helpful), feedback, and revision |
Language Standards
| Standard Grammar and Usage | Short and fully developed writing (including emphasis on revising and editing skills); explicit instruction on specific language standards in K-2 module lessons (often involving analyzing or punctuating songs and poems) and in 3-5 Additional Language and Literacy Block; Language Dives; embedded grammar and usage instruction (within performance tasks and often within other writing assignments) |
| Standard Writing Conventions, including Spelling | Short and fully developed writing (including an emphasis on revising and editing skills); focus on letter formation and spelling patterns in K-2 Reading Foundations Skills Block; explicit instruction on conventions in K-5 module lessons and the 3-5 Additional Language and Literacy Block (grammar, usage, and mechanics component); Language Dives |
| Academic and Domain-Specific Vocabulary | Multiple reads of complex text; short and fully developed writing; Language Dives; unpacking learning targets; explicit teaching of the language of habits of character (e.g., collaboration, perseverance) |
| Standard Grammar and Usage | Short and fully developed writing (including emphasis on revising and editing skills); explicit instruction on specific language standards in K-2 module lessons (often involving analyzing or punctuating songs and poems) and in 3-5 Additional Language and Literacy Block; Language Dives; embedded grammar and usage instruction (within performance tasks and often within other writing assignments) |
| Standard Writing Conventions, including Spelling | Short and fully developed writing (including an emphasis on revising and editing skills); focus on letter formation and spelling patterns in K-2 Reading Foundations Skills Block; explicit instruction on conventions in K-5 module lessons and the 3-5 Additional Language and Literacy Block (grammar, usage, and mechanics component); Language Dives |
| Academic and Domain-Specific Vocabulary | Multiple reads of complex text; short and fully developed writing; Language Dives; unpacking learning targets; explicit teaching of the language of habits of character (e.g., collaboration, perseverance) |
Speaking and Listening Standards
| Participation in Discussion, Building on Others’ Ideas | Collaborative protocols; small group discussion; discussion norms; Conversation Cues; sentence frames to scaffold productive discussion |
| Presentation of Ideas in a Style Appropriate to the Audience | Presentation of students’ work, both formally and informally, to an audience of their peers, families, or invited guests |
Math Programming
HMH Math in Focus-Singapore Mathematics (K-8)- Hillside educators use this multi-sensory program built on research emphasizing problem-solving. The Singapore math curriculum framework recognizes problem-solving skills as central to learning. The program’s CPA or concrete-pictorial-abstract approach helps students improve number fluency and better understand concepts through manipulatives, diagrams, models, and abstract symbols.
K-2 Scope of Topics
Kindergarten
- Number and Operations
- Sets and Numbers, Number Representation, Counting, Compare and Order numbers, Compose and Decompose Numbers, Place Value, Whole Number Computation: Addition and Subtraction, Whole Number Computation: Addition and Subtraction Word Problems, Develop Fluency with Addition and Subtraction to 5.
- Algebra/Expressions and Equations
- Patterns, Expression Models, Number of Sentences and Equations, Equality and Inequality.
- Geometry
- Size and Position, Two-Dimensional Shapes and Polygons, Three-Dimensional Shapes/Solid Figures.
- Measurement
- Length and Distance, Weight/Mass.
- Data Analysis/Statistics and Probability
- Classifying and Sorting.
- Making Sense in Solving Problems
- Build Skills Through Problem-Solving, Solve Real-World Problems.
- Reasoning
- Use Appropriate Strategies and Thinking Skills to Solve Problems, Apply and Explain Problem-Solving, Explore Concepts, Investigate Mathematical Ideas, Identify, Demonstrate, and Express Regularity in Reasoning, and Use a Variety of Reasoning Skills.
- Communication
- Consolidate Mathematical Thinking, Communicate with Peers, Teachers, and Others, Share Mathematical Thinking, Construct Arguments, and Express Mathematics Ideas.
- Connections and Structures
- Look for and Use Structure to Recognize Connections in Mathematical Ideas, Understand How Concepts Build on One Another, and Solve Real World Problems in Contexts Outside Mathematics.
- Representation and Model Mathematics
- Use Representations to Attend to Precision, Select and Apply Appropriate Models and Tools to Represent Problems, and Interpret Phenomena through Representations.
First Grade
- Number and Operations
- Sets and Numbers, Number Representation, Counting, Compare and Order numbers, Place Value, Fraction Concepts, Money, Whole Number Computation: Addition and Subtraction, Whole Number Computation: Addition and Subtraction Word Problems, Whole Number Computation: Multiplication and Division Concepts, Estimation and Mental Math.
- Algebra/Expressions and Equations
- Patterns, Properties, Functional Relationships, Expression Models, Number of Sentences, and Equations.
- Geometry
- Two-Dimensional Shapes and Polygons, Three-Dimensional Shapes/Solid Figures.
- Measurement
- Length and Distance, Weight/Mass, Time, Area.
- Data Analysis/Statistics and Probability
- Classifying and Sorting, Collect and Organize Data, Represent Data, Interpret/Analyze Data.
- Making Sense in Solving Problems
- Build Skills Through Problem-Solving, Solve Real-World Problems.
- Reasoning
- Use Appropriate Strategies and Thinking Skills to Solve Problems, Apply and Explain Problem-Solving, Explore Concepts, Investigate Mathematical Ideas, Identify, Demonstrate, and Express Regularity in Reasoning, and Use a Variety of Reasoning Skills.
- Communication
- Consolidate Mathematical Thinking, Communicate with Peers, Teachers, and Others, Share Mathematical Thinking, Construct Arguments, and Express Mathematics Ideas.
- Connections and Structures
- Look for and Use Structure to Recognize Connections in Mathematical Ideas, Understand How Concepts Build on One Another, and Solve Real World Problems in Contexts Outside Mathematics.
- Representation and Model Mathematics
- Use Representations to Attend to Precision, Select and Apply Appropriate Models and Tools to Represent Problems, and Interpret Phenomena through Representations.
Second Grade
- Number and Operations
- Sets and Numbers, Number Representation, Counting, Compare and Order numbers, Place Value, Fraction Concepts, Money, Decimal Concepts, Whole Number Computation: Addition and Subtraction, Whole Number Computation: Addition and Subtraction Word Problems, Whole Number Computation: Multiplication and Division Concepts, Whole Number Computation: Multiplication and Division Real World Problems, Decimal Computation, Estimation, and Mental Math.
- Algebra/Expressions and Equations
- Patterns, Properties, Number Theory, Functional Relationships, Expression Models, Number of Sentences, and Equations.
- Geometry
- Lines and Angles, Two-Dimensional Shapes and Polygons, and Three-Dimensional Shapes/Solid Figures.
- Measurement
- Length and Distance, Weight/Mass, Time, Area.
- Data Analysis/Statistics and Probability
- Classifying and Sorting, Collect and Organize Data, Represent Data, Interpret/Analyze Data.
- Making Sense in Solving Problems
- Build Skills Through Problem-Solving, Solve Real-World Problems.
- Reasoning
- Use Appropriate Strategies and Thinking Skills to Solve Problems, Apply and Explain Problem-Solving, Explore Concepts, Investigate Mathematical Ideas, Identify, Demonstrate, and Express Regularity in Reasoning, and Use a Variety of Reasoning Skills.
- Communication
- Consolidate Mathematical Thinking, Communicate with Peers, Teachers, and Others, Share Mathematical Thinking, Construct Arguments, and Express Mathematics Ideas.
- Connections and Structures
- Look for and Use Structure to Recognize Connections in Mathematical Ideas, Understand How Concepts Build on One Another, and Solve Real World Problems in Contexts Outside Mathematics.
- Representation and Model Mathematics
- Use Representations to Attend to Precision, Select and Apply Appropriate Models and Tools to Represent Problems, and Interpret Phenomena through Representations.
Specialized Reading Programs
Project Read-Children need to understand the relationship between written letters and spoken sounds to develop the ability to read words in isolation and connected text. Direct phonics instruction via the Project Read curriculum is scheduled daily in the primary grades. The Project Read program honors diverse learning profiles and provides lessons built on direct concept teaching, multisensory strategies, systematic instruction, and higher-level thinking skills. The phonics section of the program is based on the Orton-Gillingham method and has been regarded by a reputation for over 45 years.
S.P.I.R.E- S.P.I.R.E. employs all the elements of Structured Literacy—phonology, sound-symbol association, syllables, morphology, syntax, and semantics—incorporating research-proven best practices for reading and language development. Every aspect of S.P.I.R.E. systematically builds reading skills. Educators use multisensory activities to engage all students. Explicit, teacher-led instruction is data-driven, allowing teachers to address areas of need, while continual practice and review then lock in permanent gains.
Heggerty-The Heggerty curriculum is backed by research and the science of reading. Each level of the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum provides up to 35 weeks of daily lessons, focusing on eight phonemic awareness skills, along with two additional activities to develop letter and sound recognition, and language awareness. Visualizing and Verbalizing by Nancibell- Students are exposed to fiction and non-fiction selections, children’s literature, novels, poetry, and short stories that encompass a variety of genres. The Visualizing and Verbalizing program teaches students to visualize while reading and verbalize their images, which helps them strengthen their concept imagery (the ability to create a “movie in your mind” when reading).
Executive Functioning
Executive functioning refers to cognitive processes enabling individuals to plan, organize, and regulate their behavior effectively. In the classroom, supporting executive functioning needs is crucial for students' academic success and overall development. Hillside teachers provide several strategies to promote executive functioning skills among students.
Throughout the day and in every class, students are coached to develop effective executive functioning skills including planning and prioritizing, self-monitoring, organization, impulse and emotional control, flexible thinking, and working memory skills. They are taught how to problem solve and to reflect on the successful use of learning strategies; how to discuss which strategies work for them; and to understand why. Additionally, teachers set up clear routines and expectations, providing a structured and predictable environment. As students experience success, their self-confidence increases which encourages independence, promotes motivation, builds focused effort, and finally, empowers them to take pride and ownership in their own education.
Teachers support students' self-regulation by teaching them strategies to manage their emotions and handle distractions effectively. Providing opportunities for reflection, self-assessment, and goal-setting can further develop students' executive functioning skills. By incorporating these supportive strategies, classrooms become nurturing environments that empower students to develop strong executive functioning abilities, leading to increased independence and academic achievement.