Instructional Program
Holistic Approach to Learning
OLLAS Academy’s Academic program serves children in Kindergarten to 5th grade. We fundamentally believe that all children have the capacity to learn regardless of any handicapping condition. It is from this premise that we designed our academic program. It is our aim that 100 percent of our student population will take full ownership of their learning. Our approach to the teaching and learning process is holistic. In other words, our parents can rest assured that their children will receive a well-rounded education. We do not teach to any test! We teach the skills that are critical to students’ grade, age, and cognitive/ developmental appropriateness. In addition, to a rigorous curriculum, students will be introduced to foundational skills relative to Technology, Legal, and Medical for their enrichment as well as their enjoyment. Students will then build upon those skills as they progress to secondary and post-secondary educational endeavors.
At a glance, what Your Child should learn in kindergarten
By the end of your child’s kindergarten year, your child should know the following: Follow class rules, establish left- or right-hand dominance, understand time concepts like today, yesterday, and tomorrow, use scissors, pay attention, know the eight basic colors: red, yellow, blue, orange, green, pink, white and black, recognize sight words, letter-sound relationships, write three letter words with vowel in the middle, spell first and last name, retell a story that is read aloud (begin sequencing), count by ones and tens to 100, know basic shapes, do addition and subtraction problems up to ten, etc.
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At a glance, what your child should learn in first grade
Math
During this grade level, students will learn the following: recognize numbers greater than they can count, introduction to time, money (manipulatives are used during this grade level), foundational skills needed for later learning, do simple and addition and subtraction problems, count by 2s, 5s, and 10s, which is an important skill that will be utilized later when they begin performing operations with equations, etc.
Science
The teacher will introduce students to different questioning techniques to help them find answers to questions about the natural world, identify parts that living things are made of, learn about the human body and identify characteristics of plants and animals, perform experiments with pushing, pulling, and motion, etc.
Language and Literacy
By the end of first grade, students should be reading chapter books fluently on grade level; they should be able to write a paragraph sequencing a short story using both invented and actual spelling, answer who, what, when, where and why questions after reading a short story, etc.
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At a glance, what your child should learn in second grade
Math
In second grade, performing operations with mathematical concepts will become more complex. Like first grade, students will continue to work with numbers greater than they could count physically, they will begin to add and subtract two digit numbers, they will also be introduced to concepts involving multiplication and division. They will also begin to solve basic word problems with those operations. For the most part, second graders often improve their analytical abilities at this grade level, etc.
Science
Second graders will go into greater depth in their exploration of the life cycles of plants and animals; they will continue to learn about the Earth and the resources that are contained within it, they will make connections as to how the Earth’s resources are used to get energy. They will also learn how the Earth is constantly changing and what impacts those changes have on the human experience both historically and presently.
Language and Literacy
Students’ handwriting is a lot neater in second grade. Their writing should be more developed, and they should be able to write stories from both a personal viewpoint as well as in the third person; their writing will often reflect the words, the words that they are comfortable with writing and invented word spellings are used less frequently as compared to first grade, etc.
Instructional Program
At a glance, what your child should learn in third grade
Math
In third grade, students are expected to know basic facts, in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and use them to solve equations and up to two-step word problems. Third graders also need to know and fully understand place values up to the hundred thousand places. Students will work with larger whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. They will do more math work on paper. They will compete for more operations involving math work mentally etc.
Science
Students will be expected to do much more detailed Science investigations. They explore complex natural systems as they learn more about the world around them. These systems will include the sun, Earth, and moon, weather concepts, and systems of the living like the food chain. Landmasses and bodies of water will be studied and how to identify them on a map or globe. They will learn about the three states of matter (solids, liquids, and gas). They will begin to form a hypothesis after observations of sound and light etc.
Language and Literacy
Third graders should have developed the skills that are necessary to become a good reader. For example, they should know to use context clues such as pictures when across a text that might be difficult for them to understand. They will also learn various patterns of organization that will help them prepare for complex writing assignments. They will create Thinking Maps to plan their work. They will write a personal narrative and creative fiction etc.
At a glance, what your child should learn in fourth grade
Math
Fourth graders should have no problem reading, writing, comparing, adding, subtracting, and dividing with large whole numbers. They do multiple equations with fractions, whole numbers, and decimals. They will go in-depth to expand their knowledge base about prime numbers. They will explore geometry formulas for determining perimeter and area and for measurement of angles. They will also figure out how to determine the number of seconds in a minute or the number of minutes in an hour, or ounces in a pound. They should be able to read graphs, charts, and tables, etc.
Science
Fourth graders will utilize higher-order thinking skills to compare complex systems. They will go into greater depth than the third grade in looking at changes in the Earth over extended periods of time, understanding organisms and their environments. They will go into further depth in their observations of the water cycle. They will exhibit an understanding of the solar system, states of matter and forms of energy in greater depth, etc.
Language and Literacy
In fourth grade, students will read a greater variety of books. As they read, they will be exposed to root words, prefixes, and suffixes. The classroom teacher will give them valuable practice in developing words using morphemes, the smallest unit of meaning, as they add to their repertoire of reading strategies such as context clues. They will spend a considerable amount of time reading and write on their own. The teacher will familiarize students with genres such as myths and legends, fantasy, and adventure. They will be able to relate stories as well as characters to their own lives. They will be able to use research tools like the internet and dictionary, in a group or independently, to gather information on a topic, etc.
At a glance, what your child should learn in fifth grade
Math
In fifth grade, students will solve real-world problems about time, measurement, and money. They will learn to solve problems that require higher-order thinking skills. They will divide whole numbers with and without remainders. They will add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions. They will make connections between fractions, decimals, and percentages, etc.
Science
Fifth graders will continue to conduct observations and experiments, analyze and gather data, and draw conclusions. Students will perform basic math operations before, during, and after their observations. They will learn about photosynthesis and digestion. They will expand their knowledge of the Earth, inclusive of atmosphere, weather, the solar system, and matter classification, etc.
Language and Literacy
In fifth grade, students will learn to analyze the plot, settings, characters, as well as the author’s purpose and point of view, together with the patterns of organization. Students will read more for pleasure and will be able to determine what genre they like to read. They will write more complex narratives and creative fiction. Fifth graders are expected to produce research projects and come into their own as far as their writing styles. As they write, rules related to grammar, punctuation, and spelling will be followed, etc.