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Academics
Greenwood Elementary is proud to offer a rigorous academic program including Balanced Literacy, Everyday Mathematics, and hands-on Science education. As an ALO (Advanced Learning Option) certified school, we are dedicated to meeting the needs of all students, offering differentiated instruction designed to both challenge and support each student’s educational journey. Balanced Literacy“Balanced Literacy” is the umbrella term for the many different components of literacy instruction that occur in our school. As you visit our classrooms during the literacy block, you might see children thinking about and responding to books read aloud by the teacher in one classroom; students working in small groups to analyze and deepen comprehension of a “just-right” text with teacher guidance in another; and students creating or revising original works of fiction and non-fiction in a third. The purpose of Balanced Literacy is to give students the skills and strategies they need to become thoughtful readers and writers who can express their ideas and opinions with confidence.
One important aspect of Balanced Literacy is Writing Workshop. This instructional method focuses on teaching children essential writing skills through strategy mini-lessons, small group work sessions, and one-on-one coaching. Students learn to look at the world through “the eyes of a writer,” using their own observations and experiences as an inspiration for writing topics. As you walk through the halls of our school, you will see examples of our students’ writing posted on the walls. These delightful pieces of writing provide a snapshot of each student’s current understanding of the skills and strategies necessary to become a proficient writer. Enjoy! Everyday MathEveryday Math is the curriculum used throughout the Seattle Public Schools. This well-researched program, designed by the University of Chicago, emphasizes the application of mathematical principles to the real world, making difficult concepts more accessible for elementary students. Students learn not only through direct instruction and practice, but also through playing fun math games and completing interesting math projects with their peers. Everyday Math also encourages family involvement in their child’s mathematics education through homework (daily at most grade levels), regular newsletters describing upcoming units, and an excellent website that features a wide variety of educational games at different levels of difficulty as well as resources for helping with homework. Check out their link at: https://www.everydaymathonline.com/ Your child’s teacher will provide you with log-in information for your student in September. ScienceElementary students love exploring the natural world. They get to do just that during our hands-on science lessons. Across the grade levels, students engage in inquiry-based science experiments that encourage observation, exploration, investigation and research rather than memorizing facts from a textbook. Students learn to perform “fair tests,” create hypotheses, record data, and write clearly about their results. Sometimes it gets a little messy, but it’s always fun! Click on the link below to learn more about which science units your child will study this year. http://www.seattleschools.org/area/science/sciindexout.html |
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