Students build strong reading and language skills through books, discussions, writing, research, and hands-on activities. Younger students focus on developing reading proficiency, comprehension, vocabulary, and foundational skills, while older students work with more complex texts, ideas, and perspectives. Rather than relying solely on worksheets, we use stories, discussions, projects, and real-world topics to help students understand what they read and communicate their ideas. Students may participate in book discussions, analyze characters and themes, research topics connected to our monthly themes, or create presentations based on their reading.

Reading & ELA

Students develop their understanding of numbers, operations, fractions, geometry, measurement, data, and problem-solving while learning how to explain their mathematical thinking. Math instruction includes direct teaching and guided practice, but students also use games, manipulatives, challenges, and real-world projects to apply what they learn. Students might use math to design and measure a structure, work with budgets, collect and analyze data, solve geometry challenges, or apply mathematical concepts to a STEAM project.

Mathematics

Science at PELL is centered around curiosity, investigation, and understanding how the world works. Students learn concepts across life science, physical science, Earth and space science, and environmental science while developing skills in observation, questioning, experimentation, evidence, and problem-solving. Students regularly have opportunities to conduct experiments, investigate real-world questions, build models, explore ecosystems and biomes, study plants and living systems, and investigate natural forces and disasters.

Science

Students explore the people, places, cultures, events, and ideas that have shaped our world while developing an understanding of chronology, geography, cause and effect, and different perspectives. History is taught through stories, discussions, research, maps, primary sources, projects, and hands-on experiences rather than simply memorizing dates and names. Students may create timelines and maps, explore ancient civilizations, investigate historical artifacts, research influential people, or connect historical events to larger themes.

History

Students learn how to organize and communicate their ideas through informational, persuasive, creative, and research-based writing. They practice skills such as developing a topic, writing strong paragraphs, finding and evaluating information, using evidence, summarizing sources, and presenting their findings. Writing and research are connected to what students are already learning in other subjects, so students might write a research paragraph about a science topic, investigate a historical question, create an informational report, or present their findings to the group.

Writing & Research