curriculum

Late Updated: 08/27/2008

Curriculum

Extensive information about the Williamson County Schools curriculum can be found at www.wcs.edu. After going to the address, click on Parent Center and click on Curriculum. You may also visit the Tennessee Department of Education's website to see the state curriculum.

Kindergarten

Spelling	We encourage the use of invented spelling.
Vocabulary	Thematic vocabulary is introduced throughout the year.
Grammar	Students identify and use different types of punctuation. They are introduced to commas, quotation marks, abbreviations, and apostrophes.
Writing	Students write daily in journals, participate in shared writing, and often make class books.
Reading	Students read environmental print, participate in shared reading, guided reading, phonemic awareness, sight words, basic print concepts, and word families.
Math	Students learn about sorting, graphing, patterning, shapes, calendar skills, simple measurement, beginning number concepts, addition and subtraction to 10, telling time to the hour, identifying coins, simple fractions, and greater than and less than.
Science	We study harvest, 5 senses, living things, wood, space, dinosaurs, insects, zoo animals, ocean, solids and liquids, heart and nutrition, electricity, and recycling.
Social Studies	Students learn about themselves and the people around them, holidays, fire safety, seasons, apples, and bicycle safety.

First Grade

Spelling	short vowel word families, long vowel – 3 to 4 letter words, some basic sight words, consonant blends, consonant digraphs, and color and number words.
Vocabulary	Vocabulary includes: sight words, words related to the reading series, and words related to curriculum studies.
Grammar	Grammar concepts include: sentences as a complete thought, verbs/nouns introduced, plurals (adding –s and –es), contractions, punctuation, capitalization, opposites, verb forms, describing words, and compound words.
Writing	Students learn to apply grammar rules in their writing; write complete sentences; use capitalization and punctuation when writing a sentence; and to stay on topic.
Reading	Reading skills include: sight words, word families, comprehension, characters, setting, problem, solution, word attack skills, sequencing, fluency, ongoing assessment, diagnostic pre-testing, and Accelerated Reader.
Math	Math concepts include: patterns, counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s, writing numbers 1-100, money (counting, identifying coins), time (to the hour and half-hour), fractions (1/2, 1/3, 1/4), addition / subtraction facts, shapes, calendar, and measurement.
Science	Science topics include: weather, balls and ramps, and organisms, comparing, and measurement
Social Studies	– Students study famous people in history, holidays, directions, map skills, and current events.

Second Grade

Reading	Students use a basal series that includes shared reading, guided reading, writing, and phonics. An individualized program using Accelerated Reader is also used.
Spelling	Spelling words are taken from the basal series, SRA Spelling, writing activities, and science and social studies curriculums.
Grammar	Students learn through Daily Oral Language review and essential basic skills studies.
Vocabulary	Vocabulary is developed through the basal text, independent reading, and social studies and science curriculums.
Writing	Students primarily focus on personal experience writing and developing writing into complete thoughts.
Math	Concepts include: addition, subtraction, time, money, measurement, fractions, geometry, probability, and beginning multiplication.
Science	STC Kits: Butterflies, Weighing and Balancing, Soils, and Simple Machines. Mini units: magnets, light, heat, sound, and the solar system
Social Studies	Units include: famous people in history, holidays, directions and map skills, communities, our country, famous Americans, current events, and pioneers.

Third Grade

Reading	The Hardcourt Brace basal is used. It is supplemented with the following trade book studies: Sarah, Plain and Tall, Stone Fox, The Chocolate Touch, and The Boxcar Children #1. Students also read Accelerated Reader books independently each day.
Spelling/Phonics	Student word lists are from the Houghton Mifflin spelling series. Students work from a Modern Curriculum press phonics workbook.
English/Writing	We use the Silver Burdett and Ginn English series. Students are expected to apply these rules to the writing that they do every day in class.
Vocabulary	Vocabulary words are emphasized throughout all of the subject areas. Students also use the Wordly Wise workbook to increase vocabulary.
Math	The aligned math curriculum is supplemented with the Silver Burdett math series.
Science	We use the following STC hands-on science kits: Plant Growth, Chemical Tests, Sound, and Rocks and Minerals. We also study the solar system, weather, and matter.
Social Studies	Students learn about past and present communities, map skills, landforms, government, and economics.

Fourth Grade

Reading	Students develop a variety of reading skills through novel studies, thematic trade books, and Accelerated Reader independent reading.
Spelling	We use the newly adopted spelling series by Houghton Mifflin.
English/Writing	We incorporate grammar lessons from the Silver Burdett English series, Daily Oral Language, and Daily Oral Analogies. Writing prompts are given, and we write across the curriculum.
Vocabulary	We study words from the spelling series, writing, novel ties, social studies, science, and math topics. We also use Wordly Wise vocabulary development.
Math	The Silver Burdett Ginn math series is used to teach math.
Science	We study electricity, animals, land and water, and food chemistry through STC kits. We also focus on matter and plants.
Social Studies	Students focus on Tennessee History, U.S. regions and resources, and map skills.

Fifth Grade

Reading	Students develop a variety of reading skills through novel studies, trade books, and our Harcourt Brace basal reader.
Spelling	We use the SRA spelling series.
English/Writing	Grammar is taught with the Silver Burdett series. Writing is incorportated throughout the curriculum.
Vocabulary	We use Wordly Wise and we emphasize vocabulary related to our units of study.
Math	Math is taught through the Silver Burdett Ginn math series.
Science	The following STC kits are covered: Floating and Sinking, Motion and Design, Ecosystems, and Micro-Worlds. The solar system, the solid earth, light, and sound are also taught.
Social Studies	We teach the history of the U.S., government, African American studies, and presidents of the U.S.

Lipscomb Elementary School ● 8011 Concord Road ● Brentwood, Tennessee 37027
Phone: 615-472-4650 Fax: 615-472-4661

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