Academics
Academics at Emerson
CCC Collaborative Literacy
CCC Collaborative Literacy is a powerful way to organize literacy instruction. The innovative modular programs that make up the Collaborative Literacy suite — Being a Reader, Being a Writer, and Making Meaning — foster students’ ongoing development as readers, writers, and caring members of the classroom community.
Supported by lessons from the Collaborative Literacy suite, teachers become mindful of their practice by using materials that engage and motivate students, develop critical thinkers, and promote reflection about learning and community. Students learn to work both independently and collaboratively, respectfully share their thinking with others, and take responsibility for their learning.
Students develop literacy as a result of multiple experiences with authentic literature. Students hear literature read aloud and have daily opportunities to read, write, and discuss ideas in response to texts. The CCC Collaborative Literacy suite provides coordinated reading and writing instruction that addresses the full recommended daily language arts block for kindergarten to grade 6.
The 3 components:
Being a Reader:
- Foundational reading skills (learning letters, sounds, blending sounds together to read words, etc)
- Differentiated reading groups
- Word study, fluency, and handwriting
Making Meaning:
- Reading comprehension and vocabulary
- Authentic read-alouds
- Individualized daily reading (IDR)
Being a Writer:
- Workshop model
- Genre study using mentor texts
- Integrated language skills
Science
Our Science instruction is based upon an inquiry-based program called the National Science Resources Center. Modules at each grade level provide hands-on experiences and opportunities for teaching scientific writing skills. A typical science lesson involves four components:
- Engage and encounter known and unknown science concepts,
- Explore and investigate life science, physical science and earth science,
- Reflect and explain their thinking and reasoning
- Apply and extend new learning.
Below is a list of the units taught in each grade level:
Kindergarten:
- Fabrics
- Animals
- Wood
1st Grade:
- Balls & Ramps
- Weather
- Organisms
2nd Grade:
- Liquids
- Soils
- Balancing & Weighing
3rd Grade:
- Sound
- Rock & Minerals
- Plant Growth & Development
4th Grade:
- Circuits & Pathways
- Ecosystems
- Food Chemistry
5th Grade:
- Microworlds
- Models & Designs
- Space Science
- Land and Water