ELEMENTARY CURRICULUM

Art
The elementary art program is designed to develop a basic understanding of the social, physical, and personal functions of art through an integrated study of art history, art criticism, aesthetic judgment, and the making of art.  Students in grades 1 through 6 meet one hour weekly in art.  Full day kindergarten students participate in art 30 minutes a week.

Band
All fifth grade students are introduced to band instruments through a presentation by elementary band instructors and a musical screening procedure.  The potential band student has an opportunity to try out several instrument options.  Weekly half hour lessons are available during the school day with large group rehearsals during the noon hour in 5th grade and before school in 6th grade.  Strengths of musical skills are diversified musical exposure, listening skills, psychomotor skill growth, self expression through music, and responsibility for practice and rehearsal attendance.  District and school band concerts take place throughout the school year, culminating in an Honor Band concert.

English Language Learner
Non-English or limited English speaking students are provided with instruction in English after evaluation by the ESL teacher.  Program objectives include; teaching students the skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing which will allow them to function at their grade level; helping students understand and participate in American culture; and assisting students in learning to use English as a natural vehicle of communication.

Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES):  Spanish
All students in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 participate in Spanish instruction for 60 minutes a week.  Language training activities are geared to the child’s interest level and include experiences with cultural practices and integration of thematic content.  Spanish is integrated in all content areas.  These experiences emphasize listening, speaking, reading and comprehension in meaningful, communicative contents:  social/cultural situations, games, songs, and rhymes plus experiences with arts, crafts, movement and total physical response.

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Extended Learning
The purpose of this program is to help high potential students further develop their talents and  become self-directed, independent, lifelong learners.  Students work individually, in small groups, and with the whole group on projects and processes based upon their interests, needs, and abilities.

Guidance and Counseling
Each of our elementary schools offers a comprehensive guidance and counseling program which serves all students by offering a developmental, preventive and sequential series of activities that may take place with an entire class, small group or individually. Classroom guidance is offered to all students in grades K-6 on a regular basis. The lesson topics may include units such as friendship, conflict resolution, feelings, sexual abuse prevention, bullying, decision making, study skills, or assertiveness. Small groups are conducted in the counselor’s office. These groups focus mainly on enhancing communication skills and fostering better relationships. Individual counseling is offered for students who are experiencing a situation that is best handled on a one-on-one basis.  In addition to counseling, the counselor provides consultations to parents and teachers about student concerns.  Further, the counselor will coordinate many events that help the children with orientation and transition to our school, transitions to junior high, and outside resources that will help our families. Our comprehensive counseling program focuses on the prevention of problems rather than remediation.  Materials, procedures, and techniques used by the counselor enable students to develop effective interpersonal, as well as intrapersonal skills. 

Handwriting
The basic principles or structural concepts underlying writing as an acquired physical skill are presented in a sequential series of lessons.  By advancing at his/her own rate from the simple to the complex, the child develops a practical understanding of the factors involved in writing.  In addition to the penmanship concepts introduced, the child is given guidance in the physical skills of writing which center on practical writing positions.  The D'Nealian approach to handwriting is based on the formation of letters with one continuous stroke.  The transition to cursive writing evolves smoothly.

Health
The health program is a sequential program integrated within the science curriculum.  The subject matter and learning experiences are concerned with developing knowledge, attitudes, appreciation, and conduct essential to individual and group health.

Instructional Technologies:  Problem Solving and Literac
Students and teachers use different technologies and different venues to augment instruction in all areas of the curriculum.  Students will view technology as a tool to aid in solving problems.  Support for alternate modes of learning is one example where technology assists in problem solving.

Students will become literate users of technology in our information age society by the application of these tools, including the Internet, to the business of learning and to solving problems and working on projects.  Students will gain a general knowledge of the computer’s abilities, limitations, and operations as well as technology’s role in society.  These technology goals are met by infusing the current curriculum with activities which allow students to use the technology in their work.

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Keyboarding
Keyboard use is an important part of efficiently using computer technology.  Introductory keyboarding instruction will be offered to all students in third, fourth, and fifth grade.  Reinforcement of keyboarding skills is provided by teachers in sixth grade.

Language Arts
Writing is a complex process through which symbols are used to record and communicate.  The process of writing includes pre-writing, composing, and editing (revision and proofreading).  A good writer first explores thoughts and feelings about a subject to discover what to say and then communicates those ideas effectively for a particular purpose.

Because students learn to write by writing, they are provided with guided practice - that is, an opportunity to write, to receive instruction, and to be evaluated in a variety of writing experiences.

Writing is neither learned, nor should it be practiced, as an isolated skill.  Strong relationships are nurtured between written and oral communication; between writing and the other language arts - reading, listening, and speaking; and between writing in the language arts class and writing and other disciplines.

Because neither research nor experience provides evidence that teaching formal grammar in isolation helps students improve their writing, grammar concepts are firmly linked to application.

The assessment of writing ability is difficult because of the complexity of the writing process; therefore, the evaluation of student writing extends beyond the concern for spelling, mechanics, usage, and grammar.  Methods that evaluate the purpose, appropriateness to the intended audience, clarity, and style in expression, as well as the substance of what has been written, are included in the system of evaluation.  Cumulative samples of student work provide useful resources for assessing student progress.

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Library/Media
Learning activities and experience are designed to implement, enrich, and support the educational program of the schools and to serve the individual reading needs of each student.  The program follows a sequential approach with activities integrated within the classroom curriculum.  The activities are designed to produce effective users of ideas and information and to contribute to lifelong learning.  The use of computerized reference and circulation systems has expanded the functions of the media centers for students and staff.

Mathematics
Various aspects of mathematics are taught such as:  numeration, computation, fractions and decimals, time and money, measurement, geometry, statistics and probability, and technology applications.  Mathematical understanding is emphasized through concept development, applications and problem solving, as well as mental math and calculator activities.  Manipulatives are used to aid initial concept development.

Music
The West Des Moines Community School District provides a general music program that teaches those elements of music which are necessary aspects of music understanding:  expression, melody, rhythm, harmony, timbre, texture, and form.  None of these exist alone; they are brought together through organized music expression.

A "concept bank" identifies the concepts which all students should master to the degree appropriate with their school music involvement.  Music enhances all other subject areas across the curriculum at all levels.  Assessment of the elements of music include evaluation of performance standards, analysis of students' musical growth and self reflection.

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Physical Education
Physical and mental growth and fitness by means of activities designed to improve muscles, motor skills, and attitudes of conduct of individuals and groups.

Reading:  Fiction and Non-Fiction
The West Des Moines Community School District provides an integrated balanced literacy reading program through engaging students in speaking, writing, reading and listening processes and practices (SWRL).  One of the major goals of the reading curriculum is to develop thoughtful and independent readers and learners.  The balanced literacy reading program includes independent reading, guided reading and shared reading.  It involves students in comprehending, organizing and evaluating ideas, increasing vocabulary and word recognition skills, applying strategies and reference skills and reading quality literature.  Integration with other content areas is organized through planned activities within seven themes and concepts:  Traditional Literature, Using Symbols, Mysteries and Curiosities, A Larger Purpose, A Sense of Self and Time and Place, The World Around Us and Author Study.

Our integrated reading program recognizes good readers need to read diverse texts and learn how authors structure their writing.  The curriculum develops analytical thinkers, writing to learn and to communicate and reading for pleasure.  Providing books to read and the time to read them is a substantial part of the reading program at each grade level.  Discussion is critical for developing higher level reading skills.  Knowledge gained from reading is enriched and refined when students have opportunities to hear information from different points of view.  Discussion serves to refine understanding.

A wide variety of children's tradebooks is available in kindergarten through grade six.  Our program uses these books in three ways:  1) sets of books for whole class reading of a single title, 2) multiple copies of books clustered around a theme for guided reading, and 3) classroom libraries of additional books children can use for independent reading.  In the early primary grades, plot, theme, story structure and phonics instruction are taught through the use of Big Books of children's literature, reading experience stories and picture books.

Expository texts engage students in readying in the content area of biography, science and social studies.  Vocabulary instruction involves reading diverse literature as well as explicit instruction in word work.  Study skills, including test preparation, are infused into the existing curriculum.

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Reading Resource
A reading resource program staffed by a trained reading specialist is provided in each elementary school.  Reading resource teachers assist readers with implementation of the reading program by working in the classrooms during writing workshops providing direct instruction in comprehension, decoding and fluency reading activities and providing motivation for independent reading.  They assist in observing children and monitoring progress.  They are available to consult with teachers about grouping strategies and classroom methods and materials.  Additionally, they work with individual students who are experiencing difficulty in fundamental reading skills.  Reading Resource teachers assist in curriculum integration of contact level material and provide information to parents on children's literacy progress.

Safety
The learning activities and experiences are concerned with the knowledge, skills, and judgment necessary for practicing and promoting personal and public safety on the bus, in the home, school, job, and in traffic.

Science
The science program includes a balance of concepts from the biological, physical, earth and environmental sciences.  Skills such as questioning, predicting, classifying, measuring, collecting data, and analyzing data are emphasized.  The program is hands-on and inquiry based.

Social Studies
Elementary social studies integrates the study of history, geography, and civics. The curriculum is based on constructionist theory and is organized around 4 - 6 diverse thematic units in each grade level.  The district’s standards and benchmarks provide the basis for assessment.  The instruction is inquiry based, hands-on, and project oriented.

Special Education
The West Des Moines Community Schools provide three different types of programs within the district.  Programs for Level I students are in every building.  Programs for Level II and Level III students are provided by the district, but are located in designated buildings.  Students with unique needs (i.e., those requiring residential treatment) may be educated in the district in which those services are located.

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Spelling
Spelling provides an important support for other language arts skills.  Students in grades 1-6 are pre and post tested weekly on a list of spelling words.

Master lists for each grade were selected from the McDougal, Littell Spelling program.  These words are categorized according to a specific pattern and include a challenge word list.  In addition, students develop their own weekly personal word lists with self-selected words from their reading or writing workshop.  Provision is made for systematic maintenance and growth at each grade level.

The number of words tested per week and per level are as follows:  grade two, 12 words; grade three, 20 words, all succeeding grades include 25 words per level, per week.

All students should know the 1,000 common words which make up 90% of writing by the time they leave the sixth grade, and hopefully know the most common 2,000 words which account for 95.3% of any writing that is done.

Strings Orchestra
The elementary string program is available to all fourth grade students.  It is an adapted Suzuki method encouraging a close relationship between students, parents and teachers.  Each fourth grade student has an opportunity to be in one small group and one large group lesson a week.  All city concerts with two elementary orchestras for fifth and sixth grade students take place throughout the school year.  Participation in All-Iowa Suzuki festivals and Honor String concerts are highlights of the elementary string program.

Tiger Cubs
The Tiger Cubs Preschool will provide an opportunity for children to develop readiness skills for Kindergarten through appropriate activities and experiences.  Using the Creative Curriculum preschool guidelines will provide a learning environment that enhances physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth in every child.  Tiger Cubs begins after Labor Day and follows the WDM school calendar.

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