Welcome To Casi's's Classroom

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A Place where children learn and grow at their own rate.

Topic (In-depth Study)

Pioneer School chooses 4-5 topics each year for in-depth study.  These topics interest and excite each learner, thereby motivating the student to achieve their fullest potential.  Students are provided with the instruction and opportunity to develop as readers, writers, scientists, and mathematicians.

Literacy

Reading: Reading Cues, Fluency, & Comprehension
• Book Packets - Home literature connection
• Big Book - Guided Reading
• Literature Circles - Small group
• Parents as Partners
• Self Selected Reading - D.E.A.R (Drop Everything And Read)
• Predictable Readers

Phonics: Phonemes, Rhimes and Onsets, Rhymes, Blends, Digraphs
• McCracken Phonics - initial and ending consonant, menial vowels
• Working With Words - Word Families
• Word Wall - student dictionaries
• Inventive Spelling

Writing:

• Authentic Writing - Topic Related
• Guided Writing
• Free Writing - Journals
• Handwriting Books - letter formation, sentence dictation

Science:

• Science Lab - Related Topic
• Hands-on activities
• Introduce the Scientific Method
• Small group instruction
• Student discovery
• Journal entries

Math:

Learn Math on a concrete level with objects before moving to the abstract level on paper.

• Concept Center - Small group: graphing, classifying, patterning, number sense, addition, subtraction, fair trades, money, place value, problem solving
• Math Their Way
• Calendar
• Free Exploration

Geography:

Studied within many of the topics (i.e. Animals, Native Americans, World Culture Study & the Olympics, Polar / Desert Regions, etc.)

• Flat Stanley: sending Flat Stanley to various places around the world
• Map skills: locating - continents, oceans, hemispheres, equator, etc.

The Arts:

• Art
• Drama - Plays
• Music - Topic-Related Songs
• Instruments - Violin and Piano

Portfolio:

The students help to create a personal portfolio of their work for each topic studied.   The portfolio includes authentic writing, field trip photographs, science lab lessons, math story problems, and more.  At the end of the year, the students take home their portfolio as a treasured momento, showing examples of academic growth throughout the school year.

Missoula Children's Theater
The Frog Prince
May 2004