ELA/Social Studies
Students learn to read through a fun and systematic approach to phonemic awareness and phonics called Success for All Phonics. Students learn sounds and blends, letter-sound correspondence, word level blending, and word level chunking. Students apply these skills, daily, in decodable books.
Through the Insight Humanities curriculum, students learn core history content through literacy, writing and projects. The curriculum applies an “expanding environments” approach, starting with the localized study of community in Kindergarten and expanding both back in time and outward to a global scale by Fifth Grade. Units are designed to develop both content knowledge and strong reading and writing habits and skills across grades.
Students receive individualized, daily reading instruction that meets students where they are. Students practice reading skills at their level to become stronger readers, including skills in accuracy, fluency and comprehension.
Teaching all students to read and think critically is our goal as we prepare students to be successful in school and life.
Math
At NCS, we’re dedicated to providing your child with a top-notch math education that aligns with New York’s Next Generation standards. Our approach to math is designed to be engaging and thought-provoking, ensuring that students not only learn the “how” but also the “why” behind mathematical concepts.
For students in grades K-4, we have a special program called CGI (Cognitively Guided Instruction) which helps make math come alive. Students receive a single-word problem that they dive into, deciphering the story’s meaning. They use hands-on manipulatives and various strategies to arrive at solutions while also crafting number sentences. At the end of the session, our teachers encourage students to share their unique problem-solving approaches, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
As students progress into grades K-5, they also participate in our Math Workshop block. Here, they have the either work independently, in pairs, or small groups. Through interactive games, problem-solving challenges, and engaging math routines, they develop a keen sense for patterns and become skilled problem detectives. This approach enhances their ability to think flexibly and creatively in tackling challenging math problems, all while having fun in the process. Rest assured, at NCS, we’re committed to nurturing your child’s mathematical curiosity and understanding every step of the way.
Our program goes beyond preparing students for exams; it empowers them to become confident quantitative thinkers and effective problem solvers. We foster a deep comprehension of mathematical concepts rooted in reasoning, not just rote calculation, enabling our scholars to view math as a powerful tool for critical thinking about the world around them.
Science
In our elementary science program at NCS, our scholars learn by investigating real-world phenomena. Each year, scholars learn about life science, earth science, and physical science, building on their knowledge and skills each year.
Using a program called Amplify Science, scholars take the role of real scientists or engineers and investigate real-world situations and phenomena. For example, in first grade “students take on the role of aquarium scientists advising an aquarium director by helping answer young visitors’ questions about Spruce the Sea Turtle, who will soon be released back into the ocean. They investigate how Spruce can survive in the ocean, particularly since sharks live in the area. They then investigate a question about Spruce’s offspring: How can Spruce the Sea Turtle’s offspring survive where there are sharks?” In fifth grade, “students take on the role of ecologists to investigate” and “figure out what can be done to return the ecosystem to its original healthy state. As ecologists working with Natural Resources Rescue, an organization dedicated to protecting Earth’s fragile ecosystems, students work to explain the anchor phenomenon: that jaguars, sloths, and cecropia trees in a reforested section of a Costa Rican rain forest are not growing and thriving. In order to understand what’s causing the problem, students explore what it means to grow and how living things get the matter and energy they need to grow.”
The Amplify Science Program “blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers.” Students research, study data, take part in hands-on investigations, and create models to solve problems and think critically about the world around us.
