Crown Pointe Academy emphasizes that all students deserve to be fully challenged and motivated to succeed. The school offers a content – rich curriculum called the Core Knowledge Sequence and this provides the framework for Crown Pointe Academy. It defines a solid and specific base of knowledge taught on a grade-by-grade basis by a teacher and a full-time aide. This “core” equips children for advanced education.
Language Arts: The Core Knowledge Sequence provides a guideline for suggested literature.
It does not address how reading should be taught. We use a structured combination of phonics, language mechanics, grammar, and spelling, combined with an abundance of excellent literature and thoughtful writing assignments. Crown Pointe uses the Amplify-Core Knowledge reading series.
Core Knowledge presents a balanced approach to writing, stressing both the necessities of deliberate practice and the joy of writing well. Writing is taught using an abundance of good examples as models, and students develop skills in style, mechanics, and grammar beginning in first grade. Teachers work with students to edit spelling, punctuation, and grammar before habits become ingrained.
History, World Civilizations, and Geography: The Core Knowledge curriculum provides very rich content in history, geography, and world civilizations. It spans the globe, key events, and places in both World and American History from many perspectives.
Math: The Core Knowledge philosophy is that mastery of all mathematical operations and concepts for a given grade level are needed for success in the following grade. ‘The key of course is practice — not mindless, repetitive practice, but thoughtful and varied practice … Teachers encourage mathematical thinking in a variety of situations and work with students to practice the same operation or types of problems from several different angles.’ We have implemented the enVision math curriculum to align with state standards.
Science: The charter school will emphasize hands-on experimentation that requires students to collect, sort, catalog, measure, dissect, count, graph, and determine which evidence is relevant. We introduce students to both the excitement and structure of science, the scientific method, and reasoning by consistently asking questions like: ‘How do we know? What is the evidence? What is the argument that interprets the evidence? Are there alternative explanations or other ways of solving the problem that could be better?’
Foreign Language: The charter school teaches Spanish daily to all children.
Music, Art, and P.E.: Music and art are integral components of the Core Knowledge curriculum. In Core Knowledge, art and music content parallels the material taught in other subjects. This means that students may be creating a rice paper painting of Mt. Fuji and writing haiku when they are learning about feudal Japan. The standard district program in P.E. is provided.
Technology: Technology instruction is an important part of the over-all curriculum. Technology is used to reinforce classroom learning in all subjects as well as to instruct in computer basics. Numerous Chromebook carts allow for daily instruction for grades K-5. Middle school students are issued a school Chromebook for daily use throughout the school year.