GRADES 1 TO 5 (6-11 YEARS): CURRICULUM SUMMARY

The Elementary section (years 6 to 11) builds on the work and activities already introduced and developed. In the elementary years, a sound foundation in speaking, writing, reading, and mathematics prepares students for academic success in later years. Wherever possible, we use concrete objects to introduce concepts to students. Hands-on activities that include learning experiences help students to understand concepts and ideas prior to the introduction of abstract symbols and develop a high level of confidence and competence in all curriculum areas for all children.

All classes are home based with one main teacher instructing in the key areas of language, mathematics, science and social studies. Our academic program uses an integrated day, thematic approach to cover the subjects of English Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Specialist lessons are provided in P.E., music, and computer, art, Arabic and Islamic studies and French. As well, we take full advantage of the tradition, history and culture of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through regular educational and social excursions.

GRADE 1:CURRICULUM SUMMARY

English/Language Arts

The curriculum aims to encourage and develop attentive listeners, articulate speakers, fluent readers, and expressive writers. First grade students read at their own developmental level in carefully assessed reading groups. They are exposed to a rich variety of fiction and non-fiction literature as well as specific phonics based texts, which will enable the students to develop an appreciation for literature, and a life long love for reading. Students have the opportunity to experiment with different types of writing and move from simple phonetic to more conventional writing. In First grade, great emphasis is given to developing independent writers who can integrate their writing skills into all areas of the curriculum. Spelling and vocabulary are integral parts of language arts. Daily homework and class activities enable the students to prepare for their weekly spelling test. Throughout the year students will have the opportunity to present and share their own work to the group.

Math

First graders will be actively engaged in a comprehensive mathematics program. They will learn concepts and skills which will enable them to solve problems by using a variety of strategies. Through structured activities, students will increase their confidence in their ability to learn mathematics. They will be given ongoing opportunities to solve problems and explain their thinking orally and in writing. Math skills will be developed by building links between physical and symbolic work. Students learn basic addition and subtraction using multiple strategies. They will increase their knowledge of graphing, classification, and sorting. Students become familiar with measurement of length, weight and volume using non-standard units. Students investigate tens and ones using place value. They will learn more advanced concepts such as addition and subtraction using two digit numbers. The concepts of symmetry, area, and fractions, as well as money, time, patterning, and solid shapes are integral components of mathematical instruction.

Science

The students’ natural curiosity of their world is encouraged and developed through the following topics: living and non-living; Taking care of the earth; growing and changing (animals and plants); the sun, the moon, the stars and the water cycle. Students will be actively involved in learning more about themselves and their environment. They will learn that science involves observation, classification, comparing, and contrasting. They will predict, record, and draw conclusions about their discoveries. This science program is part of cross curricular units drawing from language arts, social studies, and math.

Social Studies

It is an introduction to civics, economics, geography and history. During the year, students will gain an understanding of the similarities and differences between themselves and the world in which they live. First graders will learn about themselves and their classmates. They will compare and contrast families, cultures, customs, countries and traditions. Once children have understood more about themselves and their peers, they will explore the festivals and celebrations of different national and cultural groups. First graders will also learn about different climatic regions and their particular characteristics. Throughout the year students develop a greater understanding of cultural diversity, and global citizenship. The children will focus on various communities and gain an understanding of citizenship. Friendship, conflict resolution and working together are an integral part of the program with a strong emphasis on the six pillars of character

Information Technology

First graders are taught to recognize the various parts of a computer as well as locate and use the age appropriate keys on the keyboard to complete the focus of the lesson. Students learn numerous skills such as: inserting images, drawing their own pictures, as well as adding and editing text.

Art

First grade builds on the foundation for art experiences in the elementary years. The elements of art explored in Kindergarten are reviewed and built upon. First graders have gained a reasonable physical knowledge and are able to handle tools and materials with considerable skill.

Music

First grade musicians’ skills are developed by singing and movement games of various genres from different parts of the world.

Physical Education

The curriculum is designed to increase the child’s level of physical activity. Activities like bending, pushing, pulling, stretching, twisting, swinging, balancing, and rolling; different skills like walking, running, jumping, hopping, landing, galloping, sliding, skipping; and ball manipulative skills like tossing and catching, dribbling with hands, dribbling with feet, kicking and striking with hands or equipment, throwing underhand and overhand, and volleying are all done at increasingly higher levels

JIS uses the on going Assessment as our assessment from KG3 through Fifth grade. It is administered by teachers where the teacher can observe, record, and evaluate a student’s work and progress.

GRADE 2:CURRICULUM SUMMARY

English/Language Arts

The program consists of reading, spelling, writing, phonics, grammar and oral language development. Students are exposed to a rich variety of fiction and non-fiction literature as well as specific phonics based text, which will enable the students to develop an appreciation for literature, and a life long love for reading. They will be involved in a number of writing activities, including personal narratives, friendly letters, fiction, and nonfiction reports. The spelling program is designed to give the student an opportunity to develop his or her word base through a weekly focus. Many opportunities arise within the classroom to develop and enhance the student’s oral language abilities. Students are given the opportunity to speak in front of the group, to read their original works, and to read and share books, stories, and songs in activities with the whole group, small groups, and partners.

Math

The program is designed to build upon the beginning skills acquired in the First grade. Through the use of manipulative materials, creative projects and traditional problem solving techniques, the children are led through a series of lessons which teach them numbers and number sense including place value, even or odd, greater than or less than, computation and estimation including adding and subtracting with regrouping, rounding to the nearest 10, and estimating sums, probability and statistics especially using graphs and charts, measurement weight and volume in metric and customary units, perimeter and area, money in U.S. currency, patterns and classification sequencing 1-999, and geometry plane and solid shapes, symmetry.

Science

The student’s natural curiosity and appreciation of science is encouraged and developed through the following topics: The earth’s composition and structure, natural resources, solar system, different types of animals and plants, sound, light and heat, structure and properties of matter, and forces and motion. Students are actively engaged in observing, describing, and investigating the world around them. They learn that science is a process involving observations, classifying, and comparing and contrasting information. A variety of science experiments and field trips are used to expand the students’ knowledge of the areas of study. Throughout the year, the science program is integrated with the language arts, social studies, and math.

Social Studies

The program is designed to give students an understanding of themselves in relation to their environment, home, school and community. An appreciation of historical events and persons and the concept of their position as a member of the global community is also taught. By using thematic units such as map skills, citizenship, communities, then and now global awareness, students will investigate such topic areas. Additionally citizenship, how to develop strategies to resolve conflicts and differences, recognizing and appreciating different cultures is also taught. The ability to think critically is developed through extensive use of graphs, tables and charts.

Information Technology

Within the second grade curriculum, information technology skills are integrated so that students attempt to use both hands on a keyboard and proper posture while practicing keyboarding skills. Students open, save, and print documents under teacher’s guidance. Teacher selected websites are used to reinforce classroom curriculum where students copy images from the web and paste into a word processing document under teacher guidance. Students learn how to type and edit entire sentences and paragraphs, insert or manipulate images.

Art

Expanding on the student’s knowledge of the elements of art this will continue to be one of the main areas of focus throughout second grade. Students will now use combinations of these elements and express them using an increasing variety of art materials, skills, techniques and processes.

Music

Second grade musicians’ skills are taught by singing, playing instruments and movement games of various genres from different parts of the world.

Physical Education

The curriculum is designed to develop class organization and introduce sports skills. Rules of sports are introduced. Class organization is important to make sure that all the students apply principles of relationships, participate in games, demonstrating fair play and respect, and understand the rules of different games or sports.

JIS uses the on going assessment as our assessment from KG3 through fifth grade. It is administered by teachers where the teacher can observe, record, and evaluate a student’s work and progress

GRADE 3:CURRICULUM SUMMARY

English/Language Arts

Students continue to read through group and individual reading activities. They explore themes of literature such as character, setting, fact and opinion, context clues, author’s purpose, inference, point of view, and plot in addition to grammar and phonetic skills. They discuss and share their reading experiences with other students and reflect on what they have read through other writing activities. They share and read examples of children’s literature that include: fiction, nonfiction, mystery, fantasy, folklore, myth, legends, biography, autobiography, and poetry. Students have opportunities to demonstrate their comprehension and analysis of a story and practice their communication skills through group projects, individual projects, written assessments, and homework logs.

Math,

Students will gain a better understanding of place value in grade 3. Students will become more familiar with strategies to help them become proficient when adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing whole numbers. Students will develop a better understanding of telling time. They will also use manipulatives to compare and demonstrate knowledge of metric and customary units of measurement. Students will collect data and use a variety of graphs to present the data collected. Students in grade 3 are taught and expected to use a variety of methods to solve problems. When solving math problems patterns is a method that is particularly emphasized. In grade 3, students broaden their knowledge of fractions and how they are used on a daily basis. Mathematical concepts will be demonstrated and practiced through individual seat work, class discussion, hands on manipulatives, and cooperative activities. Student assessment will be based on participation and active involvement, class work, homework, tests, and projects.

Science

Several areas of focus provide third graders with a wealth of scientific knowledge. The level of scientific knowledge will be expanded through experiments and reading. Use of the scientific procedure will enable students to gather, use, and share information about several themes such as animals and plants to include their habitats, food chains, minerals and rocks, forces that shape the land, water cycle, properties of matter, and heat and energy.

Social Studies

The third grade social studies program is focused on communities. Throughout the year, students will become aware of their worlds’ surrounding communities. Communities around the world allow students to learn about their responsibilities within their own community, as well as responsibilities around their world. Communities of the past and present allow students to compare and contrast similarities and differences. Location of worldwide present day communities lets students better understand, accept, and associate with community locations around the world. Reading maps and charts and using resources to gather information, provide for successful student projects and presentations. The integrated Social Studies curriculum combines text, group interaction, math skills, discussion, and hands-on projects.

Information Technology,

Students demonstrate proper keyboarding skills, and use two hands when typing. They open/save files and applications to and from the server. They position the cursor in a document for editing, or selecting text with mouse or keyboard.

Art,

Expanding on the student’s knowledge of the elements of art will continue to be one of the main areas of focus throughout third Grade. Students will now use combinations of these elements and express them using an increasing variety of art materials, skills, techniques and processes. Projects will be presented with more conscious and knowledgeable planning. Evidence of this will be displayed as the students develop their initial ideas through to a finished piece. The student’s experience of art shall be broadened as they move from grade to another.

Music,

Third grade musicians’ skills are enforced by singing, playing instruments and movement games of various genres from different parts of the world. Students are also exposed to songs that enhance cultural and community awareness.

Physical Education,

The curriculum is designed to introduce sports, and track. In the games classes, the students will have the opportunity to try more complex game. In gymnastics class, the students have to perform a sequence of movements. For the first time, the students will have specific sports classes where they will have the opportunity to apply their skills background, playing the sports of soccer and basketball.

JIS uses the “On-Going Assessment” as our assessment from KG3 through Fifth Grade. It is administered by teachers where the teacher can observe, record, and evaluate a student’s work and progress.

GRADE 4:CURRICULUM SUMMARY

English/Language Arts

The reading and writing of literature are combined through mini lessons, silent reading, oral reading and group discussions. The students learn about Language Arts in the daily mini-lessons. The purpose of the mini-lessons is to give students daily language experiences. They reinforce and improve upon their basic writing skills by doing daily oral language sentences as well. Students also write using their own ideas and experiences although there are times when the teacher will choose the topic to broaden selection of ideas. Spelling and Grammar are also incorporated in lessons.

Math

The program places emphasis on proficiency in multiplication and division. Problem-solving skills and strategies are reinforced and integrated throughout the year. Topics include Place Value and Estimation, Geometry, Measurement and Time, Graphing and Data, and an introduction to Fractions. The acquisition of a specialized math vocabulary is also stressed to help students with their understanding and appreciation of the subject. Review Sheets, Quizzes, Teacher-made tests, End-of-Chapter tests, Cumulative tests, class work, homework and independent projects will be used to assess the students´ knowledge of the material taught. Tests for Math in fourth grade measure student growth in key areas of Mathematical understanding, such as number sense, problem solving, measurement, and data handling. They provide teachers with data that can be used to individualize instruction and analyze progress and achievement in these areas.

Science

The curriculum is divided into units of study. Each unit explores a theme and leads students into learning the scientific method. Students study content, analyze data, make predictions and test their predictions through experimentation. Research, record keeping, and note-taking skills are ongoing throughout the year. The themes are classifying living things, Life cycles, Adaptations, The rock cycle, Changes to Earth’s surface, Planets and other objects in space, Sound, Making and using electricity and Forces and motion.

Social Studies

Studentswill be motivated to learn about their world and to become world citizens. In an attempt to understand our changing world, students are presented with geography content and skills to learn more about where places are and what they look like, how people affect their environment, and how places are linked to one another. Students study the regions of the United States and Canada, along with a variety of cultures, and develop a global awareness through various activities and research. Critical thinking opportunities also allow students to examine their world (past and present) and learn through decision-making.

Information Technology

The skills are introduced so that students recognize the components and structure of the computer. They demonstrate proper keyboarding skills, exhibit proper posture and fingering technique for the alphanumeric keyboard, build speed and accuracy using typing software. They open and close programs and work between two open documents or programs and make use of the tab key to indent paragraphs. They develop mouse skills by positioning the cursor in a document for editing, or selecting text with mouse or keyboard, dragging and dropping selected items, and inserting double line spacing. They create and edit presentations for a slide show and learn how to use bullets.

Art

Constant focus remains on the elements of art and principles of design introduced and reinforced at various levels. Art projects will involve the students working from their imagination and observation, primarily through drawing and painting. Through their artwork students articulate and demonstrate greater creativity and originality. Skills are further developed especially in the area of drawing and color theory.

Music

Fourth grade musicians focus on the implementation of previous musical skills both vocally and on instruments. Students perform beginning choral pieces and start playing recorder both individually and with others. They also participate in drumming circles that enhance musical ability as well as cultural and community awareness.

Physical Education

The curriculum is designed to increase the level of gymnastics, games, sports and track. In gymnastics students have to perform complex sequences. Sports classes will introduce volleyball, soccer and basketball.

GRADE 5 :CURRICULUM SUMMARY

English/Language Arts

The program is focused on each individual student’s continued progress. It encourages students to develop a balance between Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. We will build on previous Language skills with a focus on reading, comprehension, interpreting and synthesizing information. Students will develop more sophisticated techniques of writing to inform and entertain.

Math

Our goal is to build on each individual’s existing skills, math knowledge, and abilities. We want to develop solid math skills with measurable results, to refine problem-solving abilities for future decision making. Each student must strive to expand his/her knowledge of math concepts, basic skills, technology, and all areas of math. They will do this through involvement, participation, and study. Topics studied include: Number Theory; place value of whole numbers and decimals; addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers, decimals, and fractions; geometry, probability and statistics, graphing, and measurement. Tests for Math in Fifth Grade measure student growth in key areas of Mathematical understanding, such as number sense, problem solving, measurement, and data handling. They provide teachers with data that can be used to individualize instruction and analyze progress and achievement in these areas.

Science

The goal is to expand each student’s level of knowledge, interest, and involvement in science. Students will be expected to observe, communicate, measure, classify, make models, recognize space or time relationships, collect and interpret data, infer, make predictions, identify and control variables, experiment and formulate questions. The themes or topics to be covered are: Cells to body system, Plant growth and reproduction, Animal growth and heredity, Ecosystem and change Fossils, Weather and water cycle, Earth’s oceans, Solar system, Properties of matter, Energy and Electricity

Social Studies

Students will learn facts, information, and explanations about the U.S. from early man to the end of the Colonial period. They will explore the land that is America and learn how Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans lived before they came together in the Americas. They will find out what made people explore and colonize and learn what happened when people from different cultures encountered one another. They will see how these groups adapted to a new environment. They will also learn about different countries in Africa.

Information Technology

Art

The course centers on developing skills on the design process, how one develops an art project from its starting point through to a final piece. Students will assess and evaluate their own artwork with emphasis placed on the student’s personal beliefs and values.

Music

Fifth Grade musicians focus on the implementation of previous musical skills both vocally and on instruments. Students perform beginning choral pieces and start playing recorder both individually and with others. They also participate in drumming circles that enhance musical ability as well as cultural and community awareness.

Physical Education

The course is designed to prepare students for Middle School Physical Education. We accomplish this goal by providing our students with a balanced program that builds a strong foundation in physical fitness, sport performance skills, lead-up games, and sports. This course covers a wide range of topics including Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Handball, Baseball, Physical Fitness testing,..etc.