Core Curriculum

Balanced Literacy

Balanced Literacy develops devoted readers and eager writers. It is an instructional philosophy wherein all teachers use children’s literature as the teaching tool to reach curricular goals, rather than traditional classroom textbooks. This technique focuses on the student and allows teachers to begin at the child’s reading level, building skills and understanding throughout the year. Each of our classroom libraries has over 2,000 books, categorized according to subject and reading level.  In addition, the school’s fully-equipped library provides thousands of books available for students to check out and take home to read with parents and family members. The Balanced Literacy program also includes the Literacy Block, a daily 90-minute, interruption-free time dedicated to reading and writing.

Word Study

Gordon Parks uses the Sitton Program for spelling instruction.  This program helps build student spelling skills through word collection and analysis, spelling mastery of high frequency writing words and focus on students’ proofreading accountability. This program incorporates the active learning of spelling skills and concepts (rather than rote memorization) to achieve long term retention and application to more words.

Math Program

The Math Curriculum at Gordon Parks is written based on the Missouri state standards and embodies the vision of the rigorous national standards for mathematics developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Our teachers use research-based strategies that allow students to experience and investigate mathematical concepts from a concrete level. Teachers guide learning through questions to higher levels of understanding and provide opportunities for students to connect math to the real world. Students gain confidence and independence their problem solving abilities, learn to question and defend their mathematical understanding, and become lifelong learners of mathematics.

Science Program

The Science program at Gordon Parks is designed to help introduce our young scientists to the wonders and beauty of science.  We want to tap into the natural abilities of our students, to question, observe, experiment and discover.  Our Science Teacher provides instruction to all grade levels.  Students are exposed to various topics intended to help them make sense of the world they live in:  Properties of Matter, Plants and Animals, Weather, Energy, Simple Machines and much more.

Kindergarten, first and second grade students receive supplemental science instruction with the Science Teacher for 1 session each week focusing on science projects and experiments.  Their classroom teachers will incorporate science instruction into classroom learning the rest of the week.  Third, fourth and fifth grade students meet with the Science Teacher for 3 sessions each week focusing on instruction, experiments and projects.  The Science Teacher will also co-teach in the classroom with these grade-level teachers.