Curriculum

An intentional balance between rigorous academics and the social and emotional development of our students underlies the curriculum of Redwood Day School. Our multifaceted curriculum provides every student with a comprehensive foundation of academic skills, a rich engagement with diverse content, and a clear sense of how best to advocate for herself as a learner.  From kindergarten all the way through to 8th grade, students study the core academic areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Integrated into our core curriculum is a prominent thread of specialist classes and activities, including foreign language, visual and performing arts, health and wellness, physical education, gardening, technology, and experiential learning. The K-8 curriculum provides a cohesive scope and sequence that scaffolds academic learning and character development. During their tenure at Redwood Day School, students gain the necessary tools and skills to become 21st century learners, take ownership of their own educational journeys, and feel empowered to take healthy risks in a safe environment that supports and honors each individual as an integral member of a diverse community of learners.

The Curriculum

Learning is a “spiral” process, and Redwood Day students intentionally circle back to reconsider topics introduced in lower grades, bringing greater understanding, maturity, and subject integration to their studies. This chart highlights the broad topics taught in the core curriculum at each grade level.

Grade

Language Arts

Social Studies

Math

Science

Spanish

K

Differentiated instruction in sounds, reading, comprehension, writing 

Local community

& activists: how the individual fits into his/her world

Patterns, number sense, calendar, time, measurement

Life cycles, trees, senses, vertebrates,  nutrition & growth

Exposure to vocabulary through movement, stories, games

1st

Phoenetic awareness, comprehension, cause & effect, story mapping, word families

Families, cultures,  continents : classroom & world communities, individual heritage  

Number sense, operations, graphing, geometry, patterns, comparisons, time & money

Solids, liquids, gases, weather, insects, dinosaurs

Simple grammar patterns through movement, stories, games; verbal questions & responses

2nd

Reading, grammar, paragraphs, peer review, editing, biographies, poetry

Local community, citizenship, maps, heroes, cultures & traditions

Measurement, number sense, probability, multiplication

Scientific process, plants, rocks & minerals, ocean life, bats

Deeper vocabulary through movement, stories, games; listening; reading mini-stories; speaking complete sentences

3rd

3-5 paragraph essays, word study, cursive, comprehension, grammar

Local & national : Oakland, Angel Island, U.S. states & regions, land forms

Long addition & subtraction, place value, multiplication, division, geometry, fractions, problem-solving

Scientific method; simple machines; outer space: sun, moon, stars,

More complex verbal responses; expanded vocabulary through movement, games, listening, reading 

4th

Literature circles, book reports, thesis & support sentences, research, grammar, vocabulary

California history & geography : Native Californians through the Gold Rush

Decimals, multi-digit multiplication & division, geometry, algebra & functions

Ecosystems, wetland habitats, rock cycle, minerals, electricity, circuits

Building vocabulary of nouns & present-tense verbs; reading stories;  written & verbal response

5th

Expository writing, proof-reading, editing, journals, assigned & self-selected reading, comprehension

US history from Native Americans through Civil Rights era: diverse experiences of colonization, the Constitution, wars, immigration

Advanced multiplication & long division, integers, coordinate graphing, fractions, decimals, percents, simple algebra

Cells, microscopes, human anatomy,  health & nutrition

Reading stories & a short novel; responses to verbal & written questions; drama & games to reinforce vocabulary

6th

Ancient literature, short stories, research & essay-writing, journalism, vocabulary, grammar, public speaking

Ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, India, Hebrews, & Greeks; cultural universals

Integrated algebra, number theory, order of operations, prime factorization, geometry, probability

Earth science: geology, volcanoes, weather, human impact on the environment, outer space

Transition to Spanish immersion: grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing

7th

World novels, poetry, analytical essay writing, grammar, vocabulary

World history, religions, cultures: Europe, Asia, West Africa, India, Middle East, Americas

Integrated algebra, proportions and problem solving, number sense, geometry, percents

Life science (lab-based): cells, genetics, human biology, ecology 

Vocabulary; grammar; written, oral & multimedia presentations

8th

Self-selected & assigned novels, writing monologues & analytical essays, inference, grammar, vocabulary

US history from colonization through Vietnam War: government, politics, human experience 

Linear equations, polynomials, exponential growth & decay, algebraic word problems, quadratic equations

Physical science (lab-based) : chemistry, force & motion, simple machines, energy

Vocabulary; present & past tenses; written, oral, & multimedia presentations;   readiness for high school Spanish II