TAOTS is fully committed to successfully implementing the Department of Education’s Citywide Instructional Expectations, which includes preparing all of our students for college and careers. Together with our parents and a highly qualified and dedicated staff we will engage all of our students in rigorous learning activities and tasks aligned with the Common Core Learning Standards. Our academic and enrichment curriculum is designed with well-crafted instructional units and appropriate supports that are also fully aligned to the Common Core Learning Standards.
Curriculum & Special Program Highlight Video
TAOTS Enrichment Clusters Documentary
Content Area Summaries
Want more? View the full curriculum Googl Document for grading policies, recess, support services, and more about Parent Communication:
Reading
Students participate in the workshop model for reading following a balanced literacy approach. It is an authentic literature-based approach designed to explicitly teach students strategies to comprehend text at their own levels.
Writing
The Writing Workshop model will be used daily in our classrooms incorporating Teacher’s College Units of Study aligned with the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS).
Mathematics
This year we will continue to focus on problem solving strategies. It is essential that the students are familiar with giving a written explanation for their thinking and to support their answers or solutions. We utilize Investigations 3, which is a K-5 inquiry – based approach to mathematics as our primary math curriculum.
Social Studies
The Social Studies curriculum is taught by following the New York City Scope and Sequence and Common Core Learning Standards. Essential Questions are explored using an inquiry and project based approach to support and facilitate each of the grade specific topics. The New York City Department of Education Units of Study in Social studies along with trade books and workbooks will be used to teach and reinforce grade appropriate concepts, research & geography skills.
Science
The Science curriculum is designed to implement and follow the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in science as well as English Language Arts and Math. We utilize Mystery Science that inspires students to read, write and argue like scientists to gain a better understanding of the world, as the students gain skills needed to master the NGSS by solving science mysteries.
Specialty Classes
TAOTS offers rich and varied courses that expose students to hands-on engaging experiences. Every day your child will participate in one of the following specialty classes:Science Lab, Music, Gym, Movement and Health, Art, Art History and Technology. All teachers will send home their weekly specialty periods as well as having it posted on each specialty page on the school’s website.
Schoolwide Enrichment Model
Friday mornings from 8:20 – 9:20 a.m. enrichment clusters focus on students’ individual strengths and nurture areas of interest and talents within small group projects.
Tribes Community
We work together as a learning community that is dedicated to caring and support, active participation, and positive expectations for all students.
Computer Science 4 All
Each year students experience CS4All lessons — coding, robotics, algorithmic thinking and more — integrated into the curriculum and in their media literacy cluster.
More about Reading…
Students participate in the workshop modelfor reading following a balanced literacy approach. It is an authentic literature-based approach designed to explicitly teach students strategies to comprehend text at their own levels. Reading units of study are designed by the Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project and then customized by the teachers at TAOTS to focus on the strengths and needs of each individual student through whole class lessons, small group work and 1:1 conferring. Student engagement and the interaction between the reader and the text is extremely important and is practiced through close reading of small group and whole class novels. A variety of assessments will be used to help students target individual reading goals, as well as identify students in need of review or enrichment. i-Ready is also utilized to provide differentiated support and instruction to our students in six domains of reading: phonological awareness, phonics, high frequency words, vocabulary, and both comprehension in literature and informational texts. i‑Ready is a comprehensive assessment and instruction program that connects Diagnostic data to digital personalized instruction allowing all students to achieve in every classroom. i‑Ready enables our teachers to confidently determine each student’s on-grade level proficiency based on state and national standards, deliver online lessons that provide tailored instruction and practice for each student to accelerate growth.
More about Writing & Word Work…
The Writing Workshop model will be used daily in our classrooms incorporating Teacher’s College Units of Study aligned with the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS). Our students will work on mastering the writing process to write in a variety of genres. All grades will focus on the three genres outlined in the CCLS- narrative, informational and opinion. Additional units of study may include fairy tales, authors as mentors, fiction, literary essays, journalism and poetry depending on the grade level. Exposing the students to different genres of writing will help them to become more confident in their writing abilities. Writing conferences, pre and post unit assessments and teacher observations provide daily data for teachers to customize instruction for each of our students.
Word Work
- Flocabulary – (Grades K-5) Flocabulary, a contemporary “ School House Rock” approach for our grade K-5 students will be our primary vocabulary curriculum this year along with Words In Action. This multisensory digital approach to standards -based vocabulary instruction will engage students in rigorous academic content vocabulary. Utilizing research based hip hop videos and activities to build background knowledge and vocabulary our students will need to succeed.
- Words in Action – (Grades K-5) The Words in Action program is a supplementary vocabulary curriculum for our students in grades K–5 that incorporates the latest research in vocabulary instruction to give our teachers the tools they need to increase students’ word power. The words taught come from read-aloud books that are age-appropriate, highly engaging, and rich in language that students encounter in their independent reading every day. Each lesson combines direct instruction in word meanings with challenging and fun activities that instill in students a love of words and an appreciation for learning new words. The program is also a unique blend of academic instruction and support for students’ social and ethical development. It weaves cooperative learning, social skills instruction, and discussion of values throughout the lessons, fostering the students’ growth as caring, collaborative, and principled people.
- Wilson Fundations – (Grades K-2) is a phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling program for the general education classroom. Fundations is based upon the Wilson Reading System® principles and serves as a prevention program to help reduce reading and spelling deficiencies. Fundations lessons focus on carefully sequenced skills that include print knowledge, alphabet awareness, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and spelling. Critical thinking, speaking and listening skills are practiced during story time activities. Furthermore, targeted small group intervention is available for students in the lowest 30th percentile.
- Orton-Gillingham – (Grades K-2) a multi-sensory approach to teaching reading to children. The same concept is presented in a number of ways through the auditory, kinesthetic and visual pathways. The technique involves repetition as well as instant teacher feedback. This approach provides flexibility in responding to the needs of the individual student.
- Spelling Connections – (Grades 3-5) provides explicit spelling instruction. With Zaner-Bloser’s spelling curriculum, Spelling Connections, your students will retain, internalize, and transfer valuable spelling knowledge for improved results in all areas of literacy-in the classroom and beyond.
- Language Arts – (Grades K – 5) – The Time For Kids, Grammar, Usage & Mechanics for our students in grades K-5 is dedicated to creating effective communicators. Through a careful balance of grammar and writing, students obtain the skills instrumental to personal expression. Students are taught language arts through a balanced approach to grammar and writing. Combining language skills with immediate application to writing, students learn through an integrated process. Writing skills and processes are developed using a variety of modes and formats, preparing students for future writing evaluation as well as writing for the real world.
More about Math…
This year we will continue to focus on problem solving strategies. It is essential that the students are familiar with giving a written explanation for their thinking and to support their answers or solutions. We utilize Investigations 3, which is a K-5 inquiry – based approach to mathematics as our primary math curriculum. Students actively explore mathematical ideas to develop understanding and fluency. They collaborate, investigate, and take part in problem-based learning. We will continue to go deeper with our mathematical thinking and teach our students more than one way to solve problems, explain their thinking and justify their reasoning. Students are assessed prior to units and then placed into groups based on needs to review, learn, and/or enrich material. We will also continue to utilize Math in Focus: The Singapore Approach program during math instruction as needed and as a resource. In addition, we will be utilizing Context for learning. Context for Learning is a carefully crafted mathematical program that uses realistic situations to foster a deep conceptual understanding of essential mathematical ideas, strategies, and models through an investigative approach. i-Ready is also utilized to provide differentiated support and instruction to our students in four domains of math: numbers and operations, algebra and algebraic thinking, measurement and data, and geometry. i‑Ready is a comprehensive assessment and instruction program that connects Diagnostic data to digital personalized instruction allowing all students to achieve in every classroom. i‑Ready enables our teachers to confidently determine each student’s on-grade level proficiency based on state and national standards, deliver online lessons that provide tailored instruction and practice for each student to accelerate growth.
More about Social Studies…
The Social Studies curriculum is taught by following the New York City Scope and Sequence and Common Core Learning Standards. Essential Questions are explored using an inquiry and project based approach to support and facilitate each of the grade specific topics. The New York City Department of Education Units of Study in Social studies along with trade books and workbooks will be used to teach and reinforce grade appropriate concepts, research & geography skills. In addition, students are encouraged to read informational text and other literature independently to deepen their understanding of Social Studies concepts. We encourage families to visit the local library with your child to support the work we are doing in school.
More about Science…
The Science curriculum is designed to implement and follow the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in science as well as English Language Arts and Math. We utilize Mystery Science that inspires students to read, write and argue like scientists to gain a better understanding of the world, as the students gain skills needed to master the NGSS by solving science mysteries. The curriculum blends digital experiences that allows students to visualize scientific phenomena, think like scientists and engineers with hands-on lessons that inspire students to solve real-world problems. Each unit aligned to the NGSS provides students with a central mystery, discussion questions, hands-on activities and supplemental materials.
During Science Lab class, students will be instructed an additional period once or twice a week in our science lab. The science lab for each grade seamlessly provides our students with a guided inquiry approach using hands on experiences following scientific methodology. The science lab curriculum incorporates a program called FOSS to support the next generation of scientific innovators as well as citizens who are skeptical, curious, and evidence- based thinkers. Students will explore phenomena with the purpose of solving authentic problems. Students are encouraged to read informational text and other literature independently to deepen their understanding of Science concepts.
The Academy of Talented Scholars 