With increasing maturity and sense of responsibility, students in grades 3 and 4 solidify their foundational skill acquisition and broaden their ability to think critically. We challenge the students to draw conclusions, differentiate between fact and opinion, make generalizations, as well as to compare and contrast. Learning how to learn is an important component of the middle grades, as well as developing a broad range of study skills which will serve students a lifetime. Children progress in their ability to take personal responsibility for their learning and develop into independent thinkers and good citizens.
Religion
The children grow in their understanding of a Triune God and learn the sacraments of the Church. God’s Law of Love, the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes become the moral foundation for making choices. Children learn how to read the Bible and pray the rosary.
Reading/Language Arts
Reading, writing, speaking and listening are integrally entwined as students build their foundational skills and expand their ability to connect new leaning with prior knowledge. Children hone their comprehension skills by developing the ability to identify character traits, story elements, cause and effect and turning point. We enrich the reading program to include vocabulary development, grammar study and reasoning skills. Students employ the writing process of brainstorming, revising and editing as they learn and apply the elements of good writing.
Mathematics
Students follow a math texbook a grade above their current grade. Students accellerate their study of mathematical concepts and operations as they learn to multiply, divide and use fractions and decimals. Developing problem-solving strategies is an essential component of the program. Children eagerly work alone or cooperatively to correctly answer the challenging “Problem of the Day.”
Science
Science students are active learners in the physical, earth and life sciences. Laboratory experiments develop skills in observation, note-taking, cooperative learning and multi-step directions. Our young scientists exclaim “Science is fun!” as they explore rocks, minerals, ecology, water, weather, phases of the moon and body systems.
Social Studies
The United States is the broad umbrella for the Social Studies program. Children learn the geography, climate, people and history of each state in the Union through their concentrated study of individual states. Students explore the rich history of New Jersey through their study of the Lenape Indians and the state’s role in the Revolutionary War. The study of NJ state government culminates in a trip to the State House in Trenton.
Physical Education
All students participate in Physical Education. Instruction develops muscular coordination, physical fitness and a lifelong enjoyment of sports and games.
Art
In the visual arts, the children are given a variety of experiences in many different media in order to strengthen their skills and abilities. As the child’s confidence and skills grow, new materials and challenges are introduced. The curriculum goes from a formalist approach in the lower primaries to cross-discipline integration in the older grades. Aesthetics and art appreciation are also extremely important in the total development of the student’s creative process.
Music
Lower School students participate in a general music class of active music making and an age-appropriate chorus. Classroom music uses the Orff Schulwerk approach, in which children sing, move, play pitched and unpitched percussion instruments and recorders; as well as listen, analyze, improvise and compose. Aspects of theory and music literacy are part of the instruction. All students in Grades 1 to 6 participate in the Christmas Concert and at least one other performance during the year incorporating music, movement and drama. Often these performances represent a cross-discipline experience. In addition, students prepare and sing liturgical music for school liturgies.
An instrumental program is optional for children in Grades 4 to 6. Strings, woodwinds and brass instruments are taught in small groups by a private music instructor. A fee is charged for these lessons and for instrumental rental.
Drama
In creative drama classes, the children explore, enjoy and share new ways of self-expression through movement, pantomime, storytelling, puppetry, improvisation, and small and large group performances. Middle graders receive formal instruction in puppetry and create their own puppet shows. All grades participate in creative dramatics throughout the year and are involved in the creation of their own videotaped commercial which is self-developed, written, directed and produced! In the winter and spring, the students celebrate their talents in both our Christmas and spring concerts.
World Language
The World Language program at Oak Knoll is designed to enable students to communicate meaningfully in another language at an age-appropriate level. We seek to broaden our students’ understanding of and appreciation for other cultures and nationalities. Lively games, activities and songs reinforce the acquisition of oral and visual vocabulary and encourage students to speak in French or Spanish. Students continue to broaden their vocabulary with an emphasis on speaking and pronunciation. Simulations of real life experiences encourage conversational skills.
Computer
Students in grades 3 and 4 useType to Learn in the computer lab as an introduction to keyboarding. They take home portable Alpha Smarts to complete a monitored keyboarding program as year-long homework. Software programs assist student learning in a variety of ways. Students employ the multi-media authoring program, HyperStudio, to create an integrated research project on the United States in coordination with the social studies curriculum. Beginning in grade 3 and continuing through grade 6, students create timelines using Timeline. By grade 4 students’ skills are such that they are ready to learn more complex and creative applications. Students become familiar with Word and Excel and are introduced to Scratch, a new programming language that facilitates creating interactive stories, animations, games and music. A special highlight is Lego Mindstorms that allows students to program a robot to travel assigned patterns and distances.
Library
The Bonaventura Library program focuses on two main objectives: the development of information literacy skills necessary for learning in the 21st century and a lifelong love of reading. Children in kindergarten to grade 6 attend regularly-scheduled library classes and visit the library for class projects, for group or independent research or to check out books at any time during the school day.
In grade 3, we expand our use of reference materials and begin the use of electronic subscription databases, such as World Book Reference Center and Culture Grams. In grade 4, almanacs, atlases and specialized reference sets and more advanced databases are added to the mix.
Health
Students in grade 4 to 6 study the body, growth and development, nutrition, disease prevention, substance abuse and first aid in a formal class setting. Many topics are taught in conjunction with units in science.