3rd - 6th Grade

In third through sixth grades, students take significant strides in comprehension, building on the foundation of basic skills they established in lower elementary. Teachers help them apply higher-level thinking to all subjects, deepening their understanding of ideas, topics, and events. On a social level, children of this age begin to internalize values like respect and cooperation, and learn more personal responsibility. Most importantly, students build the skills they need to succeed in middle school.

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Curriculum

English Language

During the upper-elementary years, there’s a comprehension switch that happens in your child’s brain. They move from learning to read to reading to learn. As fluency improves, students learn to apply a variety of comprehension skills to texts, including making inferences and drawing conclusions. They write more complex stories, essays, and poetry, while learning important grammar skills that will contribute to their writing style. Our teachers use tools in line with state standards and ELA best practices to support instruction.

Math

In third through sixth grade, students build on their understanding of addition, subtraction, and place value to extend their thinking to multiplication, division, and fraction concepts. Our curriculum actively engages students in learning experiences that foster critical thinking and a deep understanding of mathematics through the use of visual models and real-world problem solving.

Science

A child’s love of science and engineering can really bloom between third and sixth grades as they have an opportunity to dig deeper into life science, physical science, and earth and space science. Children will have the ability to apply their learning to the real-life applications of technology and engineering, while continuing to develop key practices such as communication and collaboration that will support them throughout their education.

Social Studies

A child’s awareness and interest in the world around them begins to expand in the years before middle school. They study the values and principles of American democracy, and their responsibilities as citizens. They learn about the structures and functions of government, economics, human systems and the birth of our nation by exploring their state’s history from settlement to the modern world and American History from indigenous communities to the Revolutionary War. They also explore the world’s countries and continents by examining the past and making connections to our present, learning how we are both similar and different to those in our own communities and around the world.

Our Moral Focus Program

We believe strong hearts and minds can impact the world in amazing ways. That's why we empasize virtues such as respect, perseverance, compassion, and courage as part of our daily curriculum. We know these qualities are essential to helping kids become truly successful, make good decisions, and do what's right. "Moral Focus" is integrated into everything we do. That's why we:

Created a curriculum specifically for Moral Focus.
Celebrate a different "virtue of the month" throughout the year.
Have students create a class contract where they agree how they'll treat their teacher and one another.
Recognize and celebrate students for how they live out Moral Focus every day.

Parent

I love the emphasis on moral focus each month. Not only is my child receiving an education, but you are also teaching her qualities to be a good person.

A Deeper Dive Into Moral Focus

Over the years National Heritage Academies has seen how our moral focus emphasis in the classroom makes our schools safer, more caring places. We trust these important personal skills spill out into our students’ homes, communities, and futures. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits that come from developing a strong moral backbone and why NHA takes them to heart.