MLK Charter School’s curriculum helps students reach academic success through a balance of rigorous direct instruction and student engagement in the learning process. The curriculum derives from essential concepts, skills, and related Massachusetts learning standards in grades K through 5 in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Additionally, our teachers and staff have created the “Dr. King Curriculum” to teach students the values and social skills necessary for the development of good character.   The MLKCS curriculum is informed by the state frameworks, best practices in education, and the need to differentiate for diverse student learning needs.

 

The language arts curriculum focuses on the development of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension in building literacy. Our approach to reading instruction is implemented across disciplines and informs our schoolwide academic program.

 

Our philosophy for teaching math is based on constructivism, and we utilize TERC’s Investigations in Number, Data & Space. This hands-on program develops conceptual understanding and computational fluency in the number sense and algorithms, data analysis, patterns, geometry and measurement. The program uses manipulatives, and cooperative learning tasks. Additionally, we incorporate mathematical children’s literature to strengthen literacy and make real world connections.

 

An ongoing work in progress, we begin with the Dr. King character values of Respect, Cooperation, Responsibility, Learning, Social Justice, Service, Perseverance, Honesty, and Beloved Community. These values are developed as monthly school-wide themes, using multicultural children’s literature to promote discussion, reflection, and modeling of behaviors exemplary to each value. Additionally, children demonstrate their understanding of the character values through project based learning, dramatic presentation, and the music and visual arts.

We utilize the STC program (Science & Technology for Children), which emphasizes constructivist learning through engagement in the scientific processes of observing, hypothesizing, experimentation and recording. This hands-on program is aligned with state and national science learning standards. 

 

 

Our curriculum focuses on human interactions with the environment and its relation to self, family, community, state, nation, and the world. From this broad objective, students develop conceptual understanding and skills around geography, history, economics, civics and government. In grade 3, students focus on these learning strands as they relate to Massachusetts. Student engagement in all grades is enhanced through cooperative learning experiences, research, development of social skills, and community service learning projects.

 

A period at the end of each day will be devoted to reviewing skills taught in ELA and Math, as well as exploring other areas of special interest. Students will be ability grouped by grade, and the instructional focus will be in areas in need of remediation and enrichment.

 

All students receive instruction in conversational skills. Students learn about Spanish traditions and culture through thematic projects which incorporate the visual arts and music.

 

Students receive instruction in a variety of artistic medium, and develop projects that highlight the creative process, and make connections with concepts studied in social studies, science, and the Dr. King Curriculum.

 

Students focus on vocal musical expression, and study rhythm, melody, tone, theme, steps and scales. Concepts studied in social studies and the Dr. King curriculums are incorporated in their music study, as well as multicultural traditions. 

 

Our technology curriculum is designed to accomplish two goals: to build awareness, confidence, and skills using a computer, and to reinforce and strenthen curriculum taught in the regular classroom. 

 

All students receive weekly instruction in physical education and fitness.