Curriculum
Hirsch Academy is dedicated to providing an excellent education for the development of thoughtful and highly literate citizens. This is possible because of our engaging academic curriculum, highly qualified and supportive educators and staff. Hirsch Academy utilizes Core Knowledge, specifically Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts, as the primary language arts curriculum. CKLA is aligned to the Arizona Common Core Standards and Core Knowledge Sequence exposes students to a wide range of historical, scientific, and cultural topics that develops a deep foundation of knowledge that builds upon itself year after year. Core Knowledge integrates world and American history, geography, arts, music and science seamlessly. We support our language arts programs with Grammar Workshop and various additional phonics supports to advance our English Language Learners. Our mathematics program is Singapore Math, with the specific curriculum being Math in Focus. The whole presentation of Math in Focus really challenges our students to think much more deeply and abstractly about mathematics more so than many other programs. Additionally all students have 24/7 access to Compass Learning which is a computer based customized learning program for both reading and math.
Every Hirsch Academy student will be provided the opportunity to master the standards in all content areas and given the extra supports to do so. In addition to our core content areas we incorporate Physical Education, Dance, Drama and our project based Core Knowledge class that blends the fine arts with history, geography and cultural studies. We have several free academic, social, music and art based supplemental programs that ensure the very highest quality of education for our students.
Core Knowledge Language Arts®
Core Knowledge Language Arts is a comprehensive program for teaching reading, writing, listening, and speaking while also building students’ vocabulary and knowledge across all literature domains in literature, world and American history and science. The CKLA program inspires curiosity by its rich non fiction content that provides strong background knowledge. Through the texts that students engage with they are provided a powerful and robust vocabulary that helps them to understand complex text so that true comprehension is attainable. Students will experience several domains and units throughout each academic year. They have a student readers as well as their own individual consumable activity workbook that goes along with each reader for each unit. Our 4th and 5th graders even have their own write-in poets journals!
McGraw-Hill: MyMath
Built around the Standards for Mathematical Practices, McGraw-Hill My Math engages students with the focus, coherence and rigor required by state standards. The program has an intuitive lesson format and digital tools to develop customized content. Digital accessibility with any device help you to plan, sequence, and deliver instruction that works best for your students anytime, anywhere.
McGraw-Hill My Math inspires students to embrace the power of math through real-world applications, experiencing just how fun math success can be. The program interweaves the three components of rigor—conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application—enabling your students to steadily progress and grow their math confidence.
