Overview


The first and second grade classes at JAIS are designed to be warm and supportive, with instruction tailored to the students' various learning styles and abilities. A number of teaching strategies are employed to help each child learn to the best of his/her ability. These include small and large groups based upon interest or ability, individualized learning packets, field trips, and one-on-one instruction.

The curriculum has a strong yet age-appropriate emphasis upon the academics, especially reading, writing and mathematics. The Language Arts program consists of phonics instruction, sight word recognition and mastery, guided reading, grammar, reading comprehension, literature appreciation, and creative writing.

The Math program combines a traditional approach to the teaching of math, as well as a conceptual theme-based program. This combined approach provides the students with concrete and abstract methods for the development of computation skills, problem solving abilities, as well as learning to tell time, count different amounts of currencies, and working with probability.

The First grade Social Studies units focus on communities and homes, Antarctica, the dairy farm and map skills. The Second grade units include space exploration, looking at the westward expansion of the United States and comparing it to why people throughout the world move, and map skills.

The Science units capitalize on children's natural curiosity and inquisitiveness by allowing the students to explore with hands-on activities. The curriculum stresses the acquisition of basic skills that are so important to the students' future academic success. In first grade students explore new plants; pebbles, sand and silt; and bats and sound. Second grade students learn about balance and motion, solids and liquids, as well as looking into our solar system.

The children also have classes taught by specialists, including physical education, music, art, Hebrew, computers and swimming.