What We Teach
Curriculum
At Bright Schoolhouse, our curriculum extends beyond traditional subjects to create a well-rounded learning experience. While we outline the core components of our curriculum below, our approach allows students to engage with concepts that naturally connect multiple subjects. Alongside focused lessons, students are often involved in a variety of activities that encourage broader learning.
We apply the Workshop Model for writing, reading, phonics, and math lessons, focusing on hands-on, interactive learning. Instead of being tied to desks, students move through learning stations after a short mini-lesson that introduces specific skills or concepts. During the hour-long workshop, students engage in activities, games, and hands-on challenges that promote active learning and collaboration. This approach allows students to work at their own pace and level, with teachers providing guidance and support as needed.
By embedding writing, reading, phonics, and math lessons within the Workshop Model, we provide students with opportunities to explore, practice, and apply their skills in a meaningful context.
Teachers provide foundational skills and elements of varied writing styles, including opinion, persuasive, informational texts, how-to guides, letters, retellings, fiction, and personal narratives. Learners use age-appropriate language and vocabulary to express their ideas clearly. Students are encouraged to review and revise their work to improve sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation, using strategies suited to their developmental level. Writing experiences are naturally scaffolded to meet each student’s needs.
Our daily texts are central to the program, featuring high-quality literature selected by teachers. These books cover a range of genres, from realistic fiction to fables and nonfiction. Students learn effective reading comprehension strategies, such as making inferences, predictions, and drawing conclusions, which in turn inspire their writing during workshops–ever connected learning!
We also incorporate Close Reads as a valuable component of our literacy program. Close Reads provide an opportunity for students to engage in in-depth exploration of a selected text over the course of a week. Students delve deeply into a single text, examining it closely and critically. We visualize. Predict. Infer. Throughout the week-long exploration, students engage in multiple readings of the text, each time approaching it from a different perspective.
Free play is essential for all ages, not just younger children. For older students, play means hands-on exploration, creative problem-solving, and collaborating with peers. Through activities during learning workshops and designated free time, students can dive into their interests and experiment with ideas in a flexible environment. This type of play helps develop critical thinking, social skills, and imagination in a way that’s engaging and age-appropriate, allowing students to grow while staying connected to their natural curiosity.
Throughout the year, we introduce natural science themes, giving students opportunities to explore and learn about the world around them. Through hands-on observations, experiments, and investigations, students build curiosity for scientific concepts, develop inquiry skills, and deepen their understanding of topics like extreme weather, color theory, rocks, and gemstones, as well as themes drawn from their own interests.
Art is a key part of our program, with a mix of guided and process-based activities. Guided Art introduces students to different materials, tools, and techniques, allowing them to create projects like self-portraits or artist-inspired works. These experiences help students develop fine motor skills and visual expression. Process Art, on the other hand, encourages students to freely experiment with materials and focus on the creative process, exploring textures, colors, and forms without worrying about the final product.
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Their mathematical journey is tailored to each student’s needs. We use a variety of curricula to meet students where they are, allowing them to move ahead or receive extra support as needed. We introduce students to math using a mix of hands-on tools, worksheets, advanced fluency practice, and practical experiences. In our multi-purpose space, students practice concepts like addition, subtraction, measurement, and fractions through activities like building, measuring, cooking, and observing. We use both concrete manipulatives and interactive virtual resources like Beast, Academy, Khan Academy and Dreambox to support learning.
Our math program focuses on conceptual understanding and the "why" behind math principles, which may differ from traditional methods. We especially consider the needs of gifted students by offering deeper, more challenging learning experiences. Rather than relying on memorization, we help students become mathematically fluent, preparing them to apply their skills to real-world situations.
We focus on effective, comprehensive phonics instruction to build strong reading and writing skills. Our approach is based on the UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) instructional models. UFLI Foundations uses a clear scope and sequence to introduce students to the sounds and letters of the English language, following an Orton-Gillingham approach that incorporates multi-sensory methods.
Students build their reading and spelling skills step by step, applying their knowledge to more complex words and texts as they progress. Our explicit and systematic method ensures students master each foundational reading skill, giving them the confidence and ability to read and spell automatically. This approach is effective for all students, including those with dyslexia.
