STEM Curriculum

PreK

This curriculum is designed for preschoolers. It covers all domains of development, but focuses teaching and learning activities through a STEM lens. The learning environment (indoors and out) had been carefully designed to promote STEM explorations and support and enhance the curriculum.

The curriculum is divided into for in-depth study of each topic. Following an emergent curriculum philosophy, the Investigations serve as a guide for teachers as they capitalize on children’s and families’ interests in each topic and design lessons based on children’s inquiry questions. Each Investigation has been selected to cover all objectives outlined by the Massachusetts Preschool Learning Experiences developed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care and is aligned to a standardized assessment tool.

The school year begins with “Using STEM STEM Tools for Investigations” to introduce children to the Scientific Method, their new school and daily routines. The goal is to encourage children and families to explore inquiry learning and how to use tools to test their theories. The tools introduced in this initial Investigation will then become part of the instruments used for other Investigations. Using the Scientific Method becomes a way for children to organize their ideas, develop and test hypotheses, and build upon their knowledge.

The remaining Investigations can be taught in any order depending on teacher goals, student interest, and environmental/social influences.

Paying Attention to Sound: Human-Made & Natural
Becoming Patternmakers
Creating Visual Arts
Living and Nonliving Objects in our Environment
Exploring Color
Playing with Sunlight and Shadows
Investigating Insects, Arachnids, and Earthworms
Discovering Flight: Birds to Machines
Kitchen Chemistry: Conducting Science Experiments
Studying Trees
Connecting with our Community
Recycling: Protecting Our Environment
Water is Essential for Life

Every Investigation begins with provocations designed by our teachers to get children and families talking and asking questions about STEM concepts related to the specific Investigation. As children’s questions emerge, teachers will design activities to help children test their hypotheses and further their learning. Teachers expand the investigation based on children’s interests and experiments.

Investigations culminate when students have fully explored a particular concept and a future investigation is selected based on students’ interests and teacher’s goals for deepening their knowledge and connections. Our investigations last between 5 and 7 weeks.

Kindergarten

Early elementary education (K-grade 2) is an important time for children age 5-8 in both physical and mental development. Unlike many elementary schools, students at the Hundred Acre School spend their day both indoors and outdoors, participating in play-based activities that foster both social and cognitive development.

The knowledge and skills children acquire during the early elementary years form the foundation for their future success in school and beyond. One of the most critical aspects of this foundational learning is the development of soft skills, which are essential for academic achievement and lifelong success. Soft skills include effective communication, active listening, empathy, critical thinking, and the ability to make connections across complex ideas. At The Hundred Acre School, we recognize the importance of these skills, especially within our STEM-focused curriculum.

By blending a strong STEM foundation with literacy and math programs that have demonstrated proven success, our K-2 students develop not only subject-specific knowledge but also the soft skills necessary to thrive. Through hands-on, inquiry-based learning, they practice problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity—skills that are integral to both their academic journey and their future roles in an ever-evolving world. This holistic approach ensures that students at The Hundred Acre School are prepared not just for academic milestones but for the challenges and opportunities that await them as adults.

STEM Focused Curriculum

Kindergarten Collections Curriculum: The school year begins with “The Scientific Method: Conducting Science Experiments”. Students reconnect with STEM tools and the scientific method while and they explore kindergarten routines, explore their new classroom, science in their world, and get to know new classmates. The remaining Investigations can be taught in any order depending on teacher goals, student interest, and environmental/social influences.

Inventive Thinkers: Engineering Design Process
Animals in Our Environment
Learning About the Human Body
Observing Weather and Weather Forecasting
Exploring Horticulture
Connecting with our Community
Stewards of the Earth

Math:

Eureka Math builds students’ mathematical knowledge logically and thoroughly to help them achieve deep understanding. Eureka While this approach is unfamiliar to those of us who grew up memorizing mathematical facts and formulas, it has been tested and proven to be the most successful method in the world. Eureka Math connects math to the real world in ways that take the fear out of math and build student confidence—helping students achieve true understanding lesson by lesson and year after year. For more information from Eureka Math click here

Literacy:

Fundations® by Wilson provides research-based materials and strategies essential to a comprehensive phonics, spelling, and handwriting program which will be partnered with the Geodes Reading program that uses rich, knowledge-building books to develop reading and writing skills in a meaningful context. Since the publication of Fundations, several impact and efficacy studies of thousands of kindergarten and first-grade students have been performed in schools across the United States. The consensus across these studies is that students using Fundations achieve greater gains in foundational literacy skills compared to students using programs previously implemented by the schools. These results held with English language learners (ELL) as well. Studies of students who received Fundations instruction in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts demonstrated:

Better learning of letter knowledge.
Larger gains in phonological and phonemic awareness.
Greater gains in phonological decoding.
Reduction in risk of later reading difficulties.

Geodes® Reading can open up the world for students. Too often, though, the joys of literature are out of reach until students master key reading skills. Enter Geodes®, the first texts for beginning readers that unite phonics with compelling content and beautiful art. With Geodes, students are inspired to wonder, to decode, and to know

Guided Reading is an instructional approach that involves a teacher working with a small group of readers. During the lesson, the teacher provides a text that students can read with support, coaching the learners as they use problem-solving strategies to read the text. During Kindergarten, most students progress through Level A-D. Reading levels progress at a student’s pace including some readers that are beyond level D. The Hundred Acre School has resources through Level “M” which is the beginning of Grade 3.

Grade 1

Early elementary education (K-grade 2) is an important time for children age 5-8 in both physical and mental development. Unlike many elementary schools, students at the Hundred Acre School spend their day both indoors and outdoors, participating in play-based activities that foster both social and cognitive development.

The knowledge and skills children acquire during the early elementary years form the foundation for their future success in school and beyond. One of the most critical aspects of this foundational learning is the development of soft skills, which are essential for academic achievement and lifelong success. Soft skills include effective communication, active listening, empathy, critical thinking, and the ability to make connections across complex ideas. At The Hundred Acre School, we recognize the importance of these skills, especially within our STEM-focused curriculum.

By blending a strong STEM foundation with literacy and math programs that have demonstrated proven success, our K-2 students develop not only subject-specific knowledge but also the soft skills necessary to thrive. Through hands-on, inquiry-based learning, they practice problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity—skills that are integral to both their academic journey and their future roles in an ever-evolving world. This holistic approach ensures that students at The Hundred Acre School are prepared not just for academic milestones but for the challenges and opportunities that await them as adults.

STEM-Focused Curriculum

Grade 1 Collections Curriculum: The school year begins with Persistence Pays Off: Inventors and Inventions. The remaining Investigations can be taught in any order depending on teacher goals, student interest, and environmental/social influences.

Survival of Living Things
Stewards of the Earth
Waves: Light and Sound
Patterns in our Environment
Mapping and Directions
Exploring our World: Conducting Science Experiments

Math:

Eureka Math builds students’ mathematical knowledge logically and thoroughly to help them achieve deep understanding. Eureka While this approach is unfamiliar to those of us who grew up memorizing mathematical facts and formulas, it has been tested and proven to be the most successful method in the world. Eureka Math connects math to the real world in ways that take the fear out of math and build student confidence—helping students achieve true understanding lesson by lesson and year after year. For more information from Eureka Math click here

Literacy:

Fundations® by Wilson provides research-based materials and strategies essential to a comprehensive phonics, spelling, and handwriting program which will be partnered with the Geodes Reading program that uses rich, knowledge-building books to develop reading and writing skills in a meaningful context. Since the publication of Fundations, several impact and efficacy studies of thousands of kindergarten and first-grade students have been performed in schools across the United States. The consensus across these studies is that students using Fundations achieve greater gains in foundational literacy skills compared to students using programs previously implemented by the schools. These results held with English language learners (ELL) as well. Studies of students who received Fundations instruction in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts demonstrated:

Better learning of letter knowledge.
Larger gains in phonological and phonemic awareness.
Greater gains in phonological decoding.
Reduction in risk of later reading difficulties.

Geodes® Reading can open up the world for students. Too often, though, the joys of literature are out of reach until students master key reading skills. Enter Geodes®, the first texts for beginning readers that unite phonics with compelling content and beautiful art. With Geodes, students are inspired to wonder, to decode, and to know

Guided Reading is an instructional approach that involves a teacher working with a small group of readers. During the lesson, the teacher provides a text that students can read with support, coaching the learners as they use problem-solving strategies to read the text. During Kindergarten, most students progress through Level A-D. Reading levels progress at a student’s pace including some readers that are beyond level D. The Hundred Acre School has resources through Level “M” which is the beginning of Grade 3.

Grade 2

Early elementary education (K-grade 2) is an important time for children age 5-8 in both physical and mental development. Unlike many elementary schools, students at the Hundred Acre School spend their day both indoors and outdoors, participating in play-based activities that foster both social and cognitive development.

The knowledge and skills children acquire during the early elementary years form the foundation for their future success in school and beyond. One of the most critical aspects of this foundational learning is the development of soft skills, which are essential for academic achievement and lifelong success. Soft skills include effective communication, active listening, empathy, critical thinking, and the ability to make connections across complex ideas. At The Hundred Acre School, we recognize the importance of these skills, especially within our STEM-focused curriculum.

By blending a strong STEM foundation with literacy and math programs that have demonstrated proven success, our K-2 students develop not only subject-specific knowledge but also the soft skills necessary to thrive. Through hands-on, inquiry-based learning, they practice problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity—skills that are integral to both their academic journey and their future roles in an ever-evolving world. This holistic approach ensures that students at The Hundred Acre School are prepared not just for academic milestones but for the challenges and opportunities that await them as adults.

STEM-Focused Curriculum

Grade 2 Collections Curriculum: The school year begins with Exploring our World: Engineering Design. The remaining Investigations can be taught in any order depending on teacher goals, student interest, and environmental/social influences.

Ecosystems: Survival of Living Things
Matter: Interactions and Energy
Earth Systems: Water and Wind
Outdoor Discovery: Heritage’s Horticulture Collection
Stewards of the Earth

Math:

Eureka Math builds students’ mathematical knowledge logically and thoroughly to help them achieve deep understanding. Eureka While this approach is unfamiliar to those of us who grew up memorizing mathematical facts and formulas, it has been tested and proven to be the most successful method in the world. Eureka Math connects math to the real world in ways that take the fear out of math and build student confidence—helping students achieve true understanding lesson by lesson and year after year. For more information from Eureka Math click here

Literacy:

Fundations® by Wilson provides research-based materials and strategies essential to a comprehensive phonics, spelling, and handwriting program which will be partnered with the Geodes Reading program that uses rich, knowledge-building books to develop reading and writing skills in a meaningful context. Since the publication of Fundations, several impact and efficacy studies of thousands of kindergarten and first-grade students have been performed in schools across the United States. The consensus across these studies is that students using Fundations achieve greater gains in foundational literacy skills compared to students using programs previously implemented by the schools. These results held with English language learners (ELL) as well. Studies of students who received Fundations instruction in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts demonstrated:

Better learning of letter knowledge.
Larger gains in phonological and phonemic awareness.
Greater gains in phonological decoding.
Reduction in risk of later reading difficulties.

Geodes® Reading can open up the world for students. Too often, though, the joys of literature are out of reach until students master key reading skills. Enter Geodes®, the first texts for beginning readers that unite phonics with compelling content and beautiful art. With Geodes, students are inspired to wonder, to decode, and to know

Guided Reading is an instructional approach that involves a teacher working with a small group of readers. During the lesson, the teacher provides a text that students can read with support, coaching the learners as they use problem-solving strategies to read the text. During Kindergarten, most students progress through Level A-D. Reading levels progress at a student’s pace including some readers that are beyond level D. The Hundred Acre School has resources through Level “M” which is the beginning of Grade 3.

PreK

Kindergarten

STEM Focused Curriculum

Math:

Literacy:

Grade 1

STEM-Focused Curriculum

Math:

Literacy:

Grade 2

STEM-Focused Curriculum

Math:

Literacy:

Open 8:30am-4:30pm for all grades ~ School day is 9am-3pm

Fall Birthday Preschool

PreK

Kindergarten

Mixed Grade 1 & 2

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