ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
The Common Core academic standards provide the foundation for learning English/Language Arts at IAS. The Common Core was developed by scholars and educators taking the best state standards of the United States, examining the expectations of other high performing countries around the world, and carefully studying research and literature available on what students need to know and be able to do to be successful in university, career, and life.
- Reading Comprehension
- Developing Language Skills
- Speaking and Listening
Reading Comprehension :
Students are exposed to a variety of literature and informational texts and learn how different genres of books have different structures with an emphasis on reading comprehension. Students are encouraged to read, read, read and to expand their knowledge in areas of personal interest or new research topics. They begin to develop analytical skills, going beyond stating explicit information from the text to learning how to draw inferences and how to summarize what they read. In grades three through five, students are becoming more sophisticated writers and speakers. These skills include engaging in research projects that question what they read and hear, taking information and putting it into their own words, and creating written pieces that follow a structure geared toward a writing purpose (e.g., a narrative story, an informational report, or an opinion text). Classrooms allow children to explore new topics using books, videos, and technology and participate in interactive, collaborative activities with teachers and classmates.
Developing Language Skills :
To support their reading, writing, and use of language, students continue to strengthen their vocabulary and grammar through the Language Standards. Learning to identify and understand word relationships and nuances in word meanings is critical. This includes knowing general academic words (used in all sorts of texts and subject areas) and content-specific words.
Students in third grade distinguish the literal and non-literal meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps). Fourth graders explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphorsin context. In fifth grade, students interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors (e.g., the clouds sailed across the sky) in context.
Speaking and Listening :
Speaking and listening skills are important for communication. Students continue to build their skills through collaborative conversations on grade level topics and texts. In addition, students work on improving comprehension.
MATHEMATICS
As with English/Language Arts, the Common Core academic standards provide the foundation for learning Mathematics at IAS. The mathematics standards include content standards, what students will learn, and standards for mathematical practices, how students learn. Emphasis in teaching elementary mathematics is on students understanding mathematical concepts and achieving deeper learning.
In grades three through five, student learning focuses on the concepts and skills for multiplication and division of whole numbers and understanding fractions. They will learn strategies for using multiplication and division to solve problems. Students will also learn to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions using various strategies. They will be able to explain why a procedure works and why an answer is correct. At all grade levels, students engage in the Standards for Mathematical Practice. These standards give students the knowledge and ability to use foundational math skills in solving more complex math problems.
There are 8 Standards of Mathematical Practices:
- Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
- Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
- Model with mathematics.
- Use appropriate tools strategically.
- Attend to precision.
- Look for and make use of structure.
- Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
SCIENCES
At the International Academy of Sfax we teach science based on the Next Generation Science Standards. The Next Generation Science Standards were created in the United States in a two-step process by The National Research Council (NRC), the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Achieve.
During grades 3–5, your child will begin to form deeper connections between concepts and skills previously learned in grades K–2, such as evaluating methods for collecting data, revising models based on evidence, and analyzing data to make sense of phenomena. Upon completion of grades 3-5, your child should have an even deeper understanding of science in the areas of Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering and Design.
Thus, in grade 3-5 students will study:
- The effects of chemical reactions, forces, and energy on the world around us;
- The ways different organisms and the environment interact;
- The ways the geosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere interact; and
- How engineering design can be a regular part of problem solving.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Our Social Studies curriculum takes a global approach as we learn about the culture of different countries. In 4th grade, there is a special emphasis on learning about the culture, history and geography of Tunisia.
LANGUAGE STUDY
We use only English to teach all academic subjects and to communicate throughout the day. It is important for our students to learn to read and write traditional Arabic as well as French.
Arabic study is taught 2 hours a week. Arabic study begins the second semester of Kindergarten, after our students have a solid foundation in English, and continues through each grade level 1-6.
The study of French begins in first grade with students learning letters and sounds. Instruction for first grade students is 2 hours per week. Students in grades 2-6 will learn to speak, read and write French as they continue their study.
Welcome to the International Academy of Sfax, where we are “Changing Lives Through Education.”