In the spring, children undertake a research project. They choose a topic, decide on the relevant questions and learn how to gather the necessary information. Children then write the research in a genre they feel is well-suited to their topic. At this stage, children are expected to be moving toward using standard spelling on a regular basis. Whole group meetings are held on spelling strategies and children are worked with in individual editing conferences.
Instruction involves both small and whole group activities, as well as individual work.
Children are asked to articulate their understandings orally and in a variety of written contexts. Meaningful problem-solving is an important part of the curriculum, and children are exposed to a variety of strategies with which to solve them. The content of the curriculum includes refining and consolidating the basic operations with whole numbers, emphasizing the quick recall of basic whole number facts, numeration, place value, geometry, and measurement concepts are extended. Concepts of fractions and decimals are heavily focused on and all operations with rational numbers are studied. Some of the projects have dealt with design composition, gesture paintings, sculptures of the figure in everyday action poses, self portraits, observational drawings, using color, shape, and line as a metaphor or symbol, and relating the arts and crafts of other cultures and time periods to their own experiences and environment.