Middle School Curriculum
Wilson Reading System® and Wilson Fundations®
Wilson Reading System® is a research-based reading and spelling program for all ages. Its multisensory, structured curricula is based upon phonological-coding research and Orton-Gillingham principles. Wilson Reading System is used for groups of approximately five students. Students receive instruction in:
- Phonemic awareness
- Decoding and word study
- Sight word recognition
- Spelling
- Fluency
- Vocabulary
- Oral expressive language development
Wilson Fundations® provides research-based materials and strategies essential to
comprehensive reading, spelling, and handwriting. This program is geared towards students in grades K-3. Students receive instruction in critical foundational skills which emphasize:
comprehensive reading, spelling, and handwriting. This program is geared towards students in grades K-3. Students receive instruction in critical foundational skills which emphasize:
- Phonemic awareness
- Phonics/ word study
- High frequency word study
- Reading fluency
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension strategies
- Handwriting
- Spelling
All new students are assessed to determine their need for placement in Wilson Reading System® or Wilson Fundations®.
Download Middle School Curriculum
Reading
Reading is the cornerstone of the curriculum at Center School, and much of the day is dedicated to building literacy skills. The reading curriculum is language-based, multisensory, sequential, and structured to be cumulative. Direct instruction and explicit modeling are used to provide students with the tools necessary to develop sound comprehension skills. Material is chosen at the child’s instructional reading level.
In Middle School, a greater emphasis is placed on independent reading and the development of the reading process. Novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction stories are incorporated to provide a transfer and application of learned comprehension skills. Vocabulary is studied and interpreted in order to deepen language skills and comprehension. Foundational skills are well developed, and interpreting and analyzing literary genres, elements, and devices become the core of the student’s learning. Determining and analyzing the author’s purpose is studied more deeply as it relates to the points of view of characters and/or narrators.
Reading by Grade
Writing
In Middle School, writing is further developed, and organization in writing is stressed. Students add voice to all genres of writing. Writing informally shifts to writing formally. All steps of the writing process are utilized with support from adults being gradually released as students enter eighth grade. Sentence patterns become more complex, and precise words and details are used to convey clarity in writing.
Writing by Grade
Math
The math curriculum in Center School is developed using a variety of methods to address students with or without a specific learning disability in math. Supplemental material pulled from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Big Idea's Math is incorporated with numerous teacher-created materials and interactive media to develop a curriculum that focuses on computation skills, problem solving, and real-life, practical applications. A full learning experience is reinforced through the use of manipulative materials to engage students in active learning. Numbers and operations, algebraic concepts, geometry, and measurement, data, and probability are incorporated to provide a well-rounded and sequential curriculum.
Math by Grade
Science
In Middle School, students continue to explore science concepts through the use of Delta Science Modules. Each year, students focus on one concentration of science in which they learn a wide range of topics within that area to make sense of science concepts on a larger scale. Students continue to expand their scientific inquiry skills through the use of the scientific method during labs and experiments. Teacher-created materials and interactive media help to complete the curriculum further.
Science by Grade
Social Studies
In Middle School, a wide variety of resources are used to help students understand social studies concepts. Elements from Prentice Hall’s World Studies: The Ancient World and McGraw Hill’s Discovering Our Past: The History of the United States are incorporated with numerous teacher-created materials and interactive media to develop a comprehensive and coherent curriculum.
There is a focus on the interaction between culture and geography on each other. Students will learn about the development of laws and governments by analyzing and critiquing historical documents from each time period. As students move through middle school, more specific content is studied in order to utilize skills needed for high school.
Social Studies by Grade
Health
The health curriculum is introduced in fourth grade and continues through eighth grade. Features from the Pennsylvania Core Standards are incorporated into the curriculum along with components from McGraw-Hill Teen Health and teacher-made activities and materials. Students are taught to identify, recognize, explain, and analyze safe and healthy living concepts. Health class is instructed for one semester.
Health by Grade
STEM
STEM is based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. The students experience curricula that is engaging, multi-sensory, and reflects the fundamentals of STEM instruction.
The program prepares students for the integrated STEM demands and provides opportunities to research and experience STEM careers. Students who do not require Wilson® or have graduated from Wilson® participate in the STEM program. Topics covered include:
- Computer Coding
- Bridge Design
- Business
- Nutrition
- Money Management
- Stock Market Analysis
- Environmental Science
- Fashion Technology
- Statistics
- Sports and Exercise Science
- Financial Literacy
- Engineering Process
- Parachute Design
Physical Education
In Middle School, classes emphasize developing teamwork, understanding how to manage fitness needs, and learning the skills necessary to compete in lifetime sports effectively. The program includes:
- Fitness is fostered through exercise such as weight training and rope climbing. Students develop an understanding of how to manage their fitness needs on a daily basis, staying fit through a variety of activities.
- Teamwork is promoted through cooperative games and developed to create a positive environment.
- Strategies are taught for lifetime sports such as football, soccer, basketball, floor hockey, volleyball, and softball.
Art
The art curriculum at Center School provides opportunities for students to develop skills necessary to perceive and respond to visual arts, to gain an understanding of them as an essential aspect of human experience, and to cultivate an ability to make aesthetic judgments. At Center School, a Discipline-Based Arts Education (DBAE) model is used. DBAE is a framework that ensures all students receive a rigorous study of the visual arts. DBAE presents a sound art curriculum including the following components: Art Production, Art History, Art Criticism, and Aesthetics. Each grade level works in a variety of media to explore the principles and elements of design in both three-dimensional and two-dimensional artwork. Every year lessons build upon the former year, forming a foundation for understanding artistic principles. Many units in art are approached in an interdisciplinary manner with teachers from different classrooms teaching the same subject matter to reinforce learning. These components of the art program create a well-rounded art curriculum. Attention is focused on the following elements:
- Color Theory
- Line Types and Directions
- Shapes
- Genres: Portrait, Still Life, Landscape, Abstract
- Composition and Balance
- Patterns
- 3-Dimensional Works
Leadership
Opportunities are provided to students in middle school to develop leadership skills which are an integral part of being a Center School student through participation in the Student Council. The Student Council at Center School is an extracurricular activity led by the eighth-grade student body with the purpose of positively impacting the school community.
Through various fundraising activities, the Student Council raises money to benefit Center School and various organizations within the local communities. There are four main representatives in the Student Council: president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. All other students serve as public relations support through involvement in marketing the various events which are hosted monthly.
The Student Council at Center School promotes collaboration, leadership, and community-building experience.