From Cradle to Careers at World Academy

World Academy’s Personalized Learning Plans Inform Each Student’s Roadmap To Success

At World Academy, development of the ‘whole’ child is a pillar of our school philosophy. This term refers to all facets of the child’s being, including cognitive/intellectual, physical, social-emotional, cultural, and creative aspects. For each student, development of these variables will differ. As our students learn more, they grow more independent. We embrace this growth and ask that they – at the appropriate age – get involved with determining their own educational path. In a coalition with the student, teachers create Individual Learning Plans based on detailed observation, class performance, and standardized testing specific to each child’s developmental and educational needs and interests.

The Importance Of Individualization

Individualized Lesson Plans scaffold upon themselves and lay the framework for each subsequent stage of your child’s education. Each stage of this progression focuses on the development of 21st century skills such as collaboration, early introduction to World Languages, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication, grounded in a firm understanding of the digital tools at their disposal. Technology introduction begins in preschool and is embedded into the curriculum of our Elementary and Middle School students.

In The Beginning [Infants, Toddlers, Preschool]

Infants and Toddlers

Our Infants begin their journey by intentionally and authentically being nurtured to coordinate their body movements and senses to explore the world around them. A strong foundation for education begins in these early months when our Infants are nurtured to trust in their environment and their caregivers. Once this trust has been established, our Infants journey through self-discovery and self-confidence, which are refined through effectively communicating in many ways with their well-trained educators.  It is at this stage that we introduce coping skills for the child to begin the process of self-regulating. As our Infants grow into curious Toddlers, our youngest students learn to be critical thinkers and independent learners through directed play and planned sensory integration opportunities. Personal, individualized student plans afford them tailored opportunities for the growth of skills and deeper learning while achieving important early milestones. 

Note: We closely monitor that there are no gaps in the opportunities for learning for every child throughout this journey!

Preschool

At the Preschool stage, about ages 3 and 4, it is important for a child to develop a sense of competency and stability, nurtured through consistent opportunities to fully accomplish tasks. Tolerance begins here through the recognition of cultural differences and the acceptance of self and others. The basis of cooperation is laid by encouraging our students to understand how to help and share. This will be built upon more deeply at older stages but must occur at this stage to start the process successfully.  Our Preschoolers are full of curiosity and will reveal their early skills of investigation and inquiry when guided properly.  Independence is further nurtured through additional guidance of self-help skills in the curriculum. As self-confidence and self-direction increases, the students begin to flourish in their purposeful and inventive interactions with peers as they engage in cooperative play. We also begin to integrate robotics now as part of our students’ curriculum and will continue to expand these experiences through Grade 8.

Note: An intentionally and authentically planned education during these critical stages of a child’s development sets the foundation for each to maximize his/her potential in the next stage of our program.

Kindergarten

Active 5-year-olds are bursting with curiosity, which we channel through our emergent curriculum in the teacher-guided classrooms that begin in Kindergarten. Academics are balanced with physical activity, creative expression, immersion in new technology and languages, and enriched with play-based learning centers that deepen the focus on socio-emotional development. Students are now truly becoming their unique selves as they are offered opportunities to display leadership qualities and demonstrate self-control in appropriate situations.  The benefits of all of the previous stages come together as the children observe and actively participate in the structured classroom, which is their community.  In this group, they can learn to safely expand self-regulation, test theories, and begin to see how they can impact their world as they learn to understand conflict resolution skills as an extension of the tolerance and cooperation skills they previously learned. Now, they are the driving force and are beginning to recognize their own importance and individuality in the world.

Note: Now our students are being carefully transitioned from our Early Childhood program into the Primary Grades. Along their journey through World Academy, the breadth and depth of offerings grow. As students move from Kindergarten to Eighth Grade, programming is tailored to meet the diverse needs of the developing child and adolescent.  Our carefully planned program design provides educators with a flexible, collaborative environment that, itself, becomes a teacher. Teachers strive to offer a seamless curriculum with an overarching focus on strengthening critical 21st century skills such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication.  Small class sizes promote an intimate learning environment where our instructors are challenged to be innovators, to see each student’s strengths and weaknesses, and to personalize instruction.

The goal of each stage is to have children master critical skills, without gaps, in order to give each the best opportunity to develop into a well-rounded, successful individual.  We are very proud of our World Academy Teams as they personalize and scaffold instruction for each and every child.

In Kindergarten, our students are introduced to a more formal classroom with elongated instruction time. This fosters independence, responsibility, and academic focus. Cooperative learning activities are designed to build interpersonal skills such as listening to the views and ideas of others, sharing, being patient,  being respectful, and employing conflict resolution skills. This is reinforced through a structured Character Education program.  Starting in Kindergarten and carried throughout our program, students are provided opportunities and teachable moments relating to several character traits that are universal in society.  This fosters the development of ethical and responsible individuals and curtails the potential for bullying. It teaches the students the value of caring about other people, honesty, responsibility, and other important traits that support the development of an upstanding citizen. Deep socio-emotional learning is continuing to be developed from here through Grade 8 and is mindfully supported by our Guidance Counselor for the continued success of every student.

Note: Thus the student is emerging into a well-rounded, tolerant person with coping skills to impact their own world.

In their classroom, Kindergarten students are learning to efficiently use letter-sound recognition, spelling patterns, and basic grammar skills to understand how a complete sentence is constructed.  They are introduced to literacy concepts, print awareness, and different types of writing.  They are investigating, exploring, discovering, and applying their developing mathematical and scientific thinking.  Our curriculum is presenting them with various means to encourage them to create models with manipulatives, express thoughts and develop ideas in writing, connect learned concepts from the classroom to the real world through field trip experiences that are educationally stimulating, and to use digital applications and web-based programs through our mobile technology cart system.Formal enrichment opportunities provide a means for our students to develop their interests and realize their strengths. Weekly Music, Visual Art, Physical Education, Computer Science/Robotics, and World Language classes are introduced as early as Kindergarten. These expand students’ creative thinking, spatial awareness and balance, fine and gross motor skills, and problem-solving abilities. They allow our students to explore instruments while being exposed to musical expression and techniques, to develop art concepts, to manipulate media, to study famous artists, while giving them ways to physically express themselves and to expand their understanding of and participation in sports.  Our Kindergarteners are introduced to French and Spanish, and as students learn to communicate in these new languages, they increase their global awareness by immersion into diverse cultures. Students are able to develop their engineering sense and enhance their math skills within our robotics program, which is based on scientific principles giving our students very well-rounded STEM experiences.  Creativity, classical appreciation, and worldliness are the by-products of such diverse curricular focuses. 

Laying the Foundation [Elementary School]

As students progress through First and Second Grade (Lower Elementary) and Third and Fourth Grade (Upper Elementary), teachers scaffold experiences to strengthen academic skills in the content areas while providing more opportunities to develop independence and student-driven learning. There is a gradual increase in responsibility for students to maintain a classroom space that supports learning and by having them take ownership of their workspaces.

Our young Elementary students are beginning to understand how sentences build upon each other and are discovering how to construct a complete paragraph. This leads to recognizing how to link two paragraphs together in an essay.  They are also expanding phonemic awareness, decoding skills, and building reading fluency and comprehension. With their growth in stamina, the students are asked to read and write within many types of genres. Cross-grade-level activities, such as having the older students read to the younger students, instill a love for reading in both age groups.  Our young readers also participate in various programs such as  Fundations and Rooted in Reading, Amplify, and the Summer Reading Program through the Nashua Public Library.  Students are given in-depth exposure to mathematical thinking through EnVisions math curriculum and are given multiple opportunities through Sunshine Math, Khan Academy, and hands-on problem-solving to form a strong understanding of number sense.  Through cross-curricular projects, students form connections between language, math, science, and social studies, clearly recognizing that reading and writing are essential in all content areas. 

In Grade Four we introduce an extended online platform, which further reinforces the home/school bond, communication, and individual accountability. Students work with their teachers to view their whole student experience through this digital experience. They see their grades, assignments, schedule, and calendar which allows them to further develop their independence, drives their own school experience, and prepares them for the transition to Middle School. With this comes in-depth conversations regarding being an upstanding digital citizen as they practice their 21st-century skills.

Note: Throughout, our teachers continue to create individualized/personalized student plans with a focus on individual academic and personal growth. Even in the early Elementary years, our students are given additional opportunities to extend their learning by participating in extracurricular activities such as Karate, Dance, the Piano Program, Voice Lessons, and the Master Builders Robotics Program.  Starting in Second Grade, they can extend their options to include Cross Country Running and Continental Math League. From Grade One, our music program gives our students the chance to broaden their creative talents, gain an appreciation and respect for genres of music from around the world, learn performance etiquette, and increase confidence in speaking and presenting in front of peers and adults. Students have the opportunity to perform in front of others (their peers and the school community), starting in Kindergarten at our Recognition and Awards assemblies once a month.  SEL (Social Emotional Learning) supports Kindergarten through Grade 8 students in developing an understanding of how to make safe, healthy choices as they progress through this complex world. In addition, our K-3 Authors’ Teas, where students share their own work of literature; Grades 4-8 Science and Engineering Projects, where students demonstrate applications of extensive content knowledge; and the many Specialized Presentations, where students exhibit their creative passion and leadership skills, are perfect examples of how World Academy provides community venues to bring the curriculum to life and enhance growth. These extra-curricular opportunities give our students the ability to grow as individuals and teammates, as they challenge and support each other to foster very important life skills.

WE now begin to increase rigor into the student’s life as he/she learns to understand and surpass personal best. Teachers work collaboratively with the Guidance Counselor to build strong bonds within classrooms to nurture positive self-esteem, academic risk-taking, and greater motivation...all within a safe environment for each student.  

Set Up For Success [Middle School]

Expectations grow as students' journeys are expanded through Fifth to Eighth grade (Middle School). Teachers gradually increase cognitive rigor, as students are challenged to use strategic thinking to analyze and evaluate. Subjects become more delineated as students move from a self-contained classroom to following a personalized schedule and changing classes. There is an increase in independence and responsibility placed on students as they work with multiple teachers, interact with our school community, and increase the use of technology as a learning tool throughout the day. Introduction to digital communication becomes part of the daily school routine, as the students bring their own personal laptops to school each day.  Starting in Fifth Grade, students are exposed to Elective Classes such as Business, Fun with Physics, Artist Studio, Comic Book Writing, Health and Conditioning,  to name a few, that further develop global awareness, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. Elective classes, that students get to choose, also allow students to be risk-takers and to develop new interests. As our students mature, so do their characters. We ask our students to display each character trait every day and further develop their socio-emotional intelligence. Students’ ownership of learning and personal responsibility is quickly becoming apparent at this stage. 

Note: The unique individual is emerging. Teachers continue to create and plan curriculum based on Individual Student Plans derived from detailed observation, class performance, and standardized testing.  As our students enter Fourth Grade they are given learning paths based directly on their NWEA data which helps each reach and exceed personal academic goals.  Teachers work with students to encourage them to challenge themselves to become well-rounded citizens, as well. By the beginning of Middle School, with no gaps, foundations in basic subjects should be solid.

Students in Middle School English Language Arts are challenged to complete cohesive multi-paragraph writing projects that they learn to revise and edit with the guidance of their teachers. This is the point where students realize the scope of the multi-step writing process. Reading moves between the use of anthologies to novel studies as students are asked to read and apply literary concepts. Comprehension proceeds to analysis. Mathematical expectations are now deepening, and the students are not only responsible for learning math concepts, but they must understand and apply them using strategic problem solving and reasoning in addition to explaining the skills through writing.  Cross-curricular projects between subject areas strengthen the understanding of these new concepts and enable higher-order thinking. 

Through project-based learning and cross-curricular lessons and activities, students now understand the importance of how all of the core subject areas work together.  Field Trips provide a multi-sensory real-life learning experience, build team skills and expose them to opportunities to build and reflect upon their socio-emotional skills, make concepts more memorable and create enthusiasm for the subject matter. Students are responsible for taking their knowledge and applying it to specific challenges where the teacher is available as a facilitator, and this occurs beyond the walls of the classroom, as well.  Events like the Invention Convention, Art Contests, Spelling Bee, History Bee, Math Team Contests, eSPORTS, and Vex Robotics competitions are a few examples of how World Academy nurtures students to strengthen their collaborative, communication, creative, and critical thinking skills.

As we teach students how to hypothesize during an experiment or to think critically to solve a complex word problem in Math class, every World Academy student benefits immensely from exploring resources that are both inside and outside the classroom, including digital resources. Our Middle School students utilize technology to enhance their learning, and as the students mature so does their digital maturity.  Technology expands our students’ and teachers’ learning resources beyond the walls of the school.  This enhances their opportunities to focus on real-world experiences, which include logic, problem-solving, and creativity.  World Academy’s goal is to go beyond the basic technology concepts, giving our students a competitive edge. As these students advance in their Music, Chorus, and Visual Arts classes, they apply the skills taught in previous grades to read music, play instruments, manipulate media, and develop their vocabulary, in addition to embracing the main concepts.  They are able to perform at our monthly Recognition and Awards assemblies in front of our full school community which enables them to express themselves creatively and artistically. Throughout the Middle School years,  students experience a more detailed World Language program with a focus on speaking, listening, reading and writing skills and the learning of the respective cultures in either Spanish or French. Through our Physical Education classes, students are exposed to rules and regulations for sports and games to further develop athletic skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship.  This is a wonderful stepping-stone right into our formal competitive sports programs.  Starting in Fifth Grade, students can enrich their 21st century skills while further developing their interests and taking ownership of their educational journey by participating in the Tri-County League, in addition to other extracurricular clubs and teams, such as Art Club, Theater, Student Government, Robotics, Science Bowl, Math Team, etc. 

Note: By this stage, many layers of the well-rounded student are becoming accomplished! Our emerging cutting-edge, brain-based, continually updated and relevant curriculum begins to give our students their extra competence to excel in their competitive future!

In our Middle School, students are challenged to extend their thinking to reach the highest level of cognitive rigor. In Seventh and Eighth Grade students are given more complex words, which are found on the S.A.T.s and other standardized tests. We do this to prepare our students for high school and beyond.  Students are required to utilize note-taking techniques as they participate in all Middle School academic classes. This serves them well later as their study skills become enhanced.  Writing in content areas becomes the norm as students utilize their proficient  writing skills learned in English Language Arts. They are expected to apply higher grammar concepts,  to self-revise and to edit their work. Students are asked to format their words into MLA style to prepare them for the demands of writing in higher-level English, as well as, other Honors and AP classes in High School. They now move from class directed novel studies and literature circles to independent choice reading. This allows each student to attain personal potential, to apply literary concepts to a vast array of genres in fiction and nonfiction, and to hone skills as each student reads closely and finds evidence within the text.

In Mathematics, reasoning is being finessed with quantitative thinking and problem-solving.  Focusing on attention to detail, precision, and modeling, students are expected to make use of the mathematical practices and procedures.  There is deep perseverance, now, in pursuing the solutions to problems. 

Here is the time when student strengths are recognized and work is happening in earnest to support weaker areas.  The personalized education approach supported by the findings of testing and the PSATs 8/9 aims to customize learning for each student’s skills, needs, and interests. 

Students continue to explore their personal interests as they are given increased autonomy to make choices within the curriculum and project-based learning activities. Student-driven discussions and inquiry-based learning are facilitated by the teachers to increase student engagement and competency with subject matter. Increased participation in group projects builds teamwork and collaboration skills, adaptability and problem-solving. 

As students advance through our enrichment Music classes, they move from the recorder to the acoustic guitar, explore string instruments, focus on an in-depth study of artists and specific artistic techniques, and build an appreciation of a healthy, classical and balanced lifestyle. Elsewhere in the curriculum, context is expanded from self, family, and community to a world view. Students have increased opportunities to delve into world languages and cultures through the talents of our talented World Languages Team and our partnership with VLACS (Virtual Learning Academy Charter School).  This propels the student well on his/her trajectory to becoming a world-class citizen.

At this level students begin to understand the value of quality of work and the impact it has on their future as they contemplate life after World Academy. They understand much of the rationale for what came before as the pieces begin to fall in place while they prepare for High School. They are learning how soft skills can give them an edge over their peers and begin to incorporate them into their repertoire. They are thriving in our personalized learning environment where they are appropriately challenged on the academic front and where their passion for the subject areas are encouraged by supportive teachers. The proper balance to promote student success lies in collaboration between home and school as all work together to nurture the well rounded, competent, and capable World Academy Graduate!

Note: All this time our students’ Individualized Learning Plans are following them, making sure all learning stages, skills, and content are acquired and that there are no gaps in their education. Our World Academy graduates have completed our program of competence and are well on their way to being intelligent, confident, well-rounded, successful learners and leaders, ready to make their marks in their global futures. 

Summary

Children’s discovery of both themselves and the world that surrounds them begins the moment that they are born. No child is exactly alike and no student learns the exact same way. With Individual Learning Plans at World Academy, we nurture the intricacies and seamlessly guide them on their path from ECE, to preschool and Kindergarten, into Elementary School and up through graduation from Middle School. By this stage, your child is now a well-rounded, digitally- and culturally-acute individual ready to facilitate the next step in their education and beyond as an informed and well-formed citizen.