Elementary: Curriculum
LELAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CURRICULUM
Learning Through Connections
At Leland Elementary, learning is designed to help students make meaningful connections across all subject areas. As an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) school, we use a transdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning.
Rather than teaching subjects in isolation, students explore important concepts through six Units of Inquiry each year. Reading, writing, math, science, social studies, the arts, Spanish, PE, and social-emotional learning are thoughtfully woven together, helping students see how ideas connect and apply to the world around them.
While our learning is organized through our Units of Inquiry, we also use high-quality instructional resources to ensure students develop strong foundational skills and deep conceptual understanding. You can learn more about these instructional resources below.
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The Programme of Inquiry is the heart of our curriculum. Each grade level engages in six Units of Inquiry every year, providing students with meaningful opportunities to explore important concepts through inquiry and real-world connections. Our Programme of Inquiry is intentionally designed to build from Kindergarten through Grade 5, with concepts, skills, and learning experiences becoming increasingly more complex each year. This thoughtful progression helps students deepen their understanding, make connections across disciplines, and develop as confident, knowledgeable, and compassionate lifelong learners.
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Social studies is taught through our IB Units of Inquiry, where students explore their communities, history, geography, civics, and economics through meaningful, inquiry-based learning experiences. Students investigate compelling questions, examine multiple perspectives, and develop an understanding of their role as responsible local and global citizens. Our social studies curriculum is aligned with the Michigan State Standards and includes learning in History, Geography, Civics & Government, and Economics, helping students build the knowledge and skills needed to understand the past, engage with the present, and contribute to the future.
Students Engage In:
- Exploring communities and cultures
- Investigating geography and the world around us
- Examining history through multiple perspectives
- Learning about civics, government, and responsible citizenship
- Understanding economics and decision-making
- Taking informed action to make a positive difference
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Our literacy program develops confident readers, writers, and communicators, through a structured approach to teaching foundational skills and rich, meaningful literacy experiences.
95 Percent Group’s Core Phonics Program®
Provides explicit, systematic instruction in foundational reading skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, and word recognition.
We Shall Read’s Brain Friendly Reading™
Supports students in developing fluent, automatic reading skills through engaging, play-based instruction and activities.
Great Minds’ Arts & Letters™
Builds reading comprehension, vocabulary, knowledge, writing, and analytical thinking through high-quality literature and informational texts.
Great Minds’ Wit & Wisdom™
Strengthens comprehension, writing, vocabulary, and critical thinking while connecting literacy learning to our Units of Inquiry.
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Health education is provided to students in all grades using evidence-informed, age-appropriate instruction that promotes healthy decision-making, personal safety, and overall well-being.
Advocates for Youth’s Rights, Respect, Responsibility™
An evidence-informed, comprehensive program that helps students develop the knowledge and skills to build healthy relationships, make responsible decisions, and promote lifelong physical, social, and emotional well-being.
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Through daily instruction, practice, collaboration, and real-world application, students develop mathematical understanding and problem solving.
McGraw-Hill’s Everyday Mathematics
Provides a comprehensive approach to developing conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and mathematical reasoning.
Math Fact Lab™
Builds automaticity with basic math facts, helping students develop confidence and fluency while supporting higher-level mathematical thinking.
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Students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 participate in weekly enrichment classes in Library Science, Visual Art, Music, Physical Education, and Spanish. As part of our IB Primary Years Programme, our enrichment teachers connect their instruction to the current Units of Inquiry, helping students make meaningful connections across disciplines.
Students Engage In:
- Building research and information literacy skills in Library
- Expressing ideas through Visual Art
- Exploring creativity and performance through Music
- Developing health, fitness, and teamwork in Physical Education
- Building language skills and cultural awareness in Spanish
- Connecting learning across all subject areas through our Units of Inquiry
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Science is taught through our IB Units of Inquiry, where students investigate authentic questions and explore scientific concepts through hands-on learning. Students make meaningful connections between science and other disciplines as they develop curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Our science curriculum is aligned with the Michigan State Standards, and includes learning experiences in Physical Science, Life Science, Earth & Space Science, and Engineering Design, helping students build a deep understanding of the natural world while applying their learning in meaningful, real-world contexts.
Students Engage In:
- Hands-on investigations
- Real-world scientific inquiry
- Engineering design challenges
- Outdoor and environmental learning
- Asking questions and solving problems
- Making connections across disciplines
We're Here to Help!
If you have any questions about how learning works at Leland, please reach out to Mrs. Fehrenbach, our K-12 Principal.