Secular Studies

Reading and Language Arts

Our goal is to give children a language-rich environment, expose them to literature, and ensure they master basic skills.

Kindergarten children develop reading and writing skills by completing letter books. Individual and small-group instruction enriches reading skills the children have developed.
Primary-grade instruction is based on the Anthology, Journals, Spelling for Writing, Resource, Theme and other books in the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill series.
Choral, partner and individual reading, along with literature tapes, are parts of daily classwork.
Reading assigned novels and “free choice” books gives students in all grades an appreciation for reading. Teachers set aside time each week for silent reading and reading aloud to the class.
All grade levels emphasize the “writing processes” of pre-writing, writing, revising, editing and publishing, with the level of sophistication increasing as children develop the skills tom write more and more effectively.

English – Grades 6-8

Our goal is to help middle-school students become strong, analytic readers and writers.

Students in each grade read major literary works, along with many stories, essays and poems from various literature compilations.
Students learn the rudiments of writing analytical essays, along with such creative forms as poems, short stories and play scenes.
By writing an integrated English/Social Studies research papers throughout their years here, students learn to conduct research, take notes, organize their notes in outline form, compile a bibliography, and footnote their sources.
Using Write Source 2000 and Mosdos Press anthologies in Grades 5 through 8, students learn the rudiments of grammar and usage. • Students develop their vocabularies using the Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop books and taking weekly quizzes and cumulative tests.

Mathematics

Our mathematics curriculum focuses on developing speciﬁc math functions and systematic reasoning skills while developing children's conﬁdence in, and enjoyment of, math. Highly qualiﬁed Mathematics Specialists at PHDS prepare our children to compete mathematically in a globally competitive society.

Kindergarten math instruction builds on the number recognition, basic patterning, and number sense the children learned in Pre-K. It starts with a daily “morning meeting” and continues within counting, more sophisticated patterning, and continued use of manipulatives.
Students in Grades K-5 receive 40-60 minutes of mathematics instruction each day. Teachers motivate them with games, manipulatives and challenging problems.
Students in Grades 6-8 receive 45 minutes of math instruction four days a week.

Science

Through active involvement in scientiﬁc activity and discovery, science education at PHDS develops children's innate sense of curiosity about themselves and the world around them.

In Kindergarten, children study life science, animals, ecology, and personal health and safety.
While we expose our students to many subject areas and scientiﬁc disciplines, we place special emphasis on the importance of mathematics in the scientiﬁc process. Instructional materials reinforce this concept.
Grade 6-8 students have 45-minute science lessons four days each week.
Our fully equipped science lab gives middle schoolers hands-on laboratory time.
By the time they graduate, Providence Hebrew Day School students will have explored life science, earth science, human biology, ecology and environmental science, physical science, and technology.

Social Studies

Through written, verbal, and artistic social studies work, students make realworld connections, gain in-depth knowledge, and develop creativity and artistic talent.

Through projects and activities they complete, Kindergarten children learn more about the world and their relationship tom it.
Grade 1 and 2 children learn more about their individual uniqueness and how family members interact. The begin to develop map-reading skills and study national and religious holidays and symbols that make us feel special to be Americans and Jews.
Grade 3 and 4 students study the natural landscape,
how the land has inﬂuenced our history and culture, and how it continues to affect our daily lives. They learn about the state and the nation, develop map-reading and mapping skills to learn more about cities, states, nations, continents, and ocean bodies. They also learn about Native Americans and their respect for nature and, related to that, discuss the use of natural resources and how certain environmental problems may be solved.
Grade 5-8 students gain a basic understanding of world and American history, focusing primarily on cultural, economic, political, and social changes.
Fifth-graders study America's history from its discovery to the Industrial Revolution.
Grade 6 students continue their study of American history.
In a two-year cycle, Grade 7 students study world geography, followed by American government in Grade 8.

Judaic Studies

From their very ﬁrst says at PHDS, children learn about things that really matter – not just the difference between “cat” and “car,” but also the difference between right and wrong. They learn the importance of timeless Jewish values – kindness, morality, civility, and respect. Respect for their peers and fellow citizens. Respect for elders and teachers. Respect for their parents and their family's values. (These important lessons permeate our Judaic studies classes but aren't conﬁned to them; they're woven into our general studies as well.)

This knowledge transcends the value of an education that's strong on secular academics alone. For while academic learning helps a person become successful at earning a livelihood, it's Jewish ethical and moral values which make that person successful at living a life.

Hebrew Language (Ivrit)

Providence Hebrew Day School, follows a unique dual approach to language instruction, focusing on both modern Hebrew (Ivrit) and the skills needed to interpret Biblical Hebrew's preﬁxes and sufﬁxes. This technique concentrates not only on spelling and grammar, but also on enabling our students to converse, write, and comprehend in Hebrew. The school believes that studying Ivrit maximizes Torah learning. Using not only textbooks and workbooks, but also songs, games, tapes and art helps students achieve their instructional goals in a fun-ﬁlled and meaningful way.

Grade 1-5 students learn conversational Ivrit for two periods each week and Hebrew grammar for two periods.
Grade 6-8 students learn Ivrit for a total of three periods per week.

Hebrew Reading and Writing

Kindergarten students devote some time to each letter of the Alef-Bais, learning each letter's shape and sound, as well as a list of words that begin with it. Special attention is devoted to letters that look similar or make the same sound. Songs, games, bulletin board displays, and folders (with activity and coloring pages) make learning each letter fun.
Using a series of textbooks and workbooks and learning with a partner (Chavrusa), Grade 1 students begin to read and write Hebrew.
Students in Grades 1-5 receive Hebrew reading homework each night to improve their reading skills. Hebrew reading tests are administered quarterly. Resource time is devoted to helping those students in Grades 1-5 who are struggling with Hebrew reading skills.
In the older grades, reading practice is an important aspect of all Judaic Studies subjects.

Tanach (Bible)

One of the primary goals of the Judaic Studies program is for students to internalize the teachings of the Torah. Skills necessary for the students to live as Torah Jews are integral parts of all teachers' daily lessons.

Students in all grades review the weekly Torah portion (Parshas Hashavua) through animated discussions, question sets, worksheets, and/or arts and crafts.
From mid-year of Grade 1 on, students study Chumash (The Five Books of Moses) using the actual Biblical text. Their focus is on breaking down words to their roots, preﬁxes, and sufﬁxes, as well as understanding the text itself.
In Grade 3, Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, primary commentator on the Chumash) script is introduced. In Grades 3-5, Rashi's interpretation and commentary are a signiﬁcant components of instruction, and while students focus on the skills of reading and translating, they also work on developing their critical thinking skills through an understanding of Rashi’s questions.
The study of Navi (Prophets) begins in Grade 4 with Sefer Yehoshua (the Book of Joshua). In Neviim, the focus is mainly on understanding the events in each Navi's (Prophet's) writings and the lessons that can be learned from them. The goal is to ﬁnish one book of Prophets each year.
In Grades 6-8, students are introduced to the actual text of other commentators' writings. Before Grade 6, the these commentators' works are shared with the students in the context of what they are learning, but not through reading the actual itself.

Jewish Life/Dinim

Studying Dinim (laws) and Chagim (holidays) offers our students a special way to appreciate our Jewish holidays. Each grade learns laws and customs related to various aspects of Jewish life. These include units on the Beis HaKnesses (synagogue), Brachos (blessings), Shabbos (Sabbath), and Kashrus (dietary laws).Units of study are repeated in all grade levels, with new information added in each grade. The study of each Chag (holiday) is usually accompanied by a project, school-wide assembly, or other supporting activities and programs.

Younger grades celebrate Erev Shabbos (Sabbath eve) with treats, listening to Shabbos Zemiros (songs), or other special activities.
Students celebrate each Rosh Chodesh (beginning of the Jewish month) with an activity, treat or project.
Children give Tzedakah (charity) every day following Teﬁllos (morning prayers).
In both Pre-K and Kindergarten, students are encouraged to bring in Mitzvah notes (specifying good deeds that they did) each day. These notes are read, displayed, and celebrated in the classrooms. •Children in each grade study Yediyos Klalios (basic Judaic facts) in fun and creative ways in each grade, with special emphasis on these units in Grades 2 and 5.
All Judaic Studies subjects place a signiﬁcant emphasis on integrating the subject with General Studies curriculum components, particularly in Grades 14. SUBH: Torah Sh'Bal Peh (Oral Law) COPY: Students use Talmudic reasoning and Machlokes (arguments) to discuss the laws as the Rabbis argued them. Modern educational research has veriﬁed that this age-old practice helps children develop critical thinking, logic, analysis, and evaluation skills today.
Mishna (Pre Talmudic Tanaic Literature)is introduced to our students in Grade 4. •Gemorah (Talmud) is a core subject for boys in Grades 6-8.
The focus in our Mishna and Gemorah classes is to bring the students to a level of application by using modern-day examples. We also focus on reading ﬂuency and comprehension.
We offer an optional Mishna class on Sunday mornings, Wednesday evenings, and on vacation days for boys in Grades 6-8.

Elementary Curriculum