Upper Elementary

In grades 3-5, KLA Academy students actively engage in learning new, increasingly complex skills and strategies, celebrating mistakes as learning opportunities while developing their independence.

You will see a difference in your Upper Elementary student as they deepen their knowledge and prepare for Middle School. With social-emotional development as the program’s foundation, students expand their creativity and capacity for wonder, develop independence and autonomy, and build a sense of community and belonging.

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Upper Elementary Programs

Third Grade

Third grade is a time for students to dive into more complex skills and sophisticated inquiry, expanding their horizons and strengthening their knowledge in school and the outside world.

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Through hands-on learning, your child will develop and grow in:

Language Arts – Third grade invites students to use reading and writing as essential tools for sharing thoughts and ideas.
Reading – Third-graders become more independent readers, reading longer texts, finding meaning, and sharing their points of view on the plot and characters.
Writing – Students write longer, more structured, and complex pieces filled with detail and creativity, and also spend time planning, revising, and editing their texts.
Math – Students learn concepts of multiplication, division, and decimals, using a variety of tools to understand the underlying processes so that they can explain their thinking.
Science – Third-graders research the physical and living world through hands-on experimentation, working in small groups to engage in dialogues and debates.
Social Studies – Students focus on our community, as well as others around the world, studying citizenship, leaders and governments, and economic systems in different places.

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3rd graders using ipads as teacher assists

Fourth Grade

In fourth grade, students continue to develop their comprehension, expression, and critical thinking while taking on more challenging learning opportunities.

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Your fourth-grade student will flourish in:

Language Arts – Fourth-graders read with a higher level of fluency, applying their comprehension strategies to literary and expository texts and writing pieces that focus on a certain purpose or audience.
Reading – Students apply their reading skills to understand challenging fiction and non-fiction texts; write summaries, essays, and research papers; and orally report on topics.
Writing – Fourth-graders spend more time engaged in writing independently, analyzing the purpose of their writing and developing pieces in all fields of knowledge using complete paragraphs, transitional sentences, and themes.
Math – Students use their computation skills to solve multi-step word problems that involve multi-digit numbers, extend their understanding of fractions, and analyze and explain how they solve problems.
Science – Fourth-graders develop their science skills as they conduct experiments, read nonfiction texts, gather data, research, and write informative or opinion pieces.
Social Studies – Students strengthen their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills and develop their knowledge and appreciation of American history, civics, and government.

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Fifth Grade

Your fifth grader will impress you with their thoughtful knowledge, complex reasoning, and creative innovation.

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As they prepare for Middle School, they will continue to grow as a learner and leader in:

Language Arts – Students learn grade-level vocabulary, understand and practice the five stages of the writing process, and develop complex narratives with interesting plots and resolutions.
Reading – Fifth-graders read an assortment of literary and informational texts, apply knowledge from texts to make inferences, summarize and interpret information, and analyze the writer’s point of view.
Writing – Students create more descriptive and elaborate texts, writing narratives with events, narrators, and characters while using grammar skills to enhance communication.
Math – Students continue to deepen their understanding and demonstrate mastery of mathematical concepts, and they become fluent with the challenging skills needed to excel in Middle School.
Science – Fifth-graders become more mature in their ability to expand on and describe scientific concepts, evaluating their observations and associating topics with their daily lives.
Social Studies – Students continue their studies of civics and government, writing elaborate texts and essays, researching past and current events, and examining how current times will affect our future.

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5th grade teachers working with students around table

The Workshop Model: Reading, Writing & Math

The Workshop Model is a teaching structure that asks elementary students to take charge of their own learning, becoming active and deeply engaged in their work and development of understanding. This approach allows teachers to provide a balance between explicit instruction and exploration of possibilities that are presented.

This model promotes deeper understanding, providing differentiated support individually, within small groups and as a whole class. This level of engagement via the workshop model ensures students are actively learning the skills, strategies and concepts they need to master throughout the year.

What do you love about KLA Academy?

There are a million reasons to love being a student at KLA Academy! Here are just a few from some of our Upper Elementary students. For daily stories and updates from our students and community, follow us on Instagram.

Third Grade

One thing that I love is that KLA Academy makes me feel very welcome and loved.

- Alana, 3rd Grade

Fourth Grade

My favorite subject at KLA Academy is Investigations because we get to research using computers and concentrate on one project. I just love it!

- Nicolas, 4th Grade

Fifth Grade

At KLA Academy I can be myself. We have big spaces to learn and be creative. The teachers are gentle and here, we learn from our mistakes.

- Siena, 5th Grade

Fifth Grade

KLA Academy is a unique school. I can express my ideas and have a voice in class. The teachers make sure you really understand the work. Plus, the food is great!

-Tumaini, 5th Grade