Mount Vernon School District
Elementary Core Curriculum
The Mount Vernon School District implements high-quality curriculum and assessment systems aligned to state standards to ensure equitable learning opportunities for all students. Instructional practices are continuously monitored and refined to prioritize multilingualism, learner variability, and critical consciousness. Through this commitment, educators design inclusive learning experiences that meet diverse student needs and promote continuous growth across all classrooms.
Literacy: American Reading Company (ARC)
ARC Core K-5 is designed to drive strong student outcomes by embedding proven instructional practices into every lesson, unit, and year. ARC Core ensures students learn to read while building knowledge of the world, expanding vocabulary, developing writing and speaking skills, and gaining a deep understanding of complex texts.
Visit American Reading Company: https://www.americanreading.com/
ARC Core Units by Grade
Kindergarten
Unit 1: School and Community (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Literacy & Informational Texts)
Unit 2: Zoology (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Informational Texts)
Unit 3: Ecology (Focus Standards: Comparing, Analyzing, & Writing Literature)
Unit 4: Entomology Focus Standards: Analyzing & Writing Arguments
Grade 1
Unit 1: Author Studies (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Literary & Informational Texts)
Unit 2: Wild and Endangered Animals (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Informational Texts)
Unit 3: Family Stories
Unit 4: Plants (Focus Standards: Analyzing & Writing Arguments)
Grade 2
Unit 1: Poetry & Personal Narratives (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Poetry & Prose)
Unit 2: Bugs in Ecosystems (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Informational Texts)
Unit 3: Animal Stories & Animals (Focus Standards: Comparing, Analyzing, & Writing Literature)
Unit 4: Jobs in My Community (Focus Standards: Analyzing & Writing Arguments)
Grade 3
Unit 1: Dinosaurs & Knights (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Literacy & Informational Texts)
Unit 2: Weather and Climate (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing)
Unit 3: Traditional Tales & World Cultures (Focus Standards: Comparing, Analyzing & Writing Literature)
Unit 4: Marine Life (Focus Standards: Analyzing & Writing Arguments)
Grade 4
Unit 1: Social & Emotional Learning through Literature (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Literary & Informational Texts)
Unit 2: Animal Adaptations (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Informational Texts)
Unit 3: American Historical Fiction & American History (Focus Standards: Comparing, Analyzing & Writing Literature)
Unit 4: U.S. States (Focus Standards: Analyzing & Writing Arguments)
Grade 5
Unit 1: Aliens - Fact or Fiction (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Literary & Informational Texts
Unit 2: Ecosystems (Focus Standards: Reading & Writing Informational Texts)
Unit 3: Adventure & Survival (Focus Standards: Comparing, Analyzing, & Writing Literature)
Unit 4: Civil Rights Era (Focus Standards: Analyzing & Writing Arguments)
UFLI Foundations (Supplemental Core Phonics, Grades K-2)
UFLI Foundations provides explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, and decoding aligned with the Science of Reading. It complements ARC Core by strengthening foundational literacy skills in early elementary classrooms.
Visit UFLI Foundations: https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/foundations/
Mathematics: Bridges in Mathematics (Second Edition)
Bridges blends direct instruction, structured inquiry, and problem solving. Students develop conceptual understanding and fluency through visual models, hands-on tools, and rich discourse.
Visit Bridges in Mathematics: https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/bridges
*We are currently in the process of selecting a new elementary math curriculum. Several classrooms at each grade level will be piloting Imagine Learning Illustrative Math and iReady Classroom Mathematics. A decision will be made in accordance with Policy 2020 and will go to the school board for approval in June 2026.
Science: Mystery Science
Mystery Science offers open-and-go lessons that spark curiosity through hands-on investigations and real-world phenomena. Lessons integrate science and engineering practices with engaging storytelling.
