Education

The Christel House educational program includes enhanced national and state-mandated educational objectives, implemented with a strong focus on art, music, life skills & character development. Students participate in service learning projects and are exposed to an internationally focused perspective on the world.

Using research based programs as our foundation, teachers are encouraged to develop unique and creative lesson that challenge and enrich our students’ learning.

Mathematics Education

Elementary School, K-5

Everyday Mathematics is a research-based curriculum developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project. It is scientifically proven to build students' mathematical knowledge from the basics to higher-order thinking and critical problem solving.

Features:

The Basics - Plenty of attention to computational and arithmetic skills
Rigorous Math - In-depth study of all the mathematics strands: geometry, data, probability, measurement, algebra and the uses of variables learned and applied over time and a wide variety of contexts
Meaningful Problem Solving woven throughout every lesson
Cross-Curricular Connections
Meaningful Teacher Support - Teacher materials are easy to use and provide multiple options for teaching to individual needs

Middle School, 6-8

Carnegie Learning Math Series

The Carnegie Learning Math Series: Courses 1-3 is a three-year sequence providing a complete set of research-based educational materials to inspire all middle school students to master mathematical concepts and skills. Carnegie Learning math curricula are based on more than two decades of research at Carnegie Mellon University on how students think, learn, and apply new knowledge.

At the heart of this program are five strategies to personalize math instruction for middle school students. Those strategies include:

Using real-time, embedded formative assessments,
Differentiating instruction with both print and software activities,
Adapting instruction to student strengths and weaknesses,
Allowing students to customize the software by choosing themes, characters, and colors, and
Appealing to student interests with wacky topics, games, and collecting rewards.

Watanabe High School, 9 - 10

Carnegie Learning Integrated Math I-III

An integrated approach to teaching secondary mathematics, Carnegie Learning Integrated Math I-III is a three course series that weaves together numeric, algebraic, geometric, and statistical curricula.

Innovative research-based pedagogy based on research at Carnegie Mellon University on how students think, learn, and apply new knowledge.

Engages students directly in problem solving
Uses concrete, real-world scenarios
Makes use of informal student knowledge
Prompts a student to think abstractly, by converting situations into quantities and units

Language Arts

Reading Instruction

Elementary School, K-5

Treasures is a McGraw-Hill reading curriculum built upon a foundation of research supporting the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the program focuses on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. The program also provides a variety of validated assessment tools that help teachers to identify strengths and weaknesses, plan instruction and meet the needs of all students.

Waterford is a nationally recognized and research-based computer program that highly successful elementary schools are implementing to increase student achievement. Waterford is a comprehensive program for grades K-2 that helps students develop fluency in phonological awareness, letter recognition, keyboarding, and reading comprehension.

Middle School, 6-8

Glencoe Literature: Reading with Purpose -- the first research-based middle school language arts program effectively combining the necessary foundation of strong sequential skills development with the successful reading of classic and contemporary literature.

Writing Instruction K-8

Writers' Workshop is an interdisciplinary method of teaching writing, designed to build students' fluency in writing through continuous and repeated exposure to the process of writing. The goal is to create independent and self-motivated writers. Unlike traditional programs, the Writers' Workshop approach is open-ended and helps students explore writing as a growing and developing practice.

English as a Second Language

Treasure Chest is a comprehensive program for English language learners. Instructional activities are focused in four areas- listening, speaking, reading and writing.

The IPC Curriculum, Elementary School K-5

The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is an international curriculum providing a cross-curricular, thematic, rigorous teaching structure designed to engage children of all abilities in today’s world. The principle of the IPC is to focus on a combination of academic, personal and international learning for children worldwide, combined with innovative and exciting ways to learn. The IPC is designed to help children:

•Learn the essential knowledge, skills and understanding of a broad range of curriculum subjects.

•Engage with their learning so that they remain committed to learning throughout their school careers and their lives.

•Develop the personal qualities they need to be good citizens and to respond to the changing contexts of their future lives.

•Develop a sense of their own nationality and culture at the same time as developing a profound respect for the nationalities and cultures of others.

Expeditionary Learning, Watanabe High School 9-12

Based on the educational ideas of German educator Kurt Hahn, the founder of Outward Bound, Expeditionary Learning is a project-based-learning model that engages students in learning expeditions-- challenging, interdisciplinary, real-world projects. Christel House Expeditions are connected with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, providing oprotunities for students to learn about eradicating extreme poverty, reducing child mortality rates, fighting disease epidemics, and global economic development in an international context.

Learn more about EL design principles.