• Elementary ELA

    The UDSD ELA curriculum integrates the Pennsylvania Common Core Standards of Foundational Skills, Reading Informational Text, Reading Literature, Writing, and Speaking and Listening. The goal is to develop and improve skills as we strive for our students to meet or exceed grade-level expectations. The Into Reading Program, Heggerty, and Fundations provide the primary resources for our ELA instruction in grades K-5.

     

    Elementary Multi-Tiered System of Support - MTSS

    The Upper Darby School District MTSS framework includes universal screenings, diagnostic assessments, and different levels of support based on individual student needs. Upper Darby School District uses Fundations, PALS 1, Word Study Studio, Read Naturally, Comprehension Intervention, and Inquiry and Research.

    Fundations: Fundations is a research-based reading program that is multisensory and systematic in teaching phonics, spelling and handwriting.  

    PALS 1: PALS 1 is a phonics program that uses a strategy in which students work in pairs to strengthen their reading skills.

    Word Study Studio: Word Study Studio provides targeted intervention for students who need practice in the critical areas of phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding, word recognition, and fluency. 

    Read Naturally: Read Naturally is a fluency-focused program with basic comprehension elements.

    Comprehension Intervention: Comprehension Intervention focuses on building your child’s vocabulary, building reading routines, and applying comprehension strategies to text.

    Inquiry and Research: Students work collaboratively to generate ideas, research, complete and present and inquiry-based projects.

    Novel Studies: Students explore and analyze the depths of plot, characters, and themes within literature.

     

    Elementary Social Studies

    The Upper Darby School District uses Social Studies Alive! curriculum in Grades 1-5. Social Studies Alive! is developed and published by Teacher's Curriculum Institute (TCI). The TCI curriculum has theory and research-based active instruction, standards-based content, multiple intelligence teaching strategies, and considerate text. The curriculum is spiral in nature. First-graders consider the child's School and Family*, second-grade focuses on Community, and third-grade targets Community and Beyond. In the fourth grade, students are introduced to United States geography and economics in Regions of Our Country. By fifth grade, the students are ready for United States history from colonial life to post-Civil War era in America's Past. 

     

    Elementary Science

    Upper Darby School District works to prepare all our students for the increasing need for STEM educated individuals relevant to industries within Delaware Valley and beyond. Our goal is to provide a robust program that demonstrates consistent, standards-based, science instruction in K-12 classrooms across the district. With a focus on continuous teaching and learning in science throughout our district, in grades K-12, we provide opportunities for equitable experiences for all students in our science programs. In line with the vision set forth in the new Pennsylvania Science Standards, the Upper Darby School District science program seeks to engage students in science and engineering practices and cross-cutting concepts alongside science investigations, which allow them to strengthen their critical thinking skills as they master the disciplinary core ideas.  Reading, speaking and listening skills are also developed as students complete record sheets, keep science notebooks, read stories about the topics being covered, and share their findings formally and informally.  Math skills are developed as they measure, weigh, compare, design data tables and create graphs and charts.

     

    In 2022 Pennsylvania formally adopted new standards for science.  These are collectively known as the Pennsylvania Integrated Standards for Science, Environment, Ecology, Technology, and Engineering (K-5), the Pennsylvania Integrated Standards for Science, Environment and Ecology (Grades 6-12) and the Pennsylvania Technology and Engineering Standards (Grades 6-12).  The standards describe what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.  The standards focus on three-dimensional learning which incorporates Science and Engineering Practices (what students do), Crosscutting Concepts (what students connect across disciplines), and the Disciplinary Core Ideas (what content students learn).

     

    Students at each grade level in elementary school experience science content in life science, earth and space science, physical science, and environmental science aligned to the grade level standards.

    • twigScience by Imagine Learning, adopted 2022. The curriculum is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and supports the new Pennsylvania Standards.

    Elementary Math

    The mathematics program in the Upper Darby School District mirrors the Pennsylvania Department of Education's goal: "mathematics instruction stresses both procedural skills and conceptual understanding to ensure students are learning and applying the critical information they need to succeed at higher levels."

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      1. Make sense of and persevere in solving complex and novel mathematical problems;

      2. Use effective mathematical reasoning to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others;

      3. Communicate precisely when making mathematical statements and express answers with a degree of precision appropriate for the context of the problem/situation;

      4. Apply mathematical knowledge to analyze and model situations/relationships using multiple representations and appropriate tools to make decisions, solve problems, and draw conclusions; and

      5. Use structure and repeated reasoning to gain a mathematical perspective and formulate generalized problem-solving strategies.

    The primary emphasis at the elementary level is for students to master the concepts of numbers and operations to provide a strong foundation for future mathematics studies. In addition, the elementary level introduces measurement, geometry, algebraic concepts, data analysis, and probability.