Elementary Curriculum

Brewster Central School District is committed to building strong foundational literacy skills in all elementary students through explicit and systematic instruction. We utilize Heggerty for daily, engaging lessons in phonemic awareness, helping children develop the crucial ability to hear and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words—a vital precursor to reading. Complementing this, we implement Fundations to provide systematic and explicit instruction in word recognition skills in English. This program teaches phonics, spelling patterns, and sight words in a structured way, empowering students to decode words accurately and fluently. For our Spanish instruction in the Dual Language program, we use Estrellita, which similarly provides systematic and explicit instruction in Spanish foundational literacy skills, ensuring students build strong decoding and word recognition abilities in their native language.

Building upon these foundational skills, our district uses ARC Core to explicitly and systematically instruct students in vocabulary, comprehension, and writing skills. Through rich, knowledge-building units centered on science, social studies, and literature, students engage with diverse texts to deepen their understanding of content while simultaneously expanding their academic vocabulary. ARC Core provides structured instruction in various writing genres, ensuring students develop strong composition skills, from on-demand responses to extended research projects. Together, Heggerty, Fundations, Estrellita and ARC Core form a comprehensive and cohesive literacy framework designed to ensure all our students achieve reading and writing excellence in both our monolingual and dual language programs.

Brewster Central School District is dedicated to ensuring that every student develops a strong foundation in mathematics. To support this goal, Brewster Central School District utilizes Math in Focus for Kindergarten through Grade 5, a program grounded in the Concrete-Pictoral-Abstract (CPA) approach. This approach allows students to build conceptual understanding through concrete (hands-on), pictorial (visual), and abstract (symbolic) representations. Math in Focus emphasizes problem-solving, deep understanding of mathematical concepts, and strong number sense. Through hands-on learning, visual models, and real-world applications, students build a solid foundation in math skills and strategies. The program supports differentiated instruction, helping all learners develop confidence and competence in mathematics.

Brewster Central School District is committed to providing every student with the opportunity to engage in a dynamic, hands-on approach to science. Our science curricula, Science 21 for Grades K-1 and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) for Grades 2-5, promote students as active participants in their learning. Moreover, students in grades 3–5 engage in additional science investigations and explorations to address the full range of New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS). These experiences deepen their understanding of key scientific concepts and practices, while encouraging critical thinking, collaboration, and curiosity about the world around them.

Science 21: Kindergarten-Grade 1 

Science 21 is a hands-on science program designed for Kindergarten and 1st-grade students. It helps young students explore the world through experiments and discoveries, building early science skills and a love for STEM, all while meeting New York State learning standards.

Project Lead the Way (PLTW): Grades 2-5

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Launch is a hands-on STEM program for elementary students. It helps kids explore science, technology, engineering, and math through real-world problems, enabling them to become creative thinkers and problem solvers. It aligns with New York State standards and helps us prepare students to be innovative, critical thinkers, ready for future careers, and confident learners in a changing world.

Brewster Central School District implements the BOCES ELA/Social Studies curriculum in Grades K–5 to provide an integrated, standards-aligned approach to literacy and content learning. This curriculum blends reading, writing, speaking, and listening with rich, developmentally appropriate social studies themes. Students engage with high-quality texts, build background knowledge, and make meaningful connections to history, geography, civics, and culture. Through inquiry-based instruction, students develop strong literacy skills while deepening their understanding of the world around them. The curriculum is aligned with the New York State Next Generation Learning Standards.