Academics at Roadside

"Roadside Runners Speed to Achieve"

Roadside Academy embraces a back-to-basics approach to the core academics. Our curriculum is rigorous but students learn strategies which will help them to excel in their work. We are interested in educating students who want to learn. Those students learn to enjoy the challenge and get excited as they progress onto higher levels of learning.

We place a high premium on reading and seek to encourage students to read often for their own enjoyment and personal learning. Our reading program is phonics-based. We read entire books and are able to explore all aspects of literature including character development, plot, setting and theme. Reading books in their entirety helps students to have a better understanding of how good writers compose their pieces and build a story from start to finish. Students study spelling up through the 6th grade. We also emphasize solid grammar skills to help students understand how the English language functions.

New Roadside students are tested and then placed in a math class in accordance with demonstrated ability. Our goal is that students master the mathematical concepts and learn to develop accuracy and speed in their calculations while also developing solid problem-solving skills. In the lower grades, students memorize multiplication tables, learn about double-digit multiplication as early as second grade and learn how to solve word problems. Students learn to calculate accurately without dependence on calculators which are reserved for upper grades (when solving exponential problems and other involved calculations such as determining complex square roots, etc.) .Roadside 8th graders usually study Algebra 1. In some cases, 8th graders study Algebra 2.

In history, we seek to let history speak for itself and examine original sources whenever possible. Students are taught to draw their own conclusions rather than take the unsubstantiated opinions of others as fact. Students also study geography. Third and fourth graders actually memorize several important documents like "The Declaration of Independence" and the "Bill of Rights" as part of their study.

In our rapidly changing world, technology and science can become outdated rapidly. In science class, we seek to equip students with the skill to become scientists of tomorrow. We encourage students to actually become scientists and to develop solid observation skills though regular experimentation and hands-on activities. Students learn basic concepts but are not made to simply memorize a large quantity of facts. They are encouraged to develop thinking skills and analyze information and then to draw reasonable conclusions.

Roadside students also have weekly classes in music, art and physical education.

Classroom activities are also enhanced with a variety of field trips throughout the academic year. Occasionally a class will do a special activity based on their classroom studies and then share with the other Roadside classes. After the kindergarten class studied the painter Monet, they transformed their classroom into Monet's garden and invited parents and other classes to participate. After studying Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", 7th/8th grade students decided to put on a production of an excerpt from the play. After learning about the Wright Brothers' flying machine, 3rd/4th graders built a model of the craft and gave a presentation to the rest of the school. After reading Homer's Odyssey, 5th/6th graders hosted a Greek festival. 

Click here for a PDF version of our curriculum.