Elementary School Education and Instruction

In Grade 2 Turkish lessons, our students develop their reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills. They become aware of the richness of our language and use Turkish correctly and effectively. Through language activities, they improve their communication skills. Students enhance their ability to read and comprehend, express their thoughts in writing, listen actively, and express themselves orally. They write down their feelings and thoughts. They also begin to lay the foundations for lifelong reading and research skills.

In mathematics lessons, our students are at the center of the learning process and benefit from different learning and teaching strategies according to their needs. They have the opportunity to experience their mathematical skills by drawing from their daily lives. Learning processes are planned based on interdisciplinary connections. The four operations, problem-solving, measurement, and estimation are among the main topics covered.

Life Sciences lessons are approached in line with basic concepts. They aim to instill the desire to learn by questioning and putting their inquiries into action. Students, based on their developmental characteristics, have the opportunity to improve their social skills. Experiences are provided to develop self-management, social, thinking, communication, and research skills. With the knowledge and skills gained in the course, students have learning experiences that help them become responsible, enterprising, and well-adapted individuals.

In the Grade 2 English program, students develop their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills and enrich their vocabulary by exploring topics such as belonging, the interconnectedness of communities, and our responsibilities in protecting the environment. They learn the features of non-fiction texts and, as a result of their research, prepare their own information books. To improve their reading fluency, they practice word decoding skills and participate in activities such as reader’s theater. Students are encouraged to see themselves as writers and develop their writing skills by creating various texts such as stories, descriptions, and informational paragraphs.

In Grade 2 Physical Education lessons, our students learn about their responsibilities toward their bodies before and after exercise, the importance of regular physical activity for their health, individual/paired balancing movements that require physical coordination (running, jumping, throwing, etc.), playing games by controlling an object, and moving safely among objects and other people. By actively participating in games, they also spend their free time engaged in sports activities.

In Visual Arts lessons, units vary according to grade level. Students embark on a journey where they have the opportunity to try different techniques. They become curious about and study the lives of Aboriginal people. They empathize with and understand how the first humans painted and with which natural materials, then transfer these ideas into their own work. They create a visual texture bank starting from lines and shapes. They study surrealist works and reinterpret them. They examine the features of sculptures based on the spaces where they are displayed and express their emotions three-dimensionally.

In Grade 2 Music lessons, students improve their singing skills. While accompanying songs with small percussion instruments, they use learned rhythmic patterns to create their own rhythm compositions. They listen to songs in different forms and create movements suitable for these forms. Through fun activities, they learn the placement and values of notes on the staff. By listening to works from selected musical periods and composers, they develop their listening skills.

Our students learn the parts of the computer and their functions. They practice mouse usage. They learn how to protect their health while using a computer. They create theme-based drawings in the Paint program. In a word processing program, they carry out writing activities and make edits to these writings.

In Grade 3, our students improve their reading and writing skills in Turkish lessons, enrich their vocabulary, and gain the ability to accurately understand what they see, watch, listen to, and read. They acquire fluent reading and comprehension skills by paying attention to emphasis, intonation, and punctuation marks. By examining different types of writing, they make connections with what they read. Using their imagination, they write creative texts in accordance with page layout and writing rules. They learn grammar and vocabulary in context and in connection with daily life. Through listening and speaking activities related to the units and daily life, as well as preparing effective visual presentations, they develop skills to express themselves well, make inferences, and solve problems.

In mathematics lessons, they explore topics (patterns, numbers, the four operations, problem-solving, measurement, estimation, graphs, geometry) through inquiry and relate them to daily life. They learn mathematical knowledge and concepts through discovery, using a variety of visual and auditory materials.

Science lessons aim to develop a range of skills, such as observing, recording the results of observations, comparing predictions with observations, questioning, and critical thinking. As in all grade levels, in Grade 3 students are expected to act like scientists and follow scientific research steps through GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science) activities. Through activities in which they learn the designated topics and scientific events and phenomena by establishing cause-and-effect relationships, they gain a deeper understanding.

In the Grade 3 English program, students develop their communication skills by researching various topics related to their own lives, other people and communities, the environment, and the effects of human activities on the environment. They focus more on learning what it means to be a researcher. By writing informational texts, narratives, and plays, and by creatively using digital tools and platforms in presentations, they learn different ways of sharing what they have learned. Students learn the rules and correct usage of the language when using tenses such as simple past and simple present, auxiliary verbs, question structures, comparative and superlative adjectives. For reading with understanding, they learn to visualize texts and make connections.

In Grade 3 Physical Education lessons, our students learn to perform warm-up exercises under the guidance of a leader, understand the basic changes in their bodies during exercise, and follow the safety rules for using different activity equipment. They perform locomotor and balancing movements in different directions, speeds, and forces; learn the equipment of basic sports branches; and move with body control during physical activities. By actively participating in games, they identify ways to live a healthy life.

In Visual Arts lessons, students examine how artists reflect traces of the periods they lived in onto their works. They understand that the use of visual design elements varies from one artist to another. They realize that historical structures and museum exhibits have different stories.

In Grade 3 Music lessons, students continue to develop their music reading skills, learn vocal training and percussion techniques. They learn that instruments are divided into different groups and the basic elements of tempo, dynamics, and pitch. They improve their listening skills by listening to classical music from different musical periods. By thinking about musical forms and using their creativity, they find lyrics and movements for a given piece of music. They enrich their song repertoire by learning both international and traditional songs.

They can distinguish between desktop publishing, spreadsheets, and presentation files, and create simple types of documents based on interdisciplinary content. They are introduced to the cloud system, create products in the cloud, and collaborate on them. They design their own posters using desktop programs and share them via the cloud system. They regularly engage in coding activities. Topics in our curriculum include conducting effective research on the internet, digital citizenship, and designing learning activities using Web 2.0 tools.

In Grade 4 Turkish lessons, our students are encouraged to apply the techniques of the fundamental skills they have developed regarding the correct use of the Turkish language. They improve their verbal communication (listening and speaking), written communication (reading and writing), and visual communication (viewing and presenting) skills. While learning the rules of writing, they examine language use in detail. Their skills in note-taking, reading and listening techniques, and preparing visual presentations are further developed during the year.

In mathematics lessons, students begin to use mathematics as a way of thinking. They improve their competence in establishing connections between mathematical operations and problems. They learn about fractions beyond whole numbers and decimal fractions. At this level, they study perimeter calculations of geometric shapes. To implement the principle of moving from concrete to abstract, “Math: A Way of Thinking” and GEMS activities are included in the program.

Science lessons aim for students to be willing to know and understand, to value everything that makes up their environment, to develop logical and critical thinking skills, and to uphold scientific values. Inquiry is placed at the center of scientific investigation and understanding.

In Grade 4 English, students use the language to research science and social topics. In doing so, they ask questions, conduct research, hold discussions, and reflect on their learning. Using English, they explore different perspectives on topics such as the advantages and disadvantages of technology, renewable and non-renewable energy resources, and the impact of our choices on health. While working on topics collaboratively, they develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, and expand their vocabulary. They learn reading strategies that help them find answers to their research questions in informational texts and to read books with multiple sections with understanding. They focus on the entire writing process—from planning to publishing—by writing magazine articles, stories, letters, poems, and experiments following the scientific process. They become aware that all languages have certain patterns and rules, and they use this understanding when reviewing their own work, thus increasing their accuracy in grammar and spelling. Students also take the Cambridge Young Learners Flyers exam, which evaluates language use in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

In Social Studies lessons, the unit topics are structured to help students become active, productive individuals who know their rights and responsibilities in social life. It is aimed for them to improve their inquiry skills, learn information access techniques, and apply them.

Assessment and evaluation activities are carried out regularly throughout the learning process, and students receive feedback on their progress. Their development is documented in written reports. Observation reports, portfolio work, peer, and self-assessment forms are also used for assessment.

In Grade 4 Physical Education lessons, our students learn to perform warm-up exercises in a specific sequence, the essentials of maintaining a healthy body (rest, balanced nutrition, and exercise), and to take safety precautions for themselves and the environment during activities. They perform locomotor movements at different speeds and levels, engage in jumping, throwing, and running activities, and learn basic gymnastics skills such as agility, coordination, and balance. They practice controlling objects by adjusting speed and force. They set realistic goals and strategies to improve personal health.

In Visual Arts lessons, our students recognize that every culture has its unique characteristics and examine how these are reflected in artists and their works. They learn that each work in a museum is classified according to its features and study different types of museums. They transfer their experiences from museum visits into two- or three-dimensional projects. After these visits, they share their experiences through posters and brochures they create.

In Grade 4 Music lessons, students learn different rhythm patterns during one class hour each week. Working individually and in groups, they create their own rhythm compositions, thus developing rhythm knowledge as the first step in composition. They learn songs and marches related to special days and weeks, performing them as a class choir throughout the year. They enhance their music reading skills by singing solfège pieces with different rhythms. They learn the basic properties of sounds and conduct related experiments.

The Information Technologies course is designed for Grade 4 to be conducted both in the computer lab and in classrooms as a 1:1 iPad program. The lessons are planned to ensure that our students are aware of current technologies and can use them effectively. They learn the cloud system and create products within it. They gain knowledge about correct internet searching, reliable websites, email writing, and digital citizenship. They participate in coding activities once a month. They learn to use various Web 2.0 tools and desktop programs. In iPad lessons, they learn to use educational iOS applications and work on various learning activities. As part of the 1:1 learning program, a carefully planned orientation on the academic use of iPads in Grade 4 is implemented at the beginning of the year.