Strong literacy and numeracy skills are the critical foundation for academic achievement and, consequently, a lifetime of success. At Wildwood, it is vital that our students receive the highest quality of education possible in order to be prepared for future educational programming and work experiences. Attaining this goal requires superior programming, and as such, we have aligned all of our academic expectations with the Ontario Curriculum Standards.
Reading
Reading is an important building block for learning. At Wildwood Academy, we use Reading Mastery and Corrective Decoding Direct Instruction programs to efficiently and effectively build the skills of all students. These series feature early, explicit phonics instruction as well as the systematic teaching of comprehension and vocabulary skills. Students review and learn key concepts prior to reading each lesson. The acquisition of strong decoding and fluent reading skills is stressed. In addition to building a solid reading foundation through program lessons, teachers also expose students to a wide variety of literary forms.
Writing
We offer a balanced language curriculum that teaches our students to think, speak and write in a clear and concise manner. Teachers build each student's communication skills through structured lessons. Our primary/junior grades focus on basic grammatical concepts, sentence structure, letter writing, paragraph development, poetry, reflections on literature and experiences, public speaking and story telling. Our senior level students continue to advance their grammatical knowledge, build public speaking skills and further enhance their organizational skills. These areas are developed as students compose detailed compositions, book summaries and reflections, essays, speeches and research papers. All students are taught to take pride in their work and follow the visual presentation guidelines for their division. For example, students are taught that work is expected to be neat, legible and include appropriate organizational strategies and visual aids.
Spelling
At Wildwood, accurate spelling is achieved through the use of Direct Instruction Spelling Mastery and Spelling Through Morphographs programs. Students engage in both oral and written lessons that build knowledge of sound-symbol relationships, sight words and meanings of word parts. Consistent review helps to ensure that children transfer their spelling knowledge to their daily written work.
Mathematics
Mathematics is a key element in today's curriculum. At Wildwood Academy, all grades focus on the following Ontario Curriculum strands: Number Sense and Numeration, Measurement, Geometry and Spatial Sense, Patterning and Algebra, Data Management and Probability. We have adopted a variety of programs, including Saxon Math and Connecting Math Concepts, to ensure that students across grade levels receive a solid foundation in both the language and concepts of math. These highly successful programs introduce skills in easily understandable pieces to permit the mastery of one concept before the introduction of another. The programs emphasize the use of mathematical modeling and problem solving through continual practice and review. Our in-depth mathematical program provides students with increased confidence due to a solid foundation of skills.
Social Studies
Our social studies program teaches students to understand the world in which we live. In addition to examining local and global communities, various heritages and the nature of citizenship, students also explore history and geography. The knowledge gained through investigation, discussion and coursework allows students to develop informed opinions and enjoy interacting in a socially diverse world.
Science
A sound knowledge of science enables students to become productive members of society. Students seek to understand the natural and physical world through identification of key scientific concepts. Exploration and experimentation are used to create fun activities to guide student learning.
