Teaching & Learning

Our mission is to foster a love for reading, writing, and critical thinking in our students from early childhood through eighth grade. Through a rich and diverse curriculum, we aim to develop strong literacy skills that are essential for academic success, aligned to state standards, and lifelong learning. 

Curriculum Overview

• ECE-Grade 2: Focus on foundational skills, phonics, and early literacy through interactive read-alouds small group instruction. Introduction to writing basics, sentence structure, and creative expression through drawing and simple writing prompts.
• Grades 3-5: Emphasis on reading comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary development using a variety of literacy genres. Development of paragraph writing, narrative, informative, and opinion pieces. 
• Grades 6-8: Advancing reading strategies, critical analysis and interpretation of complex texts, including novels, poetry, and informational texts. Focus on essay writing, research projects, argumentative and expository writing.  

SAVVAS MyView (Grades K-5)
SAVVAS MyPerspectives (Grades 6-8)  

ELA Parent Resources

• myview k-5 
• myperceptives 6-12
• View Illinois Learning Standards

Human Growth and Development

As part of D26’s Human Growth and Development curriculum a Puberty Unit is taught during 4th and 5th grade. Classroom instruction is provided by the school nurse and Candor Health under the supervision of the classroom teacher. The purpose of this unit is to teach students facts about their bodies and prepare them for the up and coming changes they soon will encounter during their journey through puberty. As this is the first formal school guided introduction to gender specific changes, boys and girls will receive separate classroom instruction for portions. The following are guidelines for things that will be covered.

Our mission is to cultivate a deep understanding and appreciation of mathematics in our students from early childhood through eighth grade. Through a comprehensive and engaging curriculum, we aim to develop strong problem-solving skills, logical reasoning, and mathematical fluency. 

Curriculum Overview

• ECE-Grade 2: Emphasis on basic number sense, counting, addition and subtraction, and an introduction to geometry and measurement. 
• Grades 3-5: Development of multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, and more advanced geometry and measurement concepts. 
• Grades 6-8: Focus on pre-algebra, algebra, ratios, proportions, and data analysis, preparing students for high school. 
• All Grades: 
  • Encourage students to approach mathematical problems with curiosity and persistence. 
  • Integrating real-world scenarios to make mathematics meaningful and relevant. 
  • Utilizing digital tools and resources to enhance learning and engagement. 
  • Encouraging students to explore mathematical concepts through interactive platforms and software. 
  • Developing the ability to articulate mathematical reasoning and solutions both verbally and in writing. 
  • Promoting collaborative learning and discussions around mathematical ideas.

Math Parent Resources

• Learn about Envision parent portal
• access envision family engagement portal
• Visite los Portales de Participación Familiar de enVision
• View Illinois Learning Standards

Amplify Science is an inquiry-based program that encourages collaborative, hands-on experiences with objects, organisms, and systems that enhance the development of scientific ways of thinking.  Through science investigations, students work through units to collect information, analyze data, and record results.  The science program provides opportunities for students to extend their scientific knowledge and experiences through content reading materials that support the science concepts.

The following is a list of modules/units taught in each grade:

View Illinois learning standard

The district's Social Studies K-5 program, TCI Social Studies Alive!, was adopted starting the 2024-2025 school year.  Each grade level focuses on a theme that incorporates Civics, Economics, Geography and History that integrates language arts instruction, providing many opportunities for students to practice reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language skills.  Below are the themes for each grade level K-5.

Kindergarten: Me and My World
1st Grade: My School and Family
2nd Grade: My Community
3rd Grade: Our Community and Beyond
4th Grade: Regions of our Country
5th Grade: America’s Past 

View Illinois Learning Standard

SEL Curriculum and Instructional Time  

Cary District 26 utilizes Second Step as its Tier I Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum across all elementary and junior high schools. This evidence-based program helps students develop critical life skills such as self-awareness, emotion regulation, empathy, and problem-solving.
 

learn more about second step for elementary (k-5)

Learn more about second step for middle school (6-8)

To ensure dedicated time for social-emotional development, students in grades K–5 engage in 30 minutes of SEL instruction daily, while students in grades 6–8 participate in 30 minutes of SEL instruction weekly.

SEL Universal Screeners 

To better understand and support the social and emotional needs of our students, District 26 uses two research-based screeners:

• Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA): A teacher-completed tool that identifies students’ strengths and areas for growth across key social-emotional competencies. 

• Social-Emotional Competency Assessment (SECA): A student-facing self-assessment that gives insight into how students view their own social and emotional skills.

These screeners are part of our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and help us provide timely, targeted support where needed.

LEarn more about dessa and seca

SEL Universal Screening Windows

DESSA (Grades K–8):

• Fall: September 29 – October 3
• Winter: January 19 – January 23
• Spring: April 27 – May 1

SECA (Grades 5-8 only):

• Fall: September 29 – October 3