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Curriculum, Instruction, & Learning

Sara Ortiz

Sara Ortiz, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Learning 

Ann Dadich, Administrative Assistant

Phone: (516) 237-2010

At Mineola Schools, we believe that learning should be engaging, meaningful, and tailored to the needs of every student. The Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Learning is committed to designing and supporting a dynamic educational experience that prepares students to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Rooted in innovation and guided by data-driven practices, our work focuses on developing a rigorous, inclusive, and student-centered curriculum across all grade levels. We collaborate closely with teachers, school leaders, and families to ensure that instruction is aligned with high academic standards, integrates technology meaningfully, and nurtures the skills necessary for lifelong learning—such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration.

As an Apple Distinguished District, Mineola is proud to lead the way in personalized learning and instructional design. Whether through interdisciplinary projects, inquiry-based learning, or real-world problem solving, we strive to empower students to explore their passions and achieve their full potential.

Thank you for visiting. We invite you to explore our resources, learn more about our instructional priorities, and join us in supporting every learner’s journey. 

 

A diagram illustrates the components of a self-directed learner, with puzzle pieces and key skills.

A graphic with puzzle pieces outlines educational concepts, including innovation and learner identity.

 

 

Mineola's Curriculum

  • In 2017, the Mineola Union Free School District conducted a systematic curriculum review to determine the effect rapid technological advances would have on K-12 school systems. Superintendent, Dr. Michael Nagler was determined that any new curriculum would include the following:

    • Alignment to NYS Learning Standards

    • Allow students to “own the learning”  through more opportunities for learner choice in the way they demonstrated their understanding and the path in which they take to get there

    • The ability to share any district designed curriculum or resource with other K-12 systems

    • Reinforce systems of thinking and problem solving

    • Instill the belief that learning is a life-long process

     

  • Mineola UFSD uses an interdisciplinary approach to delivering high-quality curriculum to all learners.  The Integrated Curriculum (K-7) is complex, vibrant and nuanced. To promote an equitable and excellent learning experience the Integrated Curriculum incorporates elements of design thinking, advanced literacy, and multiculturalism.  To truly embody the Mineola’s mission and to further inspire students to make a difference, Mineola’s units of study focus on essential questions, incorporate learner choice, and provide enrichment opportunities that align to and extend the Next Generation ELA and Science Standards as well as the NYS Social Studies Framework standards.

    Mineola’s Integrated Curriculum cultivates knowledge by integrating the content areas of History, Science, Geography and English Language Arts. These four major areas of study coalesce under a theme-based conceptual umbrella guided by essential questions such as ‘How is one’s story shaped by his/her culture and geography?’  Learners consider the essential question throughout the units via articles, literature, various texts that promote diverse perspectives and multimedia from a variety of disciplines. Learners explore and experience content as it comes to life through coding, outdoor learning opportunities, STEM related activities, and interest-based learning tasks.   All of these opportunities allow learners to demonstrate their knowledge in a myriad of ways, and provide learners with agency, choice and self-determination.   Deliberate to the design of Mineola's Integrated Curriculum are opportunities for Mineola's learners to engage in the 21st Century learning skills, the 4 C's (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication) throughout each unit. Units culminate with a demonstration of understanding in creative ways through an Application of Knowledge Assessment. These performance-based assessments ignite excitement and passion in Mineola’s learners as they employ design thinking, become active participants in a diverse democracy, solve real-world problems, and act as agents of change. Learners as young as 5 are taught that they, too, have a voice and that their voice is important in affecting change. 

  • Mineola uses several curricula designed by educational publishers as well as our Integrated Curriculum. Much learning requires systematic and explicit instruction for specific skill development (i.e. decoding or mathematics) and Mineola has vetted the many available options to find the best fits for our learners and community. Mineola uses a committee approach to selecting curricula wherein faculty and administrators work together to research evidenced-based curriculum and develop an implementation plan with training prior to roll out.  These curricula are highlighted in the Curriculum Charts and examples are listed below. 

    • Literacy: Heggerty, Fundations, Geodes, Lectoesritura (DL only)

    • Mathematics: Math Expressions

    • Science: Knowing Science 

Dual Language Program

Mineola's Bilingual Spanish Program


We are #mineolaproud proud of our strong Bilingual Spanish program from Preschool through High School. Students who participate in the Bilingual program through our high school have the opportunity to graduate with bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.

Throughout their experience at Mineola, students who learn in two languages are taught in both languages in all major content areas. Graduates of the program earn the New York State Seal of Bilingual Studies on their Certificate.

Our bilingual program begins in Preschool and is only offered on Willis Avenue. Interested Kindergarten students can apply to schools in their area. MUFSD Preschool-12 Bilingual Learning Program

  • 50/50 Model (Spanish/English) Content areas taught in both languages.

    • ELA, SLA, Science, Social Studies, Math Fundamental
      • Instructional Instruction in Both Languages
      • Cross Cultural Awareness and Belonging

  • 50/50 Model (Spanish/English)

    • Grades 5 & 6
    • Content Areas Taught in Both Languages

    ■ ELA, SLA, Science, Social Studies, Math

    • Grade 7
    • ELA, SLA, Science, Social Studies, Math Grade
    • English: ELA, Social Studies, Science, Math
    • Cross Cultural Awareness and Belonging

  • Academic courses offered in both languages

    • SLA & AP Spanish Courses
    • Bilingual content courses
    • Seal of Bilingual Studies
    • Cross Cultural Awareness and Belonging

  • Whether you speak the immersion language or not, the best way to support your student is by creating a supportive learning environment in the language of the home. This literacy-rich foundation is built as you read, write, listen, and talk to your student in your own language and culture, building a bond of learning with them.

    1. Support your student in the language of the home. Read WITH them and TO them in your native language EVERY day.
    2. Ask your student open-ended questions about what they are learning in school. Encourage curiosity by teaching them to question the world around them.
    3. Emphasize the value of acquiring another language. Applaud their efforts in the language immersion.
    4. Help your student develop effective study skills. Ask your teacher how much homework to expect and regularly set aside time to work on it. Remember that homework is the student’s responsibility and encourage them to be accountable by following up with them later.
    5. Become involved in your student’s school experience by volunteering in the immersion classroom or helping with materials, activities, or field trips.
    6. Extend cultural experiences beyond the classroom. Take your child to a local event such as a Portuguese festival, a Spanish restaurant, or a Chinese New Year party.
    7. Expose your student to the language through technology and media. Use apps, movies, TV, or internet to increase the amount of time your student spends engaging in the immersion language. For example, watch a favorite movie in French instead of English, or listen to Portuguese music or Spanish books on CD.
    8. As your student grows, consider participating in an exchange or work program, summer language camp, or a family vacation to another country.
       (Based on suggestions from French Immersion in Manitoba: A Handbook for School Leaders)

  • Helpful Articles

    Educational Songs

    Websites

    Mobile Apps

    • DuoLingo
    • Little Pim
    • Rosetta Stone Kids Lingo Letter Sounds
    • Learning by Mindsnacks
    • Pili Pop Español

    Books

    • A Parents’ and Teachers’ Guide to Bilingualism (by Colin Baker)
    • The Bilingual Brain (by Arturo E. Hernandez)

     

    Videos

    Podcasts

    • Coffee break Spanish
    • Spanish Pod 101
    • Discover Spanish

Understanding & Supporting Literacy at Home

Infographic titled 'Raising a Reader: Simple Ways to Support Literacy at Home' with illustrations.

 

The best way to support your child at home is to read to them and with them every day. No one is too old to be read to! In the resources below you will find more specific strategies and games you can use to support your child in the different skill areas.

 

  • Reading Rockets: 

    Institute of Education Sciences

    NWEA

    The Reading League

    Color in Colorodo

  • A great way to support your child is to ask their teacher for materials that can help build their confidence and enthusiasm as a reader, and for specific skills they are developing.

    • Interest First: Choose books on topics that interest your child

    • Ask the Experts: Ask your child's teacher or librarian for "decodable" or "readable" texts that support the specific skill your child is developing.

    • Read to Them: If your child wants to read a book (or a sentence or a word) but cannot access it yet, read to them!

    • Independent Reading (The "Five-Finger Rule"): To find a book that's "just right" for independent reading:

      1. Choose a book that you think you will enjoy.

      2. Read the second page.

      3. Hold up a finger for each word you are not sure of or do not know.

      4. If there are five or more words you didn't know, you should choose an easier book.

    Your child’s teacher is your best resource for strategies, supports and resources to help you child in reading and at school. Ask your child’s teacher for  book/series/topic recommendations by grade level, ideas to build targeted reading skills or other ways you can support literacy at home!

  • MathX Family Letters

  • PK-3rd Grade Literacy Instructional Best Practices Guide

    Science of Reading: What is it?

    Literacy Initiative 

    New York State’s Educational Assessment Strategy

    Science of Reading for ELLs and MLs

    Numeracy Briefs

  • Guidance For Parents:

    What to expect by grade level:

  • Reading Skill What is it? Practical At-Home Activities

    Letter Sounds
    Letter sound identification is the first step in developing understanding of the alphabetic principle. To read a new word, a child must be able to look at the symbols (graphemes) and translate them into sounds (phonemes), then blend them together. To write a word a child must hear the individual sounds and know which letters represent those specific noises.

    *Notice! Children are most invested in things that belong to them. Use their names, their family and friends’ names to practice name letters and sounds. Point letters out in the world (on signs, in stores, at the playground) and practice naming them and saying the sounds with your child!

    *Create! Make letters with playdough, fingerpaint, blocks, and any other toys around the house or objects in nature that your child enjoys in their play.

    *Play! Play an alphabet scavenger hunt (players must find letters around the house, in a store, or on a drive), hopscotch with letters instead of numbers, or alphabet tag (just like regular tag but you have to say a letter and sound when you are tagged), count down by letters and letter sounds instead of numbers, or incorporate letters into any other game.

     

  • Reading Skill What is it? Practical At-Home Activities

    Phoneme Segmenting
    This skill is about hearing the tiny sounds in words and connecting those sounds to letters. It's the foundation for sounding out and spelling words.

    *Say it, Hear it: Practice identifying beginning sounds in words (e.g., "What is the first sound you hear in the word ball? /b/."). 

     

    *Rhyme Time: Say simple words and ask your child for a word that rhymes (e.g., "What rhymes with cat?"). 


    *Sounding Out: Practice sounding out simple words on flashcards or signs

     

  • Reading Skill What is it? Practical At-Home Activities


    Word Reading Fluency


    (also called “decoding” or “accuracy”)


    These refer to the skill of reading smoothly, accurately, and with expression. Being able to read fluently helps your child focus on what the story means, not just the words.

    *Express Yourself: Encourage reading aloud with expression. You can model this for your child and let them practice with you. 

     

    *Re-Read for Speed/Confidence: Have your child re-read favorite, familiar books. This builds confidence and allows them to practice fluency with a text they know and love. 


    *Read Together: Try choral reading (reading the same thing at the same time) or echo reading (you read a sentence, then they repeat it). These are strategies we use in school every day to build fluency!

     

  • Reading Skill What is it? Practical At-Home Activities

    Passage Reading Fluency
    These refer to the skill of reading smoothly, accurately, and with expression. Being able to read fluently helps your child focus on what the story means, not just the words.

    *Express Yourself: Encourage reading aloud with expression. You can model this for your child and let them practice with you. 

     

    *Re-Read for Speed/Confidence: Have your child re-read favorite, familiar books. This builds confidence and allows them to practice fluency with a text they know and love. 


    *Read Together: Try choral reading (reading the same thing at the same time) or echo reading (you read a sentence, then they repeat it). These are strategies we use in school every day to build fluency!

     

  • Reading Skill What is it? Practical At-Home Activites

    Vocabulary
    Vocabulary, or knowing the meaning of many different words, is a skill people build over the course of a lifetime! The more words your child understands, the better they will understand what they read. Our vocabulary can grow infinitely in our lifetime, so this is a great skill to model for your child as you encounter and learn new words as an adult!

    *Word Detective: Talk about new words you come across in books, conversations, or daily life. 

     

    *Context Clues: When reading, look outside the challenging word to see if the rest of the sentence or story gives a clue about the word's meaning.

     

    *Look Inside the Words: Encourage curiosity about word parts (like prefixes and suffixes, e.g., unhappy) and meanings (morphology). 


    *Model: Use dictionaries,internet resources, or even Alexa and Siri to look up difficult words with your kids.

     

  • Reading Skill What is it? Practical At-Home Activities


    Proficient Reading


    (also called “reading comprehension” or “MAZE”)


    Reading comprehension and “proficient reading” refer to the ultimate goal of reading which is understanding what the text is about. It means thinking about the characters, the facts, and the overall message.

    *Before/During/After Questions: Ask questions during and after reading to check understanding: 

    "What happened next?" 

    "Why do you think the character did that?" 

    "What do you think will happen next?"

     

    * Re-read: If your child is struggling to answer questions about a text, guide them to go back into the text to find answers, or help them find the answers by reading with them.

     

    *Check for Facts or Story: Ask, "Was that information (non-fiction) or narrative (a story)?". Follow up with, “how do you know?”


    *Summarize: Have your child tell you in a few small words what the text was about. Follow up with, “tell me more”  or, if your child provides details, ask, “where did you see that in the text?”

     

  • Reading Skill What is it? Practical At-Home Activites

    Letter Names

    (PreK & Kindergarten)


     
    Being able to name letters is a helpful skill for children to anchor their understanding of which letter is which.

    *Notice! Children are most invested in things that belong to them. Use their names, their family and friends’ names to practice name letters and sounds. Point letters out in the world (on signs, in stores, at the playground) and practice naming them and saying the sounds with your child!

    *Create! Make letters with playdough, fingerpaint, blocks, and any other toys around the house or objects in nature that your child enjoys in their play.

    *Play! Play an alphabet scavenger hunt (players must find letters around the house, in a store, or on a drive), hopscotch with letters instead of numbers, or alphabet tag (just like regular tag but you have to say a letter and sound when you are tagged), count down by letters and letter sounds instead of numbers, or incorporate letters into any other game.

     

     

     

Resources & Standards

The mission of the Mineola Union Free School District is to inspire each student to be a life-long learner, pursue excellence, exhibit strength of character and contribute positively to a global society