Academics
Academics at Lawton
Math
At Lawton, we use the district’s enVision curriculum, which follows Common Core standards. This program provides challenging lessons that can be adapted to meet the needs of all students, whether they are at grade level or working above it. Students also have access to digital math tools and materials to practice and improve their skills.
English Language Arts (ELA)
Seattle Public Schools is pleased to announce that McGraw Hill Emerge! has been selected for the new K–5 English Language Arts instructional material. This selection follows an extensive review and pilot process involving SPS educators, school leaders, and families.
Emerge! was identified as the finalist because it strongly aligns with district literacy priorities and the Science of Reading. Key strengths include:
- Strong Foundational Skills Instruction:
Explicit, systematic phonological awareness and phonics grounded in the Science of Reading. - Robust Comprehension and Knowledge Building:
Rigorous, sequenced texts supported by structured routines, close reading, and explicit comprehension instruction. - Consistent Writing Development:
Daily writing across genres with modeled strategies and writing-about-reading tasks that build confidence and analytical thinking. - Authentic, Culturally Inclusive Texts:
A rich collection of texts representing diverse cultures, identities, and perspectives.
For an overview of Emerge!, please see the following video:
Multi-Language Learners
English learners at Lawton benefit from the explicit language instruction in Emerge, where general education staff provide scaffolding to support language development in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
More information available on the SPS Multilingual page.
Science
We use the Amplify Science curriculum, which is based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These standards encourage students to practice real-world science skills like design, building, and observation. Students learn about concepts such as cause and effect, energy, and matter, and how these ideas connect across different areas of science, including physical sciences, life sciences, earth and space sciences, and engineering.
Physical Education
Our PE program focuses on teaching students about fitness and health through physical activity. The goal is to help students try different activities that promote a healthy lifestyle.
Music
Lawton has a full-time music teacher who helps students explore music through singing, rhythm, reading music, and playing instruments. The aim is to develop an appreciation and understanding of music in all forms.
Social Studies
Lawton Social Studies curriculum is based on the OSPI learning standards that are required based on grade level. Standards are broken out into Social Studies, Civics, Economics, Geography, and History.
- Since Time Immemorial (STI) Adoption: The district is adopting the STI curriculum to teach students about the Native nations in Washington state. Although not fully adopted at the elementary level, some teachers are already using parts of this curriculum.
Social Emotional Learning
Lawton uses the district-supported Second Step program to help students learn how to manage emotions and develop social skills. We also use the RULER program, which helps students recognize, understand, label, express, and regulate their emotions.