K-5 English Language Arts

Development of proficient readers through a comprehensive model to support foundational reading skills is critical in the primary grades.  This begins with extensive work in the area of phonemic and phonological awareness and progresses to the application of phonics and word analysis skills to read / decode controlled text and spell/ write.  A love of literacy and comprehension skills are developed via a balanced literacy model.  Through guided reading, reading workshop and writing workshop, students are exposed to books many genres, and get to have choices over the books that sustain their interests and nurture curiosity.  Instruction emphasizes making meaning of text, responding personally, setting goals, and transference of skills and learning beyond the classroom. 

Foundational Reading/ Writing Skills

Foundational reading skills are developed through:

1. Phonemic Awareness (Heggerty)- the ability to understand that spoken words are made up of individual sounds called phonemes, and it’s one of the best early predictors for reading success.

2. Multi-sensory word study - structured, systematic, cumulative, and explicit approach (Wilson Fundations)

K-3 Concepts and Skills addressed:

Reading/ beginning reading skills and strategies

• • Phonological awareness/ phonemic awareness
  • Print awareness
  • Phonics and decoding
  • Word attack

Vocabulary development:

• • Introduction of new words
  • Word-learning strategies
  • Academic vocabulary

Fluency

• • Accurate, fluent reading
  • Appropriate phrasing and expression
  • Rate

Comprehension Strategies (listening and written)

Writing skills and Conventions

Reading to Comprehend 

The Reading Workshop supports students with explicit instruction in constructing meaning before, during, and after reading. Numerous research-based instructional strategies are utilized including: activating relevant, prior knowledge (schema); creating visual and other sensory images from text; drawing inferences from text to form conclusions; making critical judgments and creating unique interpretations; asking questions of self, authors, and texts; identifying importance in text; and synthesizing what is read. 

Units of Study in the Reading Workshop create opportunities for children to: choose from a wide and varied selection of high-interest children’s literature; gain deeper understandings of strategies and skills; apply strategies and skills; participate in think alouds; discuss literature in conferences with peers and/or teachers; learn in an environment that supports reflection, sharing, and celebration of individual growth; and articulate the relationships between reading, writing, thinking and problem-solving. 

Additionally, Junior Great Books' texts provide students an opportunity to engage in "Shared Inquiry" which emphasizes close reading, critical thinking/ writing as students listen to and respond to text.

Writing
The Writing Workshop supports students as they learn to become initiators of writing and utilize an effective process to write well. Through explicit instruction, students: experiment with language; communicate meaning; develop a repertoire of effective writing strategies and skills; utilize the writing process to strengthen their work; edit work to improve conventions, precision, and clarity; analyze and evaluate ongoing efforts to set new goals, and incrementally build perseverance for sustained writing time.

Units of Study in the Writing Workshop create opportunities for children to: explore their ideas; make thoughtful choices about their writing within the unit framework; write across varied genres, for various audiences and purposes; use mentor texts as models for writing; alternate in the roles of writer and reader; learn in an environment that supports reflection, sharing, and celebration of individual growth; and articulate the relationships between writing, reading, thinking, and problem-solving. Writing instruction is additionally supported and powered by: modeled writing, shared & interactive writing, independent writing, word study/spelling, and the study of standard English conventions.

Middle School Language Arts
The Middle School Language Arts Program capitalizes on students’ engagement and sustained reading and writing skills by focusing instruction on the deepening of analytic, critical reading skills and complex writing expectations. This approach prepares students for successful reading and writing in the high school environment.

Each unit of study in the Middle School Reading program balances the teaching of touchstone texts with student choice in rich literature. A variety of genres are explored and students receive explicit instruction through Socratic discussions, small group instruction, and conferring  that require them to deeply analyze character, plot, setting, point of view, author's purpose, text structure, and elements of the genre.

The units of study for Middle School writing guide students through the exploration of a wide variety of writing forms and genres with a deepening expectation for understanding and application of the elements of each.   Standard English conventions and grammar are taught within writing units, wherein instruction is differentiated to meet the specific needs of the learner.

Word study units based on Greek and Latin affixes are embedded throughout the year to teach students essential word strategies necessary to unlock the meaning of works they encounter throughout their school day and in their life beyond school.  This unit aims to nurture students' curiosity, empower students to discover new work meanings, and instill a sense of playfulness in the acquisition of new root meanings.