Language Arts

The Language Arts curriculum focuses on improving grammar, vocabulary, and spelling skills – all essentials for great writing!

In addition to these areas, we work closely with the Reading Department to align our curriculums and to develop best practices that support reading for our scholars.

Accelerated Reader (AR) tests numerous books that are used to promote reading and reading comprehension.

The Junior Great Books program (grades 2-5) and the Junior Great Books Round Table (grades 6-8) combines high-quality fiction and nonfiction literature, student-centered discussion, and activities that support reading comprehension, critical thinking, speaking and listening, and writing. It provides outstanding classroom materials. It helps students get the most out of reading and interacting with their teachers and classmates, while providing instruction and support in Shared InquiryTM, a method of learning that gives teachers the approach they need to help their students succeed. 

Shared InquiryTM is in inquiry-based approach to learning to assist students with become independent readers and thinkers. While this is used with Junior Great books, we have integrated this methodology into other areas of our curriculum (Social Studies, Science and Math). Shared Inquiry uses the following techniques:
• Balancing literary and informational texts
• Building knowledge in the disciplines
• Providing a staircase of text complexity
• Requiring text-based answers
• Focusing on evidence in writing
• Expanding vocabulary

The Schoolwide Enrichment Model - Reading Framework (SEM-R) is an enrichment-based reading program, based on the model created by Sally Reis and Joseph Renzulli, both pioneers in Gifted Curriculum. The program is designed to:
• Stimulate interest in and enjoyment of reading
• Promote and develop higher reading achievement
• Improve self-regulation and automaticity in reading
• Encourage students to select high-interest books that are slightly to moderately above their current reading levels
• Create independent, lifelong readers

Students learn, practice, and master a set of skills and attitudes that are embedded in and continuously used throughout the units that are central to success in the English Language Arts classroom. At these levels, students are on their way to becoming independent readers, writers, and learners.