Language Arts - Primary Program

Reading: The goal of our reading program is to instill a love of reading for a variety of texts including fiction, nonfiction, periodicals, poetry and plays by providing a literature-rich environment. Children are exposed not only to different types of texts but also to different writing styles through author studies and small group reading instruction. Emphasis is placed on both analytic thinking and comprehension strategies which are developed through reading many different genres of texts and rich group discussions. Students work on fluency through participation in reader's theater.

Writing: The goal of Writer's Workshop is to provide a supportive, authentic environment that encourages students to take risks and write for a variety of purposes: to entertain, to inform and to persuade. As part of our Writer's Workshop, students are encouraged to listen to each other's ideas and offer suggestions to help improve their peers' writing. Emphasis is also placed on finding ways to make their writing more descriptive using a variety of strategies including but not limited to the use of bold beginnings, adjectives, synonyms, strong verbs as well as the five senses. Students are given the autonomy to choose their writing topics and genres which enables them to take ownership of their learning. Writing is always celebrated through our Author's Chair when students read aloud their finished pieces to their peers.