Literature / Language Arts

The Literature/Language Arts classes, which meet twice daily in a small group, focus primarily on two frameworks, Decoding and Encoding and Reading Comprehension. Students are evaluated both formally and informally (through observation and inventory) in their acquisition, automatization, and application of basic reading and spelling skills, fluency, reading comprehension, and written expression. Students are placed homogeneously in language-based classes to meet each level of ability and learning-style requirements.

Reading/Spelling

Reading and spelling (decoding and encoding) instruction is presented through a structured multi-sensory, phonetic/linguistic approach using Wilson Reading and Orton-Gilligham principles and techniques.
Students are instructed and continually assessed informally in the skills of syllabication and phonological and structural analysis.
A systematic and sequential scope and sequence utilizing controlled words, sentences, and paragraphs is presented to enhance fluency/automaticity.
Sentence patterns are used to develop, reinforce, and maintain the syntactic skills in speaking, reading, and writing.
Interactive classroom instruction provides students with the daily individual or small group oral and silent reading necessary to develop accuracy, fluency, and confidence in their reading skills.

Reading Comprehension

The Literature/Language Arts Curriculum parallels the Massachusetts Frameworks.
The Reading Comprehension Program is based on group and individual readings of narrative text (e.g., short stories, novels) and expository text (e.g., factual content in books, magazines, newspapers).
Factual, integrative, and inferential comprehension is developed incorporating visualization techniques and through the use of Thinking Maps.
Independent and instructional level reading materials are used to reinforce and enhance fluency, knowledge base, and enjoyment.

Written Expression

The development of writing at the sentence and paragraph level is presented in a structured manner using sentence and paragraph models and through prescribed templates or formats.
The stages of the writing process are integrated into all written tasks.