Program Structure

The foundation of the LPS curriculum is language acquisition. Language skills are not just taught in separate remedial classes, rather they are taught in every class at LPS. Teachers tailor instructional materials for all subjects to the reading levels of each student group. In all classes - Math, Social Studies, Science students work on their reading, writing and communication skills while they learn the basic content of a particular subject. Students meet the requirements of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Course content is also used to reinforce language acquisition. For example, in a Social Studies class, students may participate in a current events discussion on a single issue. That same issue would then become the content of a writing exercise on using alternative words with similar meanings.

Reading classes at LPS are also used to develop discussion and relevant language skills. Reading is not taught as a series of passive decoding tasks, rather it is an opportunity to reinforce vocabulary, sentence structure, and oral and written expression. In teaching math, LPS emphasizes the development of mathematical concepts and procedures through the use of concrete materials. Topics are couched in meaningful contexts and relevant applications.