Pre-primary

Language Arts

In the Pre-primary classes, language arts learning begins with a focus on listening and speaking, and moves towards reading and writing as children demonstrate interest and readiness. Print-rich environments and daily opportunities to practice these skills support students' emergent literacy. Students are encouraged to use reading and writing for real purposes throughout the day. Individual book time, group story time and weekly library visits foster a knowledge of and a love for literature in all its forms. In kindergarten, teachers work with small groups of children to establish individual reading skills.

Primary

Language Arts

Language Arts form a significant part of the curriculum in the Primary Division. Here, a solid foundation of reading and writing is formed that will be built upon in the grades to come. The Primary Division uses a Balanced Literacy Framework comprised of independent reading, phonics, shared reading and shared writing that is supported by Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. Click here for more information on the Reading and Writing Project.

Students learn to become active readers through using a variety of comprehension strategies to monitor their understanding of text. Acquired reading skills include fluency, accuracy and understanding, which together nurture a love of reading and an ability to read confidently. Students also learn to think deeply and write thoughtfully. Word processing and education software support literacy learning.

Intermediate

Language Arts

The work our students do in reading mirrors adult literacy: students read actively and they meet in partnerships or groups to discuss, interpret and analyze their books. The reading strategies that are taught deepen the students' understanding and involvement in their texts, while the reading material itself ranges from the finest children's literature available today to Shakespeare. The result is that our students love to read, and they read all the time.

Our writing instruction is based on the curriculum developed by the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. Children are taught to write like authors and to develop their skills as writers across many genres. In their daily writing, students work on authentic pieces such as personal narratives, memoirs, poetry, and personal, literary and persuasive essays. When children are vested in their writing because it is meaningful to them, they write with voice and eloquence. Students learn writing strategies that allow them to express thoughts and feelings articulately; their work in writing is complemented with ongoing word study that includes instruction in spelling, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation.

Click here for more information on the Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University.