Elementary Reading/Language Arts Curriculum

Reading and Language Arts instruction is taught through a balanced, comprehensive approach that includes instruction in comprehension, word study, and writing.  To view specific grade-level curriculum and expecatations, please refer to the syllabi posted on the webpage of your child's teacher.

A brief overview of our reading curriculum:

Reading concepts and skills are taught through a variety of fictional and information types of texts. Students at each grade level will learn to actively think about how they read and what they are reading.  The following strategies are taught throughout the elementary grades:

Making Connections--Relate reading to self, other text, and the world around us

Asking Questions--Think about which questions you have after reading.  Ask about what you do not understand.  Consider which questions you could ask that help you remember important ideas from reading. 

Determining Importance--Separate main ideas and important information from supporting details.

Visualizing--What picture do you see in your head when you read?  If it is informational, maybe you may see a chart, graph, map, or timeline.

Synthesizing--Pull the information together fron the entire story or passage.  What are the big ideas?

Inferring--Read between the lines.  Draw a conclusion using what you know from your reading and what you know about the topics in your head.

Fix-it Strategies--What can you do when you don't know a word or you don't understand your reading?

To Figure Out a Word:

Look at the letters

Think of the sounds

Look at the pictures

Skip the word and come back.

What makes sense?

When You Don't Understand What You Read:

Ask questions

Reread

What was the author's purpose? 

What was the problem in the story?

Word Study--Students learn about patterns in words and how these patterns transfer to other words.

Writing--Students learn the writing process.  Skills such as grammar are embedded into the writing process.