Language Arts

Language Arts grades 5-8

The English curriculum for grades 5-8 includes the study of a wide range of literature. Novels, stories, poetry, and drama are studied as well as non-fiction, including speeches, biographies, autobiographies, and editorials. Integrating reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills, language arts classes will encourage critical thinking and effective communication. Students will also study grammar, spelling, and vocabulary in a sequential scope and sequence. The skills and competencies for each grade are determined by the state standards for reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students are assessed with PSSA tests in each grade, as well as with internally-designed reading progress and writing assessments. The reading goals for middle school-age students are to develop competence across content areas in:

• Word recognition

• Word meaning

• Phonics

• Reading in a variety of texts

• Reading independently during free time and at home

• Read grade level texts fluently

• Using essential comprehension strategies (predicting, constructing mental images, representing ideas in text, questioning, rereading, summarizing, and relating personal prior knowledge to themes, issues, and perspectives)

• Monitoring the student’s own comprehension

• Selecting appropriate reading strategies

• Selecting appropriate sources to find information

• Using technology for information retrieval and document construction.

Language Arts 9-12 grade

The language arts curriculum for grades 9 thru 12 integrates language experiences through reading, speaking, listening, writing, and thinking. Reflecting the individual differences and needs of students, the language arts curriculum establishes as its primary purpose that each student will have maximum opportunity to:

• Learn the forms and functions of language

• Experience and understand cultural and linguistic diversity

• Build upon previous knowledge and intuition about language

• Develop higher level thinking skills

• Appreciate literature as an art form

• Use available technology

Advanced placement options will be available as needed wither as tutorials or as full classes.

“Marketplace” or “Standard English”

It is an important goal of the school that all students learn “marketplace” or “standard” English. Our approach to meeting this goal is informed by the African American scholar Lisa Deplit’s admonition that language of a child’s home culture must be confirmed and used as the comparative starting point for instruction in “marketplace” “standard” English.