Self Study Report on Language Arts Overview of Elementary and Middle School Approaches
The Levine Academy language arts program represents a challenging, twenty-first century best practices approach to the field of language arts and communication. The growth-centered curriculum emphasizes differentiation, discussion, small, student- centered group activities, and critical thinking in addition to following the national standards of the National Council of Teachers of English. In Kindergarten through the 2 nd Grade, the core of the curriculum is individualized in a phonics-based program from the Center for the Collaborative Classroom entitled Being a Reader. 3 rd and 4 th Grade continues with the Center’s Making Meaning system, concentrating on vocabulary development and student understanding of reading levels, comprehension, and inference, in particular. In all elementary levels (K thru 4 th Grade), our program also adapts elements of Lucy Calkins’ Writer’s Workshop . Benchmark testing through both Fountus and Pinnell and Measures of Academic Progress occurs three times per year. In Middle School classes, the concentration enables students to develop a passion for reading, writing, and oral communication. 5 th and 6 th Grades emphasize differentiated text studies, the writing of personal narratives, and an alignment of curriculum with MAP testing centered on roots, prefixes, and suffixes in vocabulary development. The establishment of book clubs and book talks provides guided peer interaction and enjoyment in the printed word. Students also learn the initial steps involved in annotation. Grammar occurs in mini-lessons derived from the texts in 5 th thru 8 th Grades. 7 th and 8 th Grades increase student involvement with a diversity of texts (including graphic novels), the writing of expository, persuasive, and literary essays (including blending of evidence and citations), and concentration on roots, prefixes and suffixes. These grades explore texts related to Jewish identity, along with reflections of life today. During a student’s final two years at Levine, he or she also examines and applies both Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey to the texts under study and the higher levels of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. Over the last seve ral years, the curriculum has also included coverage of poetry and drama as vehicles for self-expression. Additionally, public speaking plays a significant role in the coursework of both 7 th and 8 th Grade. When necessity has previously dictated the need for an advanced, higher level eighth grade course, Levine has generously offered a selective seminar course. As for assessments, students of both grades take the ERB exams, closely correlated to the ISEEs, a primary vehicle used in the ninth grade private school application process. Elementary Strengths Differentiation is a key to grades Kindergarten through 4 th Grade, with a strong, sequential phonics program called Being a Reader in grades Kindergarten through 2 nd Grade and Making Meaning in 3 rd and 4 th Grades from the Center for the Collaborative
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