CURRICULUM...                   

LANGUAGE ARTS (continued)

...Our multi-age classroom design further strengthens the development of reading skills because our youngest students are constantly exposed to the older students in the class who are already reading.

PRE-READING

In the earliest years at ECM, students develop sophisticated vocabulary and a command of the English language. Young students learn to recognize the shape and phonetic sounds of the alphabet through the Sandpaper Letters, a tactile alphabet. The concept that written words are actual thoughts set down in print begins to form as young students work with the easily manipulated letters of The Moveable Alphabet. Students begin to sound out and write words using The Moveable Alphabet, which is used for the early stages of phonetic word creation, the analysis of words, spelling, composing sentences, stories, and poetry. This work facilitates early reading and writing tasks.

READING

Literature is introduced through reading aloud to young students and discussing a wide range of classic stories and poetry. Later students are introduced to the world’s classic children’s literature at increasing depth and sophistication... (continues on next page)