Our students are immersed in a culture of reading and writing. As partners, parents and faculty work together to build this culture of literacy by modeling the behaviors of lifelong readers.

 

Enduring Understandings (Junior Kindergarten – First Grade)

• Readers make meaning from text.
• Reading is an active process; it is the key to knowledge and to understanding our world and ourselves.
• Reading is a lifetime skill that enhances learning and enjoyment.
• Readers use appropriate strategies as needed to construct meaning.
• Readers make meaning from predictable patterned text.
• Print has meaning and is broken down into letters, words and sentences.
• There is a relationship between letters and sounds.
• Writers express themselves effectively, with purpose, through the use of symbols.
• Students see themselves as writers.
• Writing is a multi-stage process.
• People write for many different purposes.
• There is a relationship between letters and sounds.
• English is a predictable language with patterns. The exceptions are consistent and logical.
• Words are composed of parts that help us understand their meaning.
• Vocabulary is acquired through listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• Good listening skills help us better understand each other.
• Listening and responding to what we hear develops our understanding and knowledge.
• People communicate through words.
• Good speaking skills help us better understand each other.
• Our speaking skills grow through our experience and through feedback from peers and teachers.
• Through practice, we become clear and effective communicators.
• Active listening skills are necessary for effective communication.

Enduring Understandings (Second – Sixth Grade)

• Readers use the relationship between letters and sounds and spelling patterns to decode, read fluently, and comprehend the text.
• Readers use knowledge of the elements of non-fiction, informational, and expository text to demonstrate an understanding of the information presented.
• Reader use knowledge of the elements of fiction to develop a thoughtful response to a literary selection.
• Readers interpret a story by determining the literal meaning of the text and making inferences about the implicit meaning of the text.
• Understanding the structures common to specific genres allows students to better understand and analyze a piece of writing.
• Reading from a diverse library of texts helps develop a global focus and expand our understanding of the world around us.
• Connecting the reading to prior knowledge and experiences promotes a better understanding of and engagements with the text.
• Student demonstrates the ability to read grade level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
• A robust vocabulary gained through reading and use of reference materials builds comprehension.