Reading

In grades K-5 students are learning to read. The goal of the reading program is two pronged -- to enable students to decode text and to enable students to comprehend text. The use of a leveled basal text is enhanced with a structured phonics program in order to give students direct instruction in how to decode printed text. Students are actively taught the sound-symbol relationship in order to decode words. Students are also instructed in how to use word structure, syllables, and word families to aid in decoding the material. In addition, a sight word vocabulary is built throughout the lower grades in order to allow students automaticity in reading text.

Students are given direct instruction in main idea and supporting details in order to gain an understanding of the printed word. Instruction in higher level skills, such as predicting, and inference, as well as using context clues, allow students additional reading strategies in order to aid in the comprehension of the text.

In grades 6-8, students are reading in order to learn. Students use a literature series which exposes them to a variety of reading genres. Reading plays, poems, short stories, fiction, and non-fiction exposes students to different genres, while continuing to build necessary reading strategies and skills for entrance into high school.