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Language Arts

Objectives and Goals

The PreK4 Language Arts curriculum lays a solid foundation for a love of reading, success in writing and a lifelong love of learning.

Strategies

The approach includes introducing and completing "Happily Ever After" stories and activity pages in sequence.

Handwriting strategies include forming letters with playdough, shaving cream and wood pieces: coloring and practice writing in a workbook. 

"Letter of the Week" activities include introduction of a letter puppet and song. Children bring “letter lunch bags” from home that contain an item that begins with the letter of the week, reinforcing the sound over and over. Children color take-home books that focus on the letter of the week and introduce high frequency and sight words. Children also illustrate a poem that focuses on the letter of the week that is compiled into an "Alphabet Book" at the end of the year.

Children demonstrate their understanding in a variety of methods including an introduction to the concept of a Venn Diagram.

Assessments

"Happily Ever After" assessments include participation in group discussions about the story, completion of eight activity pages for each story and demonstrating an understanding of previously learned concepts.

"Handwriting Without Tears" assessments include completing Get Set for School Workbook as well as demonstrating proper letter formation during shared writing activities with a teacher.

Letter of the Week assessments include coloring a take-home book and illustrating the poem of the week as well as circling the letter of the week within the poem and participation by bringing in their letter lunch bag.

Assessment for other literacy activities include many different types of book responses such as illustrating a favorite part of a story, sequencing characters or events in a story, story retells, illustrating the beginning, middle or ending of a story, comparing and contrasting two stories using a Venn Diagram and listening and following oral instructions to complete an activity.