|
|
|
Mr. Plona
Middle School Language Arts
|
The Language Arts program is divided into three areas: reading, word-study and writing/grammar. Although separately taught, they are also interwoven to illustrate to students how reading reinforces writing skills or how word study can strengthen both reading and writing abilities.
The reading program extends itself far beyond the enunciation of words, phrases and sentences, It focuses on critical thinking. Students learn and practice their understanding of a main idea of an author's material either heard, viewed or read.Subsequently they lean to interpret and/or summarize these ideas in their own words while making informed judgments about the value of what an author is expressing. Finally students learn to create and use their own standards and criteria to support their own opinions and views. In summary, reading in the classroom is the continual asking of Why, How, What and Where. Why is the main character behaving the way he/she does? How does the author describe his point of view? What is the setting of this story and why is this crucial for the story's plot?
Writing is the study and practice of students' and other authors' writing techniques and styles. In the classroom, student are encouraged to read independently, take notes, discuss and borrow freely from any author's repertoire of writing styles. Writing of a formal nature requires students to study and review of all aspects of grammar including but not limited to sentence structure, punctuation and syntax usage. Students practice their writing skills through story development, essays, research, editorial persuasion, etc while continually receiving teacher feedback on paragraph development, use of detail for elaboration, story flow, connection of ideas, facts and events, etc.
Word Study is the learning and studying of new words to expand a student's warehouse of vocabulary. "Use it or lose it" has significant meaning in this area. Students are strongly encouraged to adopt new assigned writings. They are required to consult dictionaries in their reading and attempt to understand unfamiliar words in the context in which they are written. Students practice through classroom activities or home work, the correct usage of vocabulary words in sentences.
Finally, the teacher and students support and promote the spirit of Catholicism and the classroom as sacred ground. We believe that we are always in the presence of Jesus Christ and as such have an obligation to serve Him and each other with love, respect, sacrifice and encouragement to do our best in school and elsewhere.
|
|
