Tracing, drawing, cutting, pasting and writing activities develop fine motor skills. The kindergarten language arts program is well integrated into the child's day. A variety of activities and tasks incorporate phonics, comprehension and oral language. Throughout the year children experience many opportunities for growth in auditory and visual perception, listening and conceptual development and oral language. A pre-reading inventory, teacher observation and informal testing determine placement.
Placement is flexible throughout the year.
Reading and writing are part of the formal reading program and extend into journal writing, creative writing, group language experience stories and child-created books. The comprehensive Grade 1 language arts program concentrates on developing oral and written skills for communication. Children are grouped according to their abilities through teacher recommendations and an informal reading inventory in September. The grouping is flexible and children may move into or out of a group as necessary. A basal text and teacher-made enrichment tasks are tailored for the abilities within each group.