The students have the opportunity to participate in independent reading using a large selection of books from our library. The teacher guides the student to many stories in the basal text and selected classroom novels. In the grade five English program, the primary focus is to develop and explore the communication skills of reading, writing and speaking. These are usually presented as separate steps to make the task of writing more manageable for students. The emphasis is to help students learn to write fluently, coherently and correctly for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Writing is taught in a noncompetitive, nurturing atmosphere of acceptance and respect.
Process writing is designed so that the teaching of basic grammar skills occurs frequently within the context of writing. Mini-lessons are taught at the beginning of class to help students improve their writing skills, including grammar, mechanics and structure. Students are given a variety of opportunities for publishing and presenting their work. Students' work includes bound books, report writing, research papers, journals, creative writing, poetry, writing contests and speech making for different audiences. Grade Five Reading Students grow in literacy through rich and interactive experiences with literature.