Language Arts

At American Martyrs School, our Comprehensive Balanced Literacy framework is designed to foster a community of actively engaged and strategic readers, writers, listeners, and speakers. American Martyrs School strives to build classrooms brimming with engaged learners, guiding students to become, not just proficient, but expert, independent readers, and writers.

Teachers in grades K-6 follow the Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop model and incorporate additional resources to support word study, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary development.

In Transitional Kindergarten-2nd grade, students develop foundational skills by reading books that offer an appropriate level of support and challenge.  Students receive instruction in both large and small flexible groups. Early literacy experiences are critical in building a child’s view of themselves as a learner and developing a positive literacy disposition.

In grades 3-6, students build their skills and strategies in increasingly complex text.  Students have opportunities to read in book clubs and independently to apply the strategies learned during mini-lessons.  Students learn to write across a variety of genres and content areas with a continued emphasis on narrative, informational and opinion writing.

In grades 7 and 8, teachers weave the Workshop model, social studies, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary into an integrated Humanities curriculum.  Interdisciplinary topics, projects, and discussions allow students to develop critical thinking-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills.

Students in all grades have access to a richly stocked library and dedicated school librarian. Students in grades P-4 attend library weekly, and students in grades 5 and 6 attend bi-weekly. During their library visits, students develop literacy skills through read-alouds and have the opportunity to check-out books at their individual reading levels across a variety of genres.