Academics
Curriculum
Language Arts
Our Language Arts program is broken down into three distinct areas: Guided Reading, Writing Workshop, and Reading Workshop.
1
/
4
The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Reading System is utilized as a resource to accurately identify each child's independent and instructional reading levels. Using the data collected, teachers can create individualized reading goals for each student. Matching instruction to the level at which students are currently performing creates authentic inquiry and allows teachers to ignite students' intellectual curiosity.
List of 3 items.
-
Guided Reading
Guided Reading is an instructional approach that involves a teacher working with a small group of students who demonstrate similar reading behaviors and who are reading on similar instructional levels. During Guided Reading, teachers balance the difficulty of the text with support for students reading the text. -
Reading Workshop
Reading Workshop is an integral part of our literacy program in all grades. It helps provide sacred independent reading time — a time when students get lost in books they love. It involves students reading and responding to books on their own reading levels. Students are introduced to each lesson by using familiar texts. Teachers then directly instruct and model the tactics of great readers. Students then go off to read independently their “just right” books and apply” the strategies they learned to that book. As a way to increase individual reading growth, teachers strategically work with students one-on-one through reading conferences or in small groups to monitor skill development and comprehension. Each lesson ends with students discussing their books with partners and as a whole class thinking critically about the texts and sharing in the joy of reading. In all grades, students are exposed to variety of genres historical fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, biographies, poetry and mysteries. -
Writing Workshop
Writing Workshop is designed to support students in conveying meaning in their writing, as well as to foster a desire towards independence in learning.
Students will learn to brainstorm, draft, revise, edit, and publish well-crafted narrative and expository texts on topics of their choice. Writing Workshop begins with a focused mini-lesson that targets one specific teaching point during which the teacher offers explicit modeling and a demonstration of the targeted strategy. Students then have a chance to apply these strategies and skills to their independent writing. Within the workshop structure, teachers are able to address both the whole group’s needs as well as to differentiate for the needs of small groups and individuals.
Established in 1939, Carlthorp School is the oldest independent coeducational day school for grades K-6 located in Santa Monica, California.