Learning
What is Balanced Literacy?
Our instructional philosophy is based on Balanced Literacy. Instead of textbooks, every teacher, including art, music and physical education, uses children’s literature as the teaching tool to reach curricular goals. The technique focuses on the child and allows teachers to begin at the child’s reading level, building skills and understandings throughout the year.
Integrated units are built on big ideas and can be reinforced in reading, writing, math, science and/or social studies. Because textbooks are not used, our children—even kindergartners—select books at on their individual reading level, ensuring that every child is able to contribute to every topic and always participate.
Our classroom libraries and interactive workshops make up the cornerstone of our Balanced Literacy program. Classroom community libraries each contain 1,500 to 2,000 leveled books. A student’s program of study can easily be individualized with the choices available. Our fully equipped school library adds even more depth to the Balanced Literacy program.
Our 90-minute, interruption-free morning block supports our workshop format. Workshops provide students with strategies and multiple ways to put them into practice even before they meet in small groups with their teacher. The writing process is enjoyed by children from kindergarten through fifth grade as they gather their seed ideas, draft, edit and revise their writing so their stories come to life. Publishing parties invite other classes, parents and community members to school read and celebrate the hard work!