Level: Form I (K–3rd grades)
Subject(s): English, Literature
Description:
In this interactive, multi-sensory, hands-on class, Form I Students delve into phonics and cursive penmanship, discover and apply spelling rules with grade-level spelling words, learn parts of speech, practice oral reading, and hear and recite classic works of poetry. With our commitment to incorporate the best of both classical tradition and contemporary research, this course uses researched-based best practices for helping students of all abilities and grade levels. Instruction will be individuated for students at various levels within Form 1. As space allows, parents of younger students are encouraged to sit in as often as possible to enjoy learning and engaging in the activities together with their students.
This class keeps it kinetic as students use large motor skills to draw cursive letters and multi-letter phonograms in salt boxes and to water-paint them on sidewalk before moving on to fine motor skills with pen and paper. Students will play games and relays, compose original sentences, and listen to beautiful literature read aloud.
Learning outcomes include growth in the foundational operations of language—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—as students learn to read so they can read to learn.
“Historically cursive was taught first to our nation’s children. Today, reading and dyslexia experts are rediscovering that teaching cursive first–before print or manuscript–improves long-term penmanship skills, helps children learn to read, virtually eliminates reversals, and enables children to read what is written by others. Cursive First introduces children to writing numerals, the cursive alphabet, and the most common phonograms of the English language.”
Cursive First will be used in conjunction with the coordinating instruction in Spell to Write and Read by Wanda Sanseri. Both curricula can be used with the beginning reader and writer or with older students transitioning from print to cursive.
Materials:
Families purchase the following required curriculum:
- Spell to Write and Read core kit (one per family)—Note that this resource is used for all BHSC English Language Arts (ELA) classes, Kindergarten through 6th grade; it is a teaching resource that parents can use with multiple children and over multiple years.
- Cursive First (one per family)—Note that this resource is used for BHSC ELA classes, Kindergarten through 3rd grade and beyond; it is a teaching resource that parents can use with multiple children and over multiple years.
Families also supply a 3-ring notebook, pencils, colored pencils, and erasers in a pencil pouch.
Form 1-b (2nd & 3rd grade) Students Only:
We recommend the following resources for second- and third-grade students in the Form 1-b ELA class:
- Optional: English for the Thoughtful Child, Vol. 1—This is a gentle grammar and composition curriculum that we recommend using at home with modifications. A suggested schedule will be provided in the Form 1-b ELA syllabus, but the at-home work will be optional.
- Optional: Wordly Wise 3000 Student Book, 4th ed., either Book 2 for 2nd grade or Book 3 for 3rd grade
- Optional: Wordly Wise 3000 Answer Key, 4th ed., either Book 2 Answer Key or Book 3 Answer Key
Note that Wordly Wise is a vocabulary workbook which you may opt to have students complete at home. The curriculum will not be used during the BHSC ELA class period.
