Elementary•Middle School

Language Arts Tutorial

Each student receives a one-to-one Language Arts Tutorial as the primary component of the remedial program. Literacy profiles of Landmark students lie along a wide spectrum of development, and no single approach meets the needs of all students.

Following formal and informal evaluation, an individualized tutorial program is constructed for each student to address goals across an array of reading competencies (decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension), spelling, and study skills.

Our methodologies are based in a speech-to-print format, which begins by teaching phonology (speech sounds) and connecting sounds to printed text, as opposed to print-to-speech (phonics) which begins with learning graphemes. This is also an essential reason why we align encoding (spelling) activities in conjunction with decoding practice. 

Reading

Reading instruction is direct, sequential, and hierarchical; tutors employ a multi-sensory approach involving auditory, visual, and tactile-kinesthetic techniques across a broad range of reading skills.

• Phonemic Awareness–Phonemic and phonological awareness skills are addressed with intensive training of sounds, their letter symbols, and their corresponding oral-motor feedback.
• Phonics–Tutorials focus on decoding and spelling from the most phonetically regular to low-frequency patterns.
• Oral Reading Fluency–Through interactive fluency practice, students develop rate, accuracy, and expression in oral reading.
• Vocabulary–Vocabulary is emphasized through the study of morphology and the application of contextual strategies.
• Comprehension–Comprehension is developed concurrently with oral reading from fundamental reading levels through the most advanced.

Spelling

Spelling instruction follows an ordered progression of patterns closely paralleling oral reading. As the decoding-encoding link is reinforced, students utilize knowledge of common expectancies and syllabication to improve their spelling in isolation and in context.

Fluid, legible cursive handwriting is integral to the instruction of spelling and written expression. Cursive handwriting has been shown to activate cognitive resources helpful to language remediation, fine motor skills, and memory.

Language Arts

Language arts​ class is a small-group writing class that emphasizes the development of oral to written expression (listening, speaking, discussing, observing, and brainstorming for ideas prior to writing). In addition, language instruction incorporates strategies and techniques that combine theme-centered and structured linguistic approaches to teaching language skills. In the initial stages of learning skills, most written work is done collaboratively, with the teacher encoding students' oral language onto the board. Once skills are mastered, students gradually work independently with teacher support as needed.

Thematic Units

Thematic units (e.g., Early Whaling, The Olympics) provide the basis for all instruction. Theme-related pictures tap into students' visual abilities, stimulating word retrieval and contextual associations. Awareness of the sound and syllable structure of words is emphasized and students are encouraged to use phonetic spelling to represent new or unfamiliar words. The effective organization of work on paper as well as following directions are stressed. Accurate copying from both near and far points is an area of ongoing concern and is an important part of class assignments.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary expansion focuses on generating theme-specific vocabulary and providing appropriate synonyms and antonyms. Emphasis is placed on identifying and generating specific nouns, action verbs, prepositional phrases, and adjectives. Practice generating examples of complete sentences (e.g., expanded kernel sentence, compound and complex sentences) is provided. Lessons in basic capitalization and punctuation are presented within the context of written expression. Basic sentence and paragraph skills are taught in highly structured sentence and paragraph frames, which improve the ability to visually organize materials and to structure the patterns of newly introduced sentences and paragraphs. Special attention is given to proofreading all work.

Oral Expression

All of the students at Landmark EMS are enrolled in daily oral expression classes designed to enhance language proficiency and communicative competence. The curriculum focuses on five linguistic areas of language development: phonology (speech sounds, syllabication), morphology (meaningful word parts), syntax (sentence structure), semantics (vocabulary, word meaning and use), and pragmatics (social communication, discourse). Through direct instruction in each of these areas, the students are immersed in the rules and structure of the English language. Thematic units and literature serve as vehicles for instruction in the linguistic areas. The classes are organized homogeneously, according to age, skill levels, and social maturity.

Language Development

Language must be correctly processed and understood so that accurate and meaningful oral production can follow. Research demonstrates that in addition to listening, students learn through self-expression. As they talk, their thoughts are clarified, comprehension deepens, and self-confidence increases. For the teacher, listening to students express themselves allows a window into their thinking process. Students are provided with scaffolding (templates/graphic organizers) to help them formulate their thoughts as they answer questions, provide descriptions, express comparisons and contrasts, report an event, retell a story in sequential order, explain a process, or state and support an opinion. During oral presentations, students are evaluated by the instructor and peers in nonverbal communication skills (e.g., eye contact, posture, gestures.)  They are also monitored for prosodic features (e.g., volume, clarity, intonation) that enhance communicative intent. Memorization of poetry is an ongoing activity throughout oral expression classes.

Literature

The literature selections at Landmark Middle School are dynamic; each year they are determined by the current profile of the students. Age-appropriate selections of varied genres alternate between literature that the entire class can decode and read aloud together, and quality literature that is above the students’ decoding level, but serves as a rich resource for higher-level discussion and analysis. Students are encouraged to draw upon prior knowledge and real-life experiences as they participate in group discussions. Through brainstorming activities, main ideas and sequence of events are determined. Literary elements (setting, plot, character development) are introduced as appropriate to students’ ages and skill levels. Templates are also used to facilitate coherent delivery of description, opinion accompanied by supporting data, and inferences or predictions based upon logic. Incorporating the graphic organizers from oral expression activities, students express comparisons and contrasts of characters, plots, settings, and author’s point of view. Vocabulary development is addressed through the study of meaningful word parts and categorization skills.

Social Thinking

The purpose of the Social Thinking curriculum is to increase each students’ ability to problem-solve socially in a group and recognize how their words and actions affect how others feel about them. The goal is to help the students become stronger “social thinkers”. The Social Thinking class is introduced biweekly in elementary Oral Expression classes through role plays, videos, and activities by an EMS Counselor, an Academic Advisor, and the speech/language consultant. All elementary teachers implement the taught skills and social vocabulary throughout the week in their classrooms as well as during milkbreak, lunch, and recess. To start off the school year, the elementary teachers will be introducing social topics that reinforce community building such as Role of the Student/Role of the Teacher, Thoughts & Feelings, Hidden Expectations & Conversation. Each elementary classroom displays social bubbles reminding the students of the social skills they are practicing. When students display a practiced skill, they receive a tally to acknowledge their ability to be a social thinker.

Social Studies

Social studies and science content is used as a vehicle to develop and use specific study skills. Students practice strategies for organization, time management, pre reading, note taking, quiz and test preparation, projects, and research. In addition, guidelines for appropriate participation in class discussions are reinforced. Social studies is presented daily throughout the fall semester, and science is the focus in the spring.

Social studies classes encompass the four major strands of history, geography, economics, and civics & government. Topics may include culture, Spanish explorers, colonial times with an emphasis on the Wampanoag people, Massachusetts history, and regions of the United States. Class activities involve mapping, technology, and thematically-relevant exercises.

Science

The science program focuses on the presentation of the domains of science (i.e., physical science, life science, earth and space sciences, technology/engineering) utilizing language-based and guided inquiry approaches. Topics may include the scientific method, states of matter, space, electricity, simple machines, weather, and rocks & minerals. Class activities involve labs, engineering, and thematically relevant exercises.

Enrichment

The enrichment class is a flexible and enjoyable block of time. Just like the definition of enrichment, “the action of improving or enhancing the quality or value of something”,  the enrichment class should be purposeful. This is a time for projects, hands-on activities, building community, and engaging on a deeper level as a class. 

Examples of enrichment activities include:

• Background knowledge for thematic units
• Presentations and activities from outside groups (e.g., Cape Ann Museum projects)
• Arts and crafts that accompany thematic units
• Science experiments
• STEM activities
• Social thinking activities

Mathematics

Mathematics is viewed as a language, subject to obstacles typically encountered by students with language-based learning disabilities. Instruction is sensitive and reactive to these issues. We employ compensatory whole-to-part strategies that support and mitigate expressive language and sequencing demands. We utilize multi-modal strategies to elicit verbal and written communication. Demonstrations and diagramming activities are vehicles for student reflection and expression. Grade-appropriate fact fluency is addressed through methods and materials developed at EMS.

Math Goals

The Landmark EMS mathematics program provides a learning environment tailored to the individual needs of the student. Academic goals are created to meet grade-level standards or provide necessary remediation while moving toward grade-level curriculum. Emphasis is placed on developing math skills that provide students with a depth of understanding, reflect applications in the real world, and relate to other curricular areas. Students are grouped in small classes based on their mathematical skill sets. These levels are determined by informal and formal placement tests, as well as past academic performance. Studentsʼ abilities and needs are continuously assessed by the classroom teachers and the department head, with specific attention given to individual learning styles.

Math Skills

Offerings in a typical year range from the development of number concepts and patterns to Algebra I. The fall semester is typically dedicated to learning error-recognition strategies, solidifying and advancing computational skills, and ensuring that the student has developed a correct conceptual understanding of existing skills. During the second semester, the emphasis shifts toward recognizing and using learned skills in relevant situations and learning new skills. Thematic units provide the vehicle to develop oral and written expression skills by describing math concepts, procedures, and applications. In this manner, the math curriculum connects to other Landmark curricular models. Instruction includes appropriate use of available technological resources.

Learn more about Woodin Math at Landmark School.