At The GreenMount School, we develop readers who can think critically and thinkers who can read fluently. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are integrated throughout the curriculum to produce active listeners and engaging speakers who choose their words with confidence and care. At all grade levels, we use story as an important teaching tool. Our focus on narrative involves questioning who is telling the story, the environment in which the story is being told, and the larger context of any written piece.

Structured literacy, including explicit phonics and fluency instruction, is an important part of our language arts curriculum. Using principles grounded in the science of how the brain learns to read, children are guided through developmentally appropriate activities to gain skills and increase fluency. An emphasis on hands-on and experiential learning engages students with diverse learning styles and makes learning fun for both teachers and students.

First through third-graders continue to practice age and grade-appropriate phonics skills to become more proficient readers and explore written text as a means to learn about the world around them. With the support of teachers, peers, and buddies in older grades, they critically examine what they read, learning to make predictions and develop inferences. Through thoughtful, intriguing, and playful prompts, students explore their own writing ability and learn to use a variety of tools for creative expression.