Word Work...figuring out more than the meaning

Two blog posts ago, I started talking about different aspects of our language arts curriculum. In that first blog post, I focused on writing. In the final installment, I will be looking at our approach to literature circles. This blog post is dedicated to WORD WORK. What is word work, you might ask? Well, in a nutshell, just as it sounds - work that is focused around the study of words. We are guided by a curriculum called, Words their way. LGA students have been doing a lot of work focused on figuring out patterns of words, looking at their meanings, spelling these words, and truly understanding vowel-consonant constructions.

Weekly, LGA students starting in grade 1, are given odd sheets like the example above. During language arts times throughout each week, students are grouped to work together on all of the tasks that I listed in the last paragraph. When I walk through the hallway during a language arts block, I often see students playing games with these words, quizzing each other on meaning and spelling, and trying to put these words into sentences. Students become word sleuths. They look for patterns that emerge. This year, we are asking students to think deeper about words.

Why is word work so important? Vocabulary building, spelling, understanding how words develop is essential when creating a robust language arts curriculum. Some reasons that schools use word work are to create ways for students to connect with the English language and to build an arsenal of tools that will assist them as they graduate from grade to grade.

This year, I have seen a consistency of practice that I haven't seen before at LGA. Faculty members report that there is rhythm to the work and many students appreciate the regularity of the pace. Next time, you are with an LGA student, ask them about the games they play with their words. Many times you'll see them get excited to explain it to you.

As we prepare to have our students take standardized tests, we will be evaluating if we see any early results from the work that we have done. Stay tuned to find out more...

At LGA, we assess our students constantly when they are doing word work. It is individualized. It is independent. It is working with small groups or in a pair. It is asking students to think differently about words. It is not a spelling program.

Chag Kasher v'Sameach

I am interrupting my blog posts about our language arts curriculum to share with you some Pesach well wishes. Chag Kasher v'Sameach!


Today is the last day of school before Passover vacation starts. The building is buzzing. But more importantly, the place smells like Pesach. Today, every student brought a vegetable so that we can have a giant pot of vegetable soup for our school-wide Passover meal. Everyone is busily getting ready for the all-school seder. Sixth grade is debuting their giant seder plate display that they worked on in art class. 

Members of Kitah Vav along with art teacher, Morah Kitty, designed a giant seder plate for the entire school to see during our seder.

Gan students are cleaning their classrooms and cubbies. Some of the members of Kitah Bet are getting ready for their Hebrew play which retells the exodus.

Members of Kitah Bet getting into their parts as they take the stage to tell the Passover story.

Throughout our curriculum, students are interacting with Pesach in real ways. If we were to focus on one big central question that we want to have our students ponder at Passover, it would be, "How and why do we remember important moments in history that have impacted who the Jewish people are today?"

These moments are significant and many in the school. They are woven into all aspects of our curriculum. They are transmitted in all different ways. Students are given a rich landscape to explore this question. At LGA, we fully believe in integrating the arts in all aspects that we do. We also believe that this looks different for all ages. 

Look at how Gan has been introduced to the seder. They created a hagadah. They made matzah. As soon as you walk in the doors of the school, you are greeted with instructions on how to make matzah. Take a look at Morah Amy's blog about how she creatively introduces Passover to her class. 

Then take a peek at how Kitah Vav (6th grade) delves deeper, creating a piece of art work that will hopefully last for future generations of LGA students to use and study from. They research in-depth the individual parts of the seder plate. 

This surely isn't the way that I learned about Passover. The LGA students are excited to share with their families all that they have studied. I will leave you with two things to look at. One is the Gan hagadah and second are these students singing "The Four Questions." 

So on behalf of the entire LGA community, Chag Sameach!