English Language Arts
The writing program at Inter-City Baptist School is a K–12 comprehensive approach anchored in materials and methods adapted from the Institute for Excellence in Writing. This program “successfully equips students of all ages and levels of ability, including those with special needs and English language learners. Its methods not only build written and oral communication skills, but also improve critical thinking. By using Excellence in Writing methods across the curriculum to reinforce content area, students truly learn to write as they write to learn and are transformed from immature or even reluctant writers to competent, confident communicators. [Through utilizing these techniques, our teachers are able] to teach students with very high writing aptitude alongside those with undeveloped writing aptitude.”³
The writing program at Inter-City Baptist School is bolstered by a supplementary application of the 6+1 Writing Traits materials and methods. The 6+1 Writing Traits program provides effective tools for students to learn to evaluate and improve their own writing, while developing skills for effectively critiquing others’ writing.
The English Language Arts curriculum is further developed through a 3-tiered grammar approach:
- Shurley Grammar (K–2nd)
- Jr Analytical Grammar (3–6th)
- Analytical Grammar (7–9th)
These materials result in ongoing review in the upper grades (10–12th).
All other English Language Arts materials and methods reflect an intentional approach to meeting academic standards (such as Common Core) and providing students with the essential thinking and communication skills necessary for success in life. These include, but are not limited to:
- Literature studies (representing various types and periods of literature)
- Advanced literary techniques
- Vocabulary acquisition and application
- Age-level appropriate writing of term papers