ELA (English Language Arts)

PS 20 is proud of the work it does in the areas of reading, writing, and speaking.  Our students in grades K-3 are taught through Reading First, a balanced literacy program that equally balances word attack and fluency skills with rigorous comprehension.  Students in grades 4-5 devote most of their time to studying genres of literature (mysteries, informational text, poetry, etc.)  We assess students three to 6 times per year to diligently track progress and inform our practice.

For writing, the entire school has adopted a focus on genres of literature.  Experts from leading literacy consultant groups (AUSSIE and Teacher's College) have trained our teachers in the workshop model, and we have wholeheartedly adopted the philosophy of coaching and mentoring lifelong writers.  We assess our students three times per year to track progress, and we regularly host publishing parties to celebrate the fine work students do.