Language Arts Curriculum

The Language Arts program develops the basic oral and written skills necessary for accurate and effective communication.  We nurture our students’ belief in their ability to succeed in an area in where they may have struggled in the past.  Our approach to teaching language is responsive to the learning styles and needs of our students.  We are dedicated to approaching the task with flexibility and imagination, as well as vigilance in staying abreast of related research and new programs.

Odyssey teachers strive to maintain a balance between challenging and accommodating our students.  A class’s level of ability guides us in determining the level at which to initiate instruction. Teachers incorporate multi-sensory learning, break tasks down into manageable steps, and control the amount of information presented at one time.  A teacher’s presentation typically includes repetition, reinforcement and review.  Students are provided with multiple opportunities to practice skills as well as extended time to formulate both oral and written responses.  They are given support and structure sufficient to enable them to complete tasks appropriate to their age level; on the other hand, teachers strive to reduce the support in proportion to our students' ability to perform tasks independently.  Teachers provide student with opportunities to express their understanding though artistic, as well as linguistic, means.

The language program maintains a focus on the development of oral language, including both speaking and listening.  We recognize the role of oral language in laying the foundation for literacy, as well as for enabling students to become competent communicators.  Students have experience and gain familiarity with and a wide variety of literary genres.  Regardless of reading competency, students have age-appropriate experiences with text, if need be through listening to and interaction with material read orally.  Instruction and practice is given in reading independently to be informed, to perform a task, and to gain literary experiences.  We address semantic understanding and vocabulary development energetically, in view of the frequent difficulty our students have with the acquisition of new words and the retrieval of known words. Ultimately the Odyssey language program builds in our graduates a positive attitude about their potential to succeed as listeners, speakers, readers, and writers.

Odyssey’s language program acknowledges that written expression is the culmination of a complex set of integrated cognitive and metacognitive skills.  Therefore, our students are required to write with frequency and for varied purposes, and they are challenged to demonstrate their full potential.  The process of completing a written assignment is made transparent by proceeding through pre-writing and post writing activities.  The program incorporates instruction in grammar and usage at all levels, in recognition of the critical role it plays for our students who have frequent difficulties.  We foster our students’ development and ongoing utilization of oral language, including both speaking and listening, as a foundation for literacy.