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Literacy I

This class is designed for learners who have little or no ability to read or write in English. Students enrolled in this class usually have had little or no formal education in their native languages. With respect to listening and speaking, students in this class range from beginners with little or no oral fluency in English to those with high listening and speaking skills. Letter recognition, letter formation, sound/symbol correspondence, phonics, sight word recognition, oral reading and spelling techniques are used to begin the reading and writing process. When necessary, this class also accommodates more educated academic learners who do not possess adequate listening and speaking skills to succeed in the Literacy 2 class. The SPL range (Student Performance Level) for students enrolled in this class is between 0-3 with respect to Reading and Writing and between 0-10 for Listening and Speaking.

Literacy 2

This class is designed for beginning English learners who have mastered some decoding skills and can use phonics to sound out words. Generally learners in this class have learned the alphabet, can distinguish between upper and lower case letters, can write and say very basic personal information, and can read and understand simple sentences. Students at this level can work independently to complete both in-class and assigned homework. Oral communication followed by reading comprehension is stressed. Reading and writing activities are used to reinforce the new language skills. Students at this level are exposed to the basics of English grammar. The SPL range (Student Performance Level) for students enrolled in this class is between 4-6 with respect to Reading and Writing and between 2-10 for Listening and Speaking.

Bridge ESL

This course prepares students to interact more effectively in English. Students develop more vocabulary and reading and critical thinking skills. Grammar is formally introduced, beginning with parts of speech and verb tenses. Oral communication is still a major focus at this level with students sharing more life experiences and expanding their vocabulary.

Bridge ESL 2

Students in this course focus on more advanced grammar concepts and use those concepts in written and oral expression. Readings are more complex, and curriculum is geared toward more individualized, workplace and life needs. Students are more independent in terms of their own learning, and more fluid in their expressions in English.

Writing 1

This class is designed for learners who are able to read simple sentences and personal information stories. They are introduced to the concept of nouns, verbs, adjectives, simple CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words from dictation as well as capital and lower case letters. Students at this level are able to write short sentences related to a topic and practice using standard paragraph structure. Phonics, spelling patterns, and basic parts of speech are taught directly at this level. Students also write journals on a variety of topics usually based on a model or highly structured worksheet. Reading and writing activities are used to reinforce the new language skills. Short stories followed by comprehension questions, class discussion and cloze exercises are used to support this level. The SPL range (Student Performance Level) for students enrolled in this class is between 4-6 with respect to Reading and Writing.

Writing 2

This class is designed for learners who are able to read and understand paragraphs containing more complex statements, e.g. those containing coordinating conjunctions, and who have at least a passive understanding of nouns, verbs and adjectives. Students at this level are writing at the paragraph level, and are introduced to standard punctuation and orthography. Activities used to reinforce writing skills at this level include practice with standard writing formats, e.g. formal vs. informal letters, e-mail, student compositions (paragraph structure), development of editing skills and process writing. Students at this level also write journals on a variety of topics both with and without a model to provide structural assistance. The SPL range (Student Performance Level) for students enrolled in this class is between 6-8 with respect to Reading and Writing.