LANGUAGE ARTS PROGRAM
for Preschool /Elementary School

Pre-School

Language Arts utilizes the authentic and multicultural literature collection for Kindergarten by Harcourt Brace and other related literature from the Ginn New Reading 360 program as well as from the C.I.S. library collection. The pre-school curriculum employs strategies, such as story telling, role-playing, puppet shows, and direct-reading-teaching activities, which aim to develop:

        •Listening and speaking skills
        •Print and word awareness
        •Literary appreciation
        • Writing skills

Grade 1
The Language Arts program in Grade One offers students the opportunity to develop basic language skills through listening, speaking, reading, spelling and writing activities. The reading materials utilize word identification strategies for constructing meaning from texts. Reading ability is enhanced through vocabulary and comprehension skills that include simple recall, arranging events in sequence, predicting outcomes and describing the characters in stories. The textbooks used are the Harcourt Brace Signature series, the Gold/Blue Book from Open Court Publishing, and the Ginn New Reading 360 Program, which insure that students read a range of texts
for a variety of purposes.

Speaking and listening skills are developed through telling/retelling a story, following directions, and presenting a short play. Grammar lessons deal with identifying sentences, particularly statements and questions; introducing the parts of speech, specifically nouns (singular and plural); subject pronouns and the use of I, me, we and us; simple tense verbs; and adjectives and their three degrees of comparisons. Children also learn homophones, synonyms, antonyms, compound words, rhyming words and contractions. Writing legibly and using the correct strokes are emphasized at this level. The writing component provides instruction with words drawn from language activities, literature and the language of peers. A list of spelling words is given weekly. The students
create pieces through a process writing approach.

Grade 2
The students continue to develop decoding skills, phonics skills, letter/word patterns, sight words and syllabication. Carefully selected reading materials enhance student comprehension, widen vocabulary, and improve speaking, listening, and writing skills. The students are encouraged to select their own books from the library and read independently everyday. Emphasis is placed on responding critically to words/texts they have read or viewed. The students' reading ability is enhanced through definition of words in context, identifying characters, predicting outcomes, arranging events in sequence, and summarizing short stories. Students are given
opportunities to tell/retell a story, present a play, and conduct simple interviews.

Learning activities include following directions, answering questions, and the correct usage of punctuation marks in constructing sentences. The study of the parts of speech continues and focuses on the present and past tense of verbs as well as the correct use of nouns and pronouns. Adjectives and degrees of comparison are also studied. The students learn to differentiate statements, questions, commands, and exclamation sentences and to distinguish homonyms, antonyms, synonyms, compound words, contractions and abbreviations. The writing component emphasizes writing sentences, narratives, poems and friendly letters. The program provides opportunities for students to write constantly for different purposes and audiences. A list of spelling words is
given weekly.

Grade 3
Through the Language Arts program, the students:
• Are provided with a variety of activities that encourage them to reflect and respond
to literature selections through writing, art projects, reader's theater, discussion, and research.
• Participate in individual and group language and listening activities.
• Share background information.
• Compare and analyze the themes and values in literature selections.
• Dramatize and create oral presentations.

The reading program exposes students to literature that will lead them to read for interest, pleasure and learning throughout their lives. The wide variety of literature encourages students to investigate writing styles, genre and forms of writing as they deepen reading comprehension, vocabulary building and decoding skills. The Harcourt Brace Signature series, Macmilllan Reader and the Ginn New Reading 360 program are used as the core reading materials. They introduce students to a language-rich environment presenting print in natural and
meaningful contexts.

The program provides an extensive array of experiences for written and oral communication that uses correct grammar and the proper mechanics of writing and spelling. A spelling list is given weekly. The class has various opportunities to write for different purposes and audiences. Writing as a process is fundamental. Students will be required to read age-appropriate books and stories outside of class, write short responses to their readings and share their experiences with the class. A required number of book reports are due at the end of every quarter.

Grade 4
Reading in Grade 4 makes use of the Harcourt Brace Signature series, Macmillan Reading Program, and the Ginn Reading 360 Program. Students are also required to read age-appropriate books and write short responses to their readings. Their vocabulary broadens as they master a set of vocabulary words for every selection read. Opportunities for applying and strengthening their writing skills are made available by having students write their own compositions related to the stories read. A number of activities, such as dramatization of stories read, games to master vocabulary, and watching films related to literature, enrich the students’ reading experiences. Students also acquire study skills as they learn the parts of books and how to use them. They are taught how to
use the dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia and other references during their library hour.

At this level the centerpiece is the all-important skill of expressing one’s ideas through the medium of writing. This goal is achieved through the study of sentence construction and the different parts of speech, such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. The writing process is discussed at length and frequently applied after the study of each part of speech. Various types of compositions, such as time-order paragraphs, formal/informal letters, book and research reports, and short stories are assigned. Each week the students are given a set of spelling words to study and master. Lesson-enriching activities may include games and contests, writing informal letters to a pen pal, close friend or relative, and writing and delivering a speech in front of an audience. Publishing short fiction stories at the end of the year is a challenging and meaningful activity for the class.

Grade 5
The reading program acquaints students with quality literature of different genres. The Harcourt Brace Signature series, Macmillan program, and the Ginn New Reading 360 Program are the textbooks utilized throughout the year. The students discuss and analyze selections with their peers and are given the opportunity to interpret literary experiences through role-playing, dramatization, and oral and written book reviews and reports. A required number of book reports are due at the end of every quarter. A suggested authors list is
given for guidance.

The grade 5 program emphasizes writing as a process and the use of rules in writing and speaking. Students express ideas in sentences that are constructed correctly and creatively. They write coherent, descriptive, narrative, persuasive and expository paragraphs. A dialogue journal is kept throughout the year. At the end of four quarters, students are expected to be able to write a four-paragraph essay. For all their written work, brainstorming, editing, drafting and publishing are required. All written work becomes a part of a student’s portfolio. The students have various opportunities to write for different purposes and audiences. A spelling list is
given weekly for mastery.

ENGLISH PROGRAM for Middle/High School

MS-HS English Dept. has Mrs. Grace Galang, Mr. Joseph De Santo, and Marc Anthony Espiritu as its literature
teachers. They assist students in the move from imaginative reading to academic study.

Literature in the MS-HS occupies a central position in the English curriculum. The new Prentice Hall Literature gives students access to award-winning authors, remarkable and effective tools for differentiated instruction, and
built-in benchmarking to guarantee standards mastery and learning success.

In brief, its contents include various literary genres, selections by reading skills and themes, informational texts and other nonfiction, comparison of literary works, and writing, spelling, and communications workshops.

In addition, it has an audio program where students listen to recordings of the selections.

Write Source accompanies the Skills book which guides students in understanding the Writing Process and the 6+1 Traits of Writing.
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Cebu International School offers English A1, a major component of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum which demands competence in the student’s “best” language, usually the student’s native language. In order to receive Higher Level credit in English A1, the students must take a four-hour written examination and a half-hour oral exam. The Higher Level written exam involves either an essay on a literary or general topic, or an analysis of a text the student hasn’t seen before. The oral exam consists of a commentary on a passage taken from a text the student has studied in depth and questions on other aspects of literature the student has studied
in the IB curriculum. The Standard Level requires fewer hours.

English A1 involves reading world literature like the works of Laura Esquivel, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Gustave Flaubert, William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Toni Morrison, Patrick Suskind, George Orwell, Katherine Mansfield, Eudora Welty, Albert Camus, F. Sionil Jose, Alexander Pope, Francis Bacon, E. B. White,
Robert Benchley, amongst many others.

The IB program at CIS is obviously much more demanding than anything else offered in high school. For high-ability students, the rigors of the IB are without peer preparing them excellently for university degrees.

Departments:

English - Math -  Science -  Social Studies -  Physical Education -  Foreign Language -  Music -  Art - IT/Computer   EMC