How We Teach Reading and Writing: The Private School Difference
At Trinity Academy, we believe the most confident students are confident readers and writers. That’s why our school devotes a large amount of classroom time to reading and writing, especially in grades K4-2.
We have an unusual approach to teaching reading and writing in today’s world. Judging by our 2022 Iowa Test of Basic Skills results, our approach works quite well.
A Phonics-Based Approach to Reading
Research has shown that students who receive systematic instruction in phonics learn to read faster and more effectively than those who don’t. However, many U.S. teachers still use other, less effective teaching strategies that may even conflict with phonics instruction.
At Trinity Academy, we emphasize phonics from the earliest grades. Our youngest students receive thorough instruction in phonics and learn how phonics rules apply to reading and spelling. At the K4 level, students are already learning about consonants, vowels, letter blends, and syllables.
Our reading curriculum emphasizes sound phonics, syllable mastery, and spelling with plenty of repetition. We also stress reading for comprehension from the outset. With this approach, students learn how to figure out new words they read and acquire a large vocabulary.
Classic Literature, Not the Common Core
Trinity Academy students read classic literature from the earliest grades. We choose uplifting reading material that reinforces our school’s commitment to moral excellence and character formation.
Many other schools have de-emphasized reading complete books. Instead, they use an excerpt-driven approach to teach reading skills and meet Common Core standards. Students at these schools may learn reading skills, but they’re less likely to learn the value of the stories and texts from which they read excerpts.
Our school has an independent curriculum with a very different approach to reading. Instead of just having students read text excerpts out of context, we immerse students in literature that has stood the test of time. Our goal is not only to teach basic reading skills, but also to develop a lifelong love of literature and appreciation for what stories have to teach us.
Our reading curriculum starts with Aesop’s Fables and Mother Goose and progresses to more challenging books. As students develop their reading skills, they read books like Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit, the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, and the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. As a special treat, our Headmaster, Dr. Mitchell, visits classrooms to read A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh.
We also strive to help students develop a love of poetry. Students are taught to recite poetry well, including in presentations and school assemblies.
If you would like a complete list of our Classic Reading Curriculum, please contact us. We also have supplementary reading lists for students who want to dive deeper.
A Solid Foundation in Writing
Writing has an extremely important place in our curriculum from K4 through grade 5 and beyond. Our writing curriculum works together with our literature curriculum to help students develop a clear, confident writing style.
From an early age, students learn to proofread and correct their own work. We teach students to judge their work based on a solid foundation in phonics, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage. As students’ writing abilities mature, we emphasize the development of ideas and principles of organization throughout grades 6-12.
The Results: Students Who Test in the Top 1% Nationally
Grades 4 and 5 perform Julius Caesar reading from Shakespeare’s text.
According to the latest release of The Nation’s Report Card, U.S. reading and math test scores have dropped significantly since the pandemic. Meanwhile, Trinity Academy students are doing quite well.
In 2022, our students scored in the 99th percentile as a school average in reading, grammar, and spelling on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. They also scored in the 99th percentile in math concepts and math computation. In other words, our students are doing better than 99% of their peers across the country in reading, as judged by national testing.
At Trinity Academy, we want our students to become confident, independent readers who have discovered for themselves that reading is worthwhile and enjoyable.
We are an independent Catholic school that aims to provide an environment of faith, culture, and academic excellence for K4-12 students.
To learn more about our reading curriculum in person, schedule a visit to our school.
