weeklycurriculum

Language Skills
About 30 minutes at the beginning of each English Blast class is devoted to
Language Skills. This includes phonics programs, print and cursive writing
programs, reading and writing skills work, study of grammar patterns,
creation of vocabulary lists and word family lists, work in spelling
notebooks, and journal writing and journal sharing. In this section of the
program, children are usually grouped according to skill level, although
some skills are taught to the entire group. Parents assist with the different
skill groups, often working with children other than their own, as children go
over their workbook assignments and any work in their writing journals and
word books (for word families, spelling and vocabulary). See Resources and
Links for publishers. At certain developmental and learning stages, it may
be helpful to have the same parent lead this section each week. Since skill
work is often drudgery for children, it is often easier to make it fun and
interesting in a group, with peers motivating each other. The group should
be flexible with regard to the amount of time expected for homework and
should periodically reassess the Language Skills portion of the program.

Units of Inquiry
About one hour of each English Blast class is devoted to a themed Unit of
Inquiry. Units of Inquiry represent the heart of the English Blast
curriculum. A Unit of Inquiry typically lasts from two to five weeks (two to
five classroom hours), and is a themed unit that the class explores together.
Usually two parents are assigned to create and plan a Unit of Inquiry, and
that team may delegate tasks to other parents throughout that Unit of
Inquiry period. During the Unit of Inquiry time, all children work together
as one group, although the homework assigned may vary slightly depending
on age and skill level. The topic for the Unit of Inquiry may be explored in
any number of different ways and may include different skill and subject
areas. A unit on Ancient Greece, for example, includes reading, math skills,
physics, a drama based on the story of Pandora’s Box, architecture, writing
assignments and foods. The unit on Africa includes a dramatic portrayal of
slave trade, storytelling, map skills, study of land forms, reading and writing,
foods, art and music. Inspiration for the topics of the Units of Inquiry comes
from the children, parents, neighbors and relatives, upcoming events,
potential field trips, and local resources. Once an English Blast program is
established, children tend to generate new and intriguing ideas themselves
for Units of Inquiry, and are almost always eager to explore new topics.

Library Table
The Library Table is where English Blast members exchange books and
other educational materials. Although the main focus is books, the materials
on the Library Table may be commercially published books and magazines,
books the children have created, compilations by the class, photo journals
the children have made during trips, and educational materials such as
language games, puzzles, and videos or DVDs. At the beginning of each
class, members set out books and other materials on a table for other
members to borrow. Then, at the end of the class, children go to the Library
Table and choose several items to take home. The aim is to develop active,
inquisitive readers by providing ample English-language reading material at
appropriate skill levels, and to share books and materials related to the
themed Unit of Inquiry currently being explored. Related to this Library
Table, occasionally the children write book reviews or reports for
recommending books, and these appear with the recommended books.