– Why We Do It –
We study English and Literature so that we grow in our ability to communicate effectively. Students who can read, write and speak on a high level are prepared for a life of meaningful relationships and service.
Think of the amount of conversations, letters, speeches, phone calls, emails, texts, plans and proposals that we make throughout our lives. Effective communicators will better understand others and others will better understand them.
A well-read person is frequently a wise person. This is because he has lived 1,000 lives vicariously through the experiences of others. With increased reading comes a bigger perspective and ability to do one’s own thinking. As Frederick Douglas once quipped, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
Most importantly, we study language because God uses words to communicate with us. He spoke the universe into existence and relates to us through the words of the Bible. The person who has a firm grasp of words is therefore in a good position to know God better. Specifically, we will get to know God’s Son Jesus better. He is the one whom John’s Gospel describes as the Word who became flesh (John 1:1-14).
– How We Teach It –
Phonics
In the younger grades (K-3), students receive intensive instruction in phonics. Phonics is an essential building block that teaches students to master the sounds that letters and letter-combinations typically make. A child who is well-trained in phonics is not intimidated when he comes across new words. He simply draws from his knowledge of phonics to guide him in proper pronunciation. The result is that our kindergarten students are reading well before the end of the year and our first grade students are reading chapter books such as The Courage of Sarah Noble and Robert Fulton: Boy Craftsman.
Cursive
One of the blights of our current age is the lack of instruction for neat and beautiful handwriting. A person’s handwriting often leaves a favorable (or unfavorable) impression on others, including employers. More importantly, since God is a God of order and beauty, our writing should imitate these characteristics. As such, we begin cursive in first grade on John Hancock’s birthday (January 23). Once a student reaches competency in cursive, he continues to practice toward mastery and is encouraged to write everything in cursive.
Grammar and Spelling
The younger grades (1-6) learn grammar daily through the Shurley Grammar method. Shurley teaches grammar through a wide array of catchy jingles that younger students love to sing. By the middle of the year, even new students are able to identify and label the various parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, etc.). Students have weekly spelling lists that prepare them for the much-anticipated OSNAS Spelling Bee in May. Each day the students copy a beautiful quote or record a dictation from the teacher. This gives them exposure to great thoughts and allows the teacher to draw their attention to the foundational elements of writing (e.g. punctuation and capitalization).
Vocabulary
A good vocabulary is best learned through copious reading of great books. In addition, we provide our students with additional vocabulary instruction so they can understand and communicate with precision and clarity. We do this primarily through the study of Latin words that have given rise to many English words. To give one example, the Latin word forma is the mother of several English words such as conform, transform, reform, inform, formulate, formation and many others. Knowing one Latin word allows a person to infer the meaning of many English words.
Narration
All grades (K-12) practice the time-tested skill of narration. Narration involves reading or hearing something and then telling it back in one’s own words in as much detail as possible. Through narration, students develop many important skills like attention, memory, comprehension, sequencing, main ideas, vocabulary, style and confidence of speaking in public. Narration is especially valuable for helping the mind digest knowledge so that it can be recalled and used in the future. Knowledge is not assimilated until it can be reproduced in the student’s own words. Until the student has been tasked with articulating what was said or read, he has not formed the neurological pathways that allow for long lasting retention.
Reading
As a classical school, we believe the best nourishment for a student’s mind is an immersion in classical works of literature. We read classical books for several reasons.
- First, classical books have stood the test of time. Their worth is validated by the fact that these works have been passed down through the ages.
- Second, classics have a wide range of appeal because they deal with humanity in general rather than a specific group.
- Third, familiarity with the classics helps us understand our culture by shedding light on who we are and what we value.
- Fourth, the classics convey wisdom and virtue by giving students ideal figures to emulate and vices to avoid.
- Fifth, the classics are written in an elevated style which enables students to grow in their ability to communicate in a beautiful and effective manner.
For all these reasons, the lower grades read time-tested works like Charlotte’s Web, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Anne of Green Gables while the upper grades read works like The Odyssey, Beowulf and Hamlet. For a complete list of what our students read, see the OSNAS Reading List.
Writing
Writing is the most well developed form of thinking. OSNAS students build a solid foundation for writing through routine instruction in grammar, spelling, copywork, dictation, vocabulary, narration and great literature.
Students learn to write original sentences as early as kindergarten. In subsequent grades, students begin to write short summaries of what they read. By fifth grade, students have honed the art of writing a good paragraph with all of its essential elements (topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentence) and begin to write short essays.
In sixth grade, students learn to write a three paragraph essays with quotations from their sources. From seventh through twelfth grade, students are challenged with increasingly complex writing assignments that culminate in a 15-20 page Senior Thesis. In this thesis, the student researches a topic of his own interest under the guidance of a thesis advisor. This paper serves as the basis for their oral defense that takes place at the end of the year before a panel of experts. By going through this process, students build confidence in their ability to learn something deeply as well as communicate their point of view in a way that can effectuate positive change in their world.