Our Language Arts Department in grades K-6 is concerned with four areas of student development: reading, writing, speaking and listening. The school strives to help each child acquire as much proficiency in each of these areas as possible. Writing and speaking are interwoven throughout the grades as children in K-2 talk about their drawings; write invitations to programs and class open houses; and interview teachers, administrators, grandparents and community members. An "I Search" is examined in third grade to prepare children for research the following year. Fourth through sixth graders write prose and poetry for "Iolani Writes!" and the Language Arts Showcase competitions.

The Language Arts Department has a course content which is extremely successful at all grade levels. We do, however, continuously make ourselves open to and aware of new educational trends, approaches and materials. Some of the new teaching ideas and materials are adopted into our program, and others are not. We are always educating ourselves to what is happening in the area of Language Arts.

A rich and varied curriculum is available to all students. Consistency of materials and instruction is important at each grade level. The material used each year is updated and replaced as needed. The course offerings reflect the needs, abilities and interests of the student body. At all grade levels, we focus on the child and his life. We concentrate on the abilities that each child has to offer.

The Department is current, active and deeply dedicated to educating and enriching the lives of our students. We are developing in the students an appreciation and enjoyment of literature. Dovetailed with this are the emphases on basic skill work and creative thinking that will enable the children to become independent readers and writers. This is all surrounded by the ability to solve language-related problems creatively and effectively, which leads them in the direction of becoming life-long learners in an independent world.

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