Language arts is a broad subject used to describe the elements of English and how students use them. This collective includes subordinate yet interwoven subjects dependent upon one another for success with the English language as a whole. New concepts in Phonics, Reading, Writing, and Spelling as well as Grammar should be continually reviewed once that concept has been introduced and initially practiced. Expectation is for age-appropriate mastery of each skill. Research suggests instruction in phonics is most effective when students are given practice reading, which includes both decoding and comprehension, and writing, which is the encoding of sounds, with words; we give practice with both. Writing includes more than just penmanship. It is learning how to form letters, group those letters into words, copy words and sentences accurately, and then write letters, words, and sentences correctly. Spelling begins with practice writing each newly introduced phonogram to build a neurological pathway, paving the way to eventual mastery. This mastery is achieved through subsequent reading, writing, and spelling activities.
Due to the methods by which we present our materials, separate standards for listening and speaking are not necessary. Most of our subjects through the Grammar School begin with oral recitation. As the students matriculate, expectations advance as well. Students are given opportunities to speak in front of their classmates daily beginning in junior kindergarten. Likewise, all lessons are teacher directed and paced to ensure all students are actively listening and participating. Whether in a kindergarten craft class in which they progress step by step through the activity or in a phonics lesson in which ear training occurs, to high school-level Socratic discussions, listening skills are being taught and honed. There is no point at which students are not actively listening. Lesson pace does not allow for this! Each year, active listening is ensured and tested through the discussion of lessons.