You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker, “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” But have you ever stopped to wonder how your teacher was able to teach you to understand that letters have sounds, and sounds combine to make words, then words make sentences, then paragraphs, then books (or articles like this one)? Your teacher, like the teachers at The Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, New Jersey, probably relied on instruction that has been backed by more than five decades of global research in order to open the world of reading to you and countless students like you.
The Elisabeth Morrow School is a leader in education for children, ages 2 through eighth grade. In their long history, educators at EMS have always sought to integrate the best of the traditional ways with newer, more modern methods to teach and inspire students. They have excelled in cultivating readers since 1930.
The Elisabeth Morrow School uses a systematic, explicit, research-based, multi-sensory approach to literacy. This approach helps build the foundational skills that are essential for success in reading, writing, and comprehension while offering the flexibility to individualize instruction for each student. Students are taught to identify the relationships between letters and sounds and to use that knowledge to sound out words and identify patterns in words. Building fluency and vocabulary in order to broaden comprehension fosters a love of reading and an ability to write and think critically.
At EMS, they personalize their approach based on each student’s readiness, learning profile, and interests in order to offer children the highest-quality education taught by caring, compassionate teachers. These teachers are also uniquely positioned and empowered with many resources in place to strengthen students’ literacy skills, especially in light of recent studies that show that “about a third of children in the youngest grades are missing reading benchmarks,” an obstacle that can be attributed to disruptions in instruction during the pandemic.
Literacy instruction is also progressive and age-appropriate. First graders perform the Peter Rabbit Operetta, in which each child reads a portion of the classic tale of “Peter Rabbit,” supported by songs throughout the performance. Educators assist third graders in learning The Hochman Method, which helps with constructing high-quality sentences, the building blocks of good writing. Students advance from sentences to writing paragraphs in their fourth-grade year. Middle school students continue to refine their factual, expository, and creative writing skills as they read and discuss diverse forms of literature from a variety of genres and cultures. It is through this deep study that students see their lived experiences reflected.
For more information about The Elisabeth Morrow School, or to see their joy of reading in action, please plan to visit campus on Sunday, November 5 th . There will be an Open House from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. to be followed by EMS’s annual Book Fair and Storytelling Festival from 1 – 6 p.m. Please click here to register for this family-friendly event.
