Our class meets for three hours a day, five days a week, all year long. Because at the beginning of the year our students tend to range between first and third grade in their reading ability, Nan, the main reading/English teacher, will spend about an hour a day familiarizing the students with the “Words in Color”(Gattegno) reading charts. Susan, as the main biology teacher, will initiate discussions of physiology and sexuality in which, at first, there will be very little reading.
We will plan some wholegroup activities for the final hour of the class, such as handwriting, calligraphy, puzzles, macramé, string designs, signmaking, and other art activities. The group activities will be aimed at promoting a positive self image, good interpersonal relations, pride in one’s work, and the development of finemotor coordination. Because we have a large block of time to work with our students each day for a whole school year, we can meet the students’ needs for security and consistency. In order to meet those same needs, the reading/English teacher will remain in the class for the entire year. At the mid point of the year the biology teacher will switch out and will be replaced by a math teacher.