Welcome to the English Department

Through the study of English Language Arts students will have the opportunity to develop
their abilities to read with comprehension, to think critically, to express themselves
clearly in speech and writing, and to listen with understanding. Since students’ rate of
language development varies, the rate at which they acquire knowledge and skills will
also vary. All language instruction, however, will aim to provide students with the skills
necessary to acquire and to communicate knowledge, to think at higher cognitive levels,
and to solve problems and make decisions. Through writing and the study of literature,
students will recognize the importance of creativity in themselves and others, and they will
learn to appreciate the work of the artist. Further, they will develop aesthetic enjoyment
and judgment and will appreciate the richness of their own and of other cultural heritages.
Through literature, students will confront universal concerns and study not only the
differences that separate people but also the similarities that unite them.

Concord Middle School English classes are heterogeneously grouped, and within these
classes, students are offered a variety of activities relative to their abilities. Class size
ranges from twenty to twenty-four.

The middle school English department is committed to the writing process approach to
writing instruction. This recursive process includes prewriting, drafting, revising, and
editing.