What We Teach

An Explicit Focus On Thinking and Communicating Clearly – Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar and Writing

Our language arts program focuses explicitly on teaching clarity and sophistication in thought and communications, whether oral or written. Learning to write and speak well enables your child to better appreciate and understand what others have written and to develop confidence in communicating his own ideas. As these skills are thus fundamental to all learning, they deserve to be taught systematically, in a dedicated language arts program, not mixed into a generic "English" class.

 

• Montessori - early hand-writing and reading. In contrast to most preschool and Kindergarten programs, which focus on "reading-readiness", our Montessori program enables children to read fluently and to write in full sentences, before they enter elementary school. By working with a sequence of carefully structured materials, and repeating freely-chosen exercises at a time when they enjoy the repetition of sensorial activities such as tracing shapes or coloring, our 4- and 5-year olds learn to hold a pencil, to associate letters to sounds, to trace letters made of sandpaper, and to compose words with a "movable alphabet." Typically, by about age 4 ½ to 5, our students progress to writing full words, and to reading shortly thereafter. By the time they leave our Montessori pre-school (at age 6 – 6 ½), our students have learned to read and write at a level of a typical 2nd grader.

• Spelling. In contrast to many schools which condone (or even encourage) "creative" spelling, we understand that habituating correct spelling is essential to free up the mind to more advanced tasks in writing – and to support reading comprehension. Once our preschoolers have developed a basic enthusiasm for writing and self-confidence in their own abilities, they are prepared for our systematic spelling program. This program begins formally in first grade, and continues at an individualized pace until each child has thoroughly mastered the two dozen core spelling rules that govern the English language. Throughout, we base our program on phonetic principles, and thus avoid random memorization. We enable our students to become proficient spellers efficiently, while saving more class time for other tasks.

• Vocabulary. Having a broad, deep vocabulary is critical to reading, thinking and communicating. We systematically build our students' vocabulary – from Montessori, where vocabulary development is integrated throughout the curriculum, to our higher grades, where we teach vocabulary both within the specific subjects and as a separate course. In vocabulary class, our students learn what it means to really understand a concept: we do not stop at memorizing definitions and regurgitating them on multiple-choice tests. Instead, our students learn to identify the word's Latin or Greek roots, to compare and contrast similar words, to compose their own sample sentences, and to write creative paragraphs using several new words in context. Thus, unlike many vocabulary programs, which only develop recognition vocabulary (words a student only understands when others use them), LePort's program also develops generative vocabulary (words that are accessible to a student in their own natural attempts to communicate). To emphasize the practical value of a rich vocabulary, our students also keep a cross-curricular vocabulary binder: when they encounter new words, for instance in literature, they look them up, and use the skills they learn in vocab class to fully comprehend the words, and make them a permanent part of their active vocabulary.

• Grammar. Correct grammar is what enables us to express clear thoughts. There is a huge difference between saying "I like baseball better than she" or "I like baseball better than her." We teach the fundamentals of grammar starting in Montessori preschool and elementary, where students first learn to identify "action words", and later analyze sentences by representing different parts of speech with graphical symbols. Our sequential program continues in the upper grades, where students master the fundamentals of grammar (parts of speech, parts of the sentence, phrases, clauses and punctuation) and learn to apply them correctly, both orally and in writing. Learning grammar is made fun and easy with sentence diagramming, a highly effective method that appeals to students with different strengths: linguistic, mathematical or visual.

• Writing. Strong written communication skills are essential to all levels of education, from kindergarten to college – and to living a successful life beyond formal schooling. From the earliest stages, children need to learn the mechanics and the process of writing, and to practice applying it. Our goal is to foster increased understanding, logical thinking and the joy of self-expression through our writing program. Step by step, with lots of guided practice, we teach our young writers how to form an argument, organize ideas, gather evidence, and get straight to the point. As he progresses through our carefully structured writing program, each student hones his ability to identify, clarify, structure and prove his ideas. In doing so, he not merely learns how to write: he actually learns how to think. Training in writing helps a child internalize methods of organized thinking that will prove indispensably valuable throughout his life.
  
  In addition to instruction and practice in writing class, our writing program is applied throughout the curriculum in varied form, including reports in science, speeches in history, essays in literature and paragraph descriptions of problem solutions in mathematics.

Enabling Children To Pursue Their Goals Long-Range So They Can Flourish As Children Today and Adults Tomorrow

At LePort, we understand that deep knowledge and strong thinking skills are a foundation upon which to educate the whole child. Both inside and outside the classroom, we guide our students as they build strength of character and learn personal, social and life skills. Personal development at LePort is not a separate subject taught as an abstract lecture; in our personal development program called PE3, lesson are learned as part of the little daily decisions that make up the routine of life itself. Our emphasis is on practical coaching, modeling and guidance, so children experience the moral lessons and skills as relevant to their lives, and apply them right away.

Our goal is to enable your child to grow up as a good person – that is, someone who can identify her goals and values thoughtfully and deliberately, and can act long-range, in principled pursuit of those values. We want her to acquire the character traits necessary to live a happy, successful life – such as honesty, responsibility, and just treatment of others. We aim to equip her with a strong moral compass, which will guide her as she journeys through life, and enable her to stick to the right path despite temptations and set-backs. We want our students to be high-minded, kind and benevolent, and thoroughly capable of acting efficaciously in the world.

From preschool through junior high, the LePort Personal Development program focuses on four areas:

• Developing a pro-work attitude and perseverance – enabling children to thoughtfully select ambitious but achievable goals, and guide them as they develop the work habits and skills necessary to succeed, and experience the pleasure of achieving their values. 
  
  
• Creating an upstanding moral character – showing them in action, for example, how honesty leads to peace of mind and trust, how just action towards others builds benevolent human relationships, how standing up for one's ideals in action earns respect and furthers one's goals.
  
  
• Learning the practical life skills necessary to succeed in life – showing them the power, satisfaction, and practical reward of organization, time management, responsibility, healthy living, and other such practices.
  
  
• Developing strong social skills – appreciating the value other people bring to our lives, dealing with peers and adults fairly, developing the grace and courtesy skills necessary for mature interaction, and developing a basic benevolent attitude towards people.

We call our approach to Personal Development the LePort PE³, after its three key elements: a Pro-Effort approach and focus on work as self-actualization – a carefully Prepared Environment in which the child can develop and learn, and a focus on learning from Personal Experiences and through real-life examples.

• Pro-Effort Approach. At LePort, we view "work" – that is, a self-chosen and self-initiated activity that requires sustained concentration in the pursuit of a goal – as fundamental to personal growth. As our students apply their knowledge in practice – using the bead materials to do long multiplication in Montessori, or writing a report on a historical figure in Junior High – they learn to think, to persevere, to organize their minds and apply knowledge in the pursuit of goals. They develop a "growth mindset" – the fundamental conviction that they can shape their own success, rather than being trapped by circumstance or inborn talent. 
  
  
• Prepared Environment. We purposefully create a benevolent and orderly environment that nurtures a child's enjoyment of learning and living. It starts with our curriculum and approach to teaching – and extends to the people, rules, practices and expectations we put in place to teach social and practical life skills. From our Montessori classroom's child-centered set-up, to our detailed report cards for our 4th-8th graders: nothing at LePort happens by accident.
  
  
• Personal Experiences and real-life examples. We believe that lessons in moral and personal development for young children are best delivered through concrete, real-life experiences that arise in the every-day life at our school. From the Montessori child who learns to ask for help in a nice voice, to the junior high student who discovers that cheating leads to a loss of trust with his peers, our role as educators here is not to lecture on moral theory, but to act as role models and guides.

Our graduates are children who have developed a strong sense of personal identity: they have learned to act in pursuit of their chosen goals, and have developed goals they're motivated to pursue. Our graduates are young people who have developed real, earned self-esteem. As the examples of our alumni make evident, a child who has developed such a strong core will not have any difficulty thriving in the less-structured environments of high school and college.

Creating Onself As An Individual: Extracurriculars As Personal Choice and Enrichment

Extracurricular activities at LePort play a key role in our goal of helping children develop a strong sense of personal identity – of creating themselves as individuals. We view a strong core curriculum as a prerequisite for optional extracurricular programs: Just as in language arts, every student learns the same foundational writing and grammar, but what each student goes on to write over his life will be radically different depending on his own choices, so too with the LePort education in general.

Our core curriculum makes the true enjoyment and achievement of personal values possible. Just like a writer needs basic writing skills so that he can write whatever he wants, we believe our students need essential knowledge so that they can learn whatever they want.  

At LePort, our curriculum itself facilitates our students' individualization: in Montessori, the child chooses what to work on; we don't have school uniforms; we offer plentiful choices in academic assignments and tailor our curriculum.   Our enrichment and extracurricular program continue this individualization process. They have three broad purposes:

• Experience rewards and relaxation made possible through their school day work: Our extracurriculars – from our many field trips to the LePort Spirit days, from after-school arts classes to boot camp – are fun ways to relax and celebrate their achievements, and to introduce our students to a broader range of the pleasures the world offers.
  
  
• Provide an opportunity to pursue a chosen activity: something that calls to a student in particular, given their own unique interests. At LePort, we don't believe a child's whole development happens at school: we enthusiastically support our students who are passionate athletes, musicians or artists and pursue those interests outside of school. We do think that individual, chosen activities are critical to a child's growth – and therefore offer a range of interesting extracurricular activities.
  
  
• Support social interaction and bonding between peers and between teachers and students. A big part of our personal development program happens outside the core classroom: our extracurricular and enrichment activities enable social interactions and relationship building among students, and enable teachers to build bonds with each child.

Our extracurricular activities take many forms.

 


• Recess as personal development time. In contrast to many schools, where recess is an unstructured free-for-all, and where bullying and harassment can make children dread school, we view recess as a time for personal development. We structure the environment, and ensure teacher participation – so children can develop socially in joint games and during lunch table conversations.
  
  





• Special Events and Spirit Days. From Grandparent's Day, to School Color Day; from Halloween to St. Patrick's Day, from the Spring Recital to World Math day: at LePort, our monthly special events and Spirit Days enable us to be creative, to engage with each other, and to experience the spice of life brought by holidays and cultural celebrations.
  
  





• Field trips. Our preschoolers take at least one field trip each year, and our elementary and junior high students take a wide range of field trips and explore the many exciting and educational experiences that Orange County offers. From The Huntington Library, to the OC Register, from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center to the South Coast Repertory: we take our children out in the world to keep them excited about learning.
  
  
• Yearbook Program. Our 8th graders produce a school yearbook every year. They write the articles, take photos, and work under our guidance to develop a layout and manage the production. This project gives them a chance to put many skills into practice, from writing to project management – and gives all of us a wonderful keepsake every June.
  
  
• After-School Activities. Our different campuses offer a wide range of optional after-school programs. These programs enable students to further explore an area of interest – and conveniently integrate into our extended care hours. Programs offered range from athletic "boot camp" to creative art, from music classes for toddlers, to chess and debate for junior high students.
  
  
• At the same time, we recognize that many of our students have intense personal interests that they pursue outside of school – from competitive tennis to professional voice instruction for an opera career. We wholeheartedly support these interests. We, for example, make homework manageable, both by limiting it to reasonable amounts, and by offering our supervised homework period to enable children to get a head start.