Language Arts/Vocabulary/Literature

            Our Language Arts program includes grammar, creative writing, vocabulary, spelling, speech and literature which all help to build wonderful communication skills.

The Junior High Language Arts curriculum uses the Houghton Mifflin Grammar text.  The students study English grammar skills and usage, mechanics, capitalization and punctuation.

Our writing curriculum consists of directed writing for specific purposes- Narrative, Expository and Persuasive writing.  Our creative writing program consists of short story writing, essays and different kinds of poetry.  Our students have won both local and national competitions for their short stories and poetry entries.

Junior High students learn vocabulary by using the Sadlier-Oxford series used in fifth through eighth grade.  The students use their prior knowledge to write technically correct sentences using the new vocabulary words.  Other projects throughout the year aid students in finding relevant use for their vocabulary knowledge.

Spelling is highly reinforced for all students. MBVM students have successfully advanced in county and national Spelling Bees over the past ten years.  Alex Benjamin ‘07 was a three time regional winner who advanced to the National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.

Students at MBVM enhance their speaking skills by participating in the Illinois State Literary Contest.  In 2006, our Junior High students earned 88 First places and 22 Second places in this very challenging and confident building contest. 

Literature classes involve the students learning from the McDougal Little: The Language of Literature Series.  Besides the text the students read two or three novels per year along with the aid of their teacher. 

Accelerated Reader, a part of the literature program, is a computerized comprehension program used to encourage students to read silently, at home and in school, at their own level and speed.