Academics
Lower School | Primary–Gr. 4
Director's Blog
Books & Beyond
I often hear parents talk about the magic of learning to read—to decode the words on the page—and this is without doubt an incredible process to observe and to be a part of. But although it may seem like magic, learning to read is a skill, and there is a series of steps we can take to teach all of our students how to read. For some, it comes quickly and with seemingly little effort, while others march along at a slower pace. But each one of them can and will learn to read.
Falling in love with reading, though, is another story altogether. Schools do not have a curriculum for teaching a love of stories. And if they did, it wouldn't be in as a series of lessons to be mastered. Rather, the love of stories is something we nurture, as parents and teachers, from the very earliest moments by reading and imagining along with our children. It is with this in mind that we planned our hour together for Books & Beyond tomorrow. Together, we will experience a story by listening to the words, demonstrating key actions and identifying important aspects of the story. Then we will bring the story to life, literally, by planting a seed from the GSB Community Garden.
The power of a narrative is something we experience by allowing ourselves to enter the story completely—when we are a part of the story and no place else.
Gill St. Bernard's School
Gill St. Bernard’s is a private, coeducational day school for students age three through grade 12, located in suburban New Jersey. Each of the three school divisions provides a vigorous, meaningful and age-appropriate curriculum, and all students benefit from the environmental learning opportunities that exist on our 208-acre campus.