English Department Overview


The English Department of Brehm Preparatory School provides individualized instruction for students with learning disabilities in literature, writing, grammar, technology integration, and reading remediation. The curriculum provides students with the skills necessary to become independent readers, writers, and thinkers in traditional and digital print. English teachers enable students to receive direct instruction regarding technologies and compensatory strategies that can aid them in information acquisition and comprehension improvement.

The remedial courses are composed of three to five students who have demonstrated difficulty with reading fluency, word reading, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing skills. Instruction may include any of the following methodologies: Orton-Gillingham, Lindamood-Bell programs, and Language Circle resources to expand students’ phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension abilities. When necessary, this course moves at a slower pace while reading abridged texts. Writing activities are focused on teaching the writing process and strategy development.

The modified courses are composed of five to six students that require direct instruction but provide more opportunities for independent performance of skills. Instruction consists mostly of group reading and independent reading depending on the individual student’s abilities and skill levels. This course moves at a moderate pace while reading a mixture of abridged and standard texts. Writing activities are performed at a guided practice level, often incorporating five paragraphs essays.  

The standard courses are composed of seven to eight students. The focus of these classes is to improve overall understanding of literary components and advance verbal and written expression. Instruction consists mostly of group reading with opportunities for independent reading and higher-order thinking skills. These courses move at an average pace, depending on individual skill levels, while reading standard texts. Writing activities are performed with prompts and opportunities for more independent essay writing.

The English Department’s objectives for all classes include:

  • Improve reading skills while reading a variety of literary genres
  • Understand, analyze, synthesize, and assess literary elements
  • Evaluate literature in relation to historical perspectives and/or context
  • Use assistive technology and software to read, comprehend, organize, and present information
         (BookShare, Keynote, iBooks, Grammarly, Speech-to-Text, Text-to-Speech, Quizlet, Storyboardthat.com, Photobooth,
          G-Suite – Docs, Forms, Slides)
  • Apply grammatical, spelling, and punctuation rules to writing
  • Speak and write clearly and concisely on a specified topic
  • Expand and refine vocabulary 
  • Engage in higher order thinking skills
  • Reading support and coaching through online software
Offered Courses:
Junior High English Language Arts:

This class is for students in the middle school program.  The class offers exercises in the areas of reading, comprehension, writing skills, and vocabulary building.  Specific instruction includes:

  • Direct instruction and guided practice in the strategies needed to make sense of the written word (visualizing and verbalizing).
  • Recognizing and applying vocabulary words found in print.
  • Exposure and creation of various types of poetry (Haiku, Acrostic, Renga, Free).
  • Identifying and defining idioms found in print
  • Creating one to two subject outlines to construct essays
  • Reading Comprehension (facts, inferences, main idea, sequencing)
  • Literary Elements (plot, character, setting, conflict, climax)
  • Adding detail to various writings using grammar, spelling, and vocabulary skills
Fundamentals of English:

This class is for students in the high school program. It offers remedial, targeted instruction in decoding, fluency, comprehension, and written expression. This course will target several skills:

  • Decoding strategies and techniques to read multi-syllabic words
  • Recognizing sight words in and out of context
  • Vocabulary building using morphological and contextual clues
  • Reading a variety of materials using Visualizing and Verbalizing
  • Applying English grammar and spelling rules to writing
  • Constructing simple and complex sentences
  • Identifying the audience of a text and modifying language and style to suit
  • Creating one to two-subject outlines
  • Paragraph writing (i. e topic, supporting, and concluding sentences)
  • Creating essays from constructed outlines
  • Evaluating and revising written work using the editing process 
  • Practicing for ACT English, reading, and written subtests
Linguistic Literacy:

This class is intended for students who need more practice in the areas of reading decoding, encoding, fluency, and vocabulary building. Specific instruction includes:

  • Direct instruction using the Language Circle Enterprises program Linguistics.
  • Linguistics curriculum teaches students a systematic multisensory process for decoding and encoding the various phonemes and morphemes within the English language including steps for syllabication, skywriting, fingerspelling, etc.
  • Provide visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile instructional strategies to design a concrete approach to attacking new words.
  • Direct instruction in the strategies needed to make sense of the written word (with visuals and discussion to reinforce new vocabulary)
  • Reading and highlighting main points
  • Spelling in isolation
  • Sentence Writing
  • Paragraph writing (i.e. topic, supporting, and concluding sentences)
  •  Creating outlines to construct essays
  • Reading Comprehension (facts, inferences, main idea, sequencing)
Project Read:

This class is intended for students who need more practice in the areas of reading, comprehension, writing skills, and vocabulary building.  Specific instruction includes:

  • Direct instruction using the Language Circle Enterprises Reading Comprehension program Project Read.
  • Project Read Report Form curriculum teaches students a systematic multisensory process for interacting, analyzing, systematizing, classifying and organizing informational text for higher-level thinking and test-taking.
  • Provide visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile instructional strategies that cut through complex text to develop active, purposeful readers.
  • Direct instruction in the strategies needed to make sense of the written word (visualizing and verbalizing and decoding) 
  • Supplement material with Read Theory and other sources
  • Reading and highlighting main points using Kurzweil
  • Paragraph writing (i. e topic, supporting, and concluding sentences)
  •  Creating one to two subject outlines to construct essays
  • Reading Comprehension (facts, inferences, main idea, sequencing)
  • Researching information for a specific topic using the online World Book Encyclopedia, The Curriculum Resource, and the Internet
  • Paraphrasing research and incorporating it into their writing
  • Create a work cited page using the program Google Docs.  
  • English grammar, spelling rules, and editing process applied to their writing
    Literacy Strategies:

    This class is for students in the high school program. It offers modified, targeted instruction in decoding, fluency, comprehension, and written expression, while exposing students to literary and informational text at their instructional level, including abridged novels and current event resources leveled for various reading skill levels. This course will target several skills:

    • Decoding strategies and techniques to read multi-syllabic words within context
    • Recognizing sight words in and out of context
    • Vocabulary building using morphological and contextual clues
    • Reading a variety of materials using Visualizing and Verbalizing
    • Applying English grammar and spelling rules to writing
    • Constructing simple and complex sentences
    • Identifying the audience of a text and modifying language and style to suit
    • Creating outlines for 5-paragraph essays
    • Paragraph writing (i. e topic, supporting, and concluding sentences)
    • Creating five-paragraph essays from constructed outlines
    • Evaluating and revising written work using the editing process 
    • Practicing for ACT English, reading, and written subtests
    • Practicing speech development and delivery
    • Assistive technology integration and assistance
    Modern Literature:

    This course is designed for students who have already demonstrated a proficient understanding of key literary concepts to move them in the direction of independent and motivated learning and continued improvement in comprehension, reading decoding, and fluency.  Each student will be exposed to a variety of genres through reading and writing.  The programs utilized in class: Pages, Keynote, Kurzweil, Inspiration, and the Internet.  Specific instruction includes:

    • Organizing, synthesizing, and writing a research paper
    • Classify and apply vocabulary, knowledge, and application of literary terms and movements
    • Comparing various genres and writing styles with the emphasis on comprehension
    • Improve on reading and writing comprehension, application, and analysis
    • Reading and writing in a variety of genres
    • Speech development and delivery
    • Assistive technology integration and assistance. 
    Business English:

    The Business English class will focus on skill sets needed by students transitioning from high school into college and the workforce, while continuing to reinforce basic writing skills, such as sentence, paragraph, and essay formation and editing.  The instructor will team up with Brehm’s Transition Coordinator to ensure that the most up-to-date information is covered.  Lessons will include:

    • Cover Letter
    • Resume
    • Formal business letter 
    • Professional technology use
    • Spreadsheets
    • Slide show presentation
    • Technical writing
    • Pamphlet/brochure
    • Professional presentation  
    Writing and Composition:

    The students use prior knowledge of sentence structure and paragraph writing to write short essays after models and examples are given.  There is a strong emphasis on the writing process, writing strategies, and compensatory strategies using assistive technology software.  Specific Composition instruction includes:

    • Researching information for a specific topic using the online World Book Encyclopedia, The Curriculum Resource, and the Internet
    • Reading and highlighting main points of the research using Kurzweil
    • Creating outlines
    • Creating 5-paragraph essays and creative stories from constructed outlines
    • Creating podcasts, slideshows, and movies
    • English grammar, spelling rules, and editing process applied to their writing

    The Research element of the course is intended to expose students to the process of writing a research paper.   Specific instruction includes:

    • Brainstorming strategies
    • Researching information on a selected topic
    • Reading, interpreting, and analyzing materials from a variety of genres
      Creative Writing:

      Creative Writing is a required language arts course that meets the intensive writing demands of Illinois State Graduation requirement

      • Reading, interpreting, and analyzing short stories from different cultures in a variety of genres.
      • Writing in a variety of short fictional stories, research paper, poetry, and descriptive, persuasive, and compare and contrast essays.
      • Creating podcasts, slideshows, and movies
      • Critically editing various writings from fellow students and self-evaluation with a focus on sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation.
      • Self-monitoring strategies through the students’ use of product guides
      • Orally presenting original short stories and informative speeches
      • Compilation of materials into original cohesive essays using APA format
      • Critically editing various writings from fellow students and self-evaluation
      • Decoding strategies and techniques to read multi-syllabic words within context
      • Recognizing sight words in and out of context
      • Vocabulary building using morphological and contextual clues
      • Reading a variety of materials using Visualizing and Verbalizing
      • Applying English grammar and spelling rules to writing
      • Constructing simple and complex sentences
      • Identifying the audience of a text and modifying language and style to suit
      • Creating outlines for 5-paragraph essays
      • Paragraph writing (i. e topic, supporting, and concluding sentences)
      • Creating five-paragraph essays from constructed outlines
      • Evaluating and revising written work using the editing process 
      • Practicing for ACT English, reading, and written subtests
      • Practicing speech development and delivery
      • Assistive technology integration and assistance
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