Dramatica: A New Theory Of Story
By Melanie Anne Phillips
and Chris Huntley
Storytelling the Structural Appreciations
Storyforming Structural Appreciations
By answering the eight essential questions we greatly refine our understanding of the
way our story will feel to our audience. The next task is to clarify what it is we intend
to talk about. In the Theme section of The Elements of Structure we were introduced to the
various Appreciations an audience will look for in the course of experiencing and
evaluating a story. Now we turn our attention to examining the issues we, as authors, must
consider in selecting our story's Appreciation's. We begin with the Appreciations that
most affect Genre, then work our way down through Plot and Theme to arrive at a discussion
of what goes into selecting a Main Character's Problem.
Selecting the Domains in your story
One of the easiest ways to identify the four Domains in your story (Objective Story,
Subjective Story, Main Character, and Obstacle Character) is by looking at the characters
that appear in each Domain. Who are they? What are they doing? What are their
relationships to one another? Clearly identifying the characters in each throughline will
make selecting the thematic Domains, Concerns, Ranges, and Problems for the throughlines
For the Objective Story Throughline:
When looking at the characters in the Objective Story Throughline, identify them by the
roles they play instead of their names. This keeps them at a distance, making them a lot
easier to evaluate objectively. For instance, some of the characters in
Shakespeare's Hamlet might be the king, the queen, the ghost, the prince, the
chancellor, and the chancellor's daughter, while the characters in The Fugitive
might be the fugitive doctor, the federal marshal, the dead wife, the one-armed man, and
so on. By avoiding the characters' proper names you also avoid identifying with them and
confusing their personal concerns with their concerns as Objective Characters.
Aren't the Main Character and the Obstacle Character also part of the Objective
The Main Character and the Obstacle Character will each have a role in the Objective
Story in addition to their explorations of their own throughlines. From the Objective
Story point of view we see all the story's Objective Characters and identify them by the
functions they fulfill in the quest to reach the Objective Story Concern. The Objective
Story throughline is what brings all of the characters in the story together and describes
what they do in relation to one another in order to achieve this Concern.
It is extremely important to be able to separate the Main Character throughline from the
Objective Story throughline in order to see your story's structure accurately. It is
equally important to make the distinction between the Obstacle Character and the Objective
Story. Exploring these two characters' throughlines in a story requires a complete shift
in the audience's perspective, away from the overall story that involves all the
characters and into the subjective experiences that only these two characters have within
the story. Thus, each of these throughlines should be considered individually.
The Main Character and the Obstacle Character will, however, each have at least one
function to perform in the Objective Story as well. When we see them here, though, they
both appear as Objective Characters. In the Objective Story all we see are the
characteristics they represent in relation to the other Objective Characters.
So if your Main Character happens to be the Protagonist as well, then it is purely as the
Protagonist that we will see him in the Objective Story. If your Obstacle Character is
also an Archetypal Guardian, then his helping and conscience are all you
should consider about that character in the Objective Story.
In every story, these two will at least be called upon in the Objective Story to represent
the story's Crucial Element and its dynamic opposite. It is possible that the Main and
Obstacle Characters could have no other relationship with the Objective Story than these
single characteristics. The point is that their importance to the Objective Story should
be thought of completely in terms of these and any other Objective characteristics which
For the Subjective Story Throughline:
When looking at the characters in the Subjective Story Throughline, it is best to look
at the Main and Obstacle Characters by their relationship with each other in lieu of their
names. The Subjective Story Throughline is the "We" perspective, (i.e.
first-person plural) so think entirely in terms of the relationship between the
Main and Obstacle Characters, not the characters themselves. Thus, "the relationship
between Dr. Richard Kimble and Sam Gerard" is the focus of the Subjective Story
Throughline in The Fugitive, whereas The Verdict focuses on "the
relationship between Frank Galvin and Laura Fischer."
For the Main Character Throughline:
When looking at the Main Character's Throughline, all other characters are unimportant
and should not be considered. Only the Main Character's personal identity or essential
nature is meaningful from this point of view. What qualities of the Main Character are so
much a part of him that they would not change even if he were plopped down in another
story? For example, Hamlet's brooding nature and his tendency to over-think things would
remain consistent and recognizable if he were to show up in a different story. Laura
Wingfield, in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, would carry with her a
world of rationalizations and a crippling propensity to dream if we were to see her appear
again. These are the kinds of things to pay attention to in looking at the Main Character
For the Obstacle Character Throughline:
When considering the Obstacle Character's Throughline, look at their identity in terms
of their impact on others, particularly the Main Character. Think of the Obstacle
Character in terms of his name, but it's the name of someone else, someone who can really
get under your skin. In viewing the Obstacle Character this way, it is easier to identify
the kind of impact that he has on others. Obi Wan Kenobi's fanaticism (regarding using
the force) in Star Wars and Deputy Marshal Sam Gerard's tenacity (in out-thinking
his prey) in The Fugitive are aspects of these Obstacle Characters that are
inherent to their nature and would continue to be so in any story they might be found in.
Picking the proper Classes for the
Domains in your Story
Which is the right Class for the Main Character Domain in your story? For
the Objective Story Domain? For the Subjective Story Domain? For the Obstacle Character
Domain? Assigning the appropriate Dramatica Classes to the Domains of your story is a
tricky but important process.
There are four Domains or throughlines in a story: the Main Character, the
Obstacle Character, the Subjective Story, and the Objective Story. These throughlines
provide an audience with various points of view from which to explore the story. The four
audience points of view can be seen as I, YOU, WE, and THEY as the audience's point of
view shifts from empathizing with the Main Character, to feeling the impact of the
Obstacle Character, to experiencing the relationship between the Main and Obstacle
Character, and then finally stepping back to see the big picture that has everyone
in it (all of THEM). Each point of view describes an aspect of the story experience
to which an audience is privy.
There are four Classes containing all the possible kinds of problems that can be felt in
those throughlines (one Class to each throughline): Universe, Mind, Physics, and
Psychology. These Classes suggest different areas to explore in the story. The areas can
be seen as SITUATIONS, FIXED ATTITUDES or FIXATIONS, ACTIVITIES, and MANNERS OF THINKING
In Dramatica, a story will contain all four areas to explore (Classes) and all four
points of view (throughlines). Each Class will be explored from one of the throughlines.
The combination of Class and throughline into a Domain is the broadest way to describe the
meaning in a story. For example, exploring a Main Character in terms of his situation is
quite different than exploring a Main Character in terms of his attitude, the activities
he is involved in, or how he is being manipulated. Which is right for your story?
Pairing the appropriate Class with the proper throughline for your story can be difficult.
An approach you may find useful is to pick a throughline, adopt the audience perspective
that throughline provides, and from that point of view examine each of the four Classes to
see which feels the best.
Each of the following sections present the four Classes from one specific audience
perspective. For best effect, adopt the perspective described in the section and ask the
questions as they appear in terms of your own story. One set of questions should seem more
important or relevant from that perspective. NOTE: Selecting a throughline/Class
relationship (or Domain) indicates much about the emphasis you wish to place in the
context of your story. No pairing is better or worse than another. One pairing will be,
however, most appropriate to what you have in mind for your story than the other three
Dynamic Pairs of Domains
Each of the throughlines in a story can be seen as standing alone or as standing in
relation to the other throughlines. When selecting which Classes to assign the
throughlines of your story, it is extremely important to remember two relationships in
particular among the throughlines:
The Objective Story and Subjective Story throughlines
will always be a dynamic pair
The Main Character and Obstacle Character throughlines
will always be a dynamic pair
These relationships reflect the kind of impact these throughlines have on each other in
every story. The Main and Obstacle Characters face off throughout the story until one of
them Changes (indicated by the Main Character Resolve). Their relationship in the
Subjective Story will help precipitate either Success or Failure in the Objective Story
(indicated by the Story Outcome).
What these relationships mean to the process of building the Domains in your story is that
whenever you set up one Domain, you also set up its dynamic pair.
For example, matching the Main Character throughline with the Universe class not only
creates a Main Character Domain of Universe in your story, it also creates an Obstacle
Character Domain of Mind. Since Mind is the dynamic pair to Universe in the Dramatica
structure, matching one throughline to one of the Classes automatically puts the other
throughline on the opposite Class to support the two throughlines' dynamic pair
Likewise, matching the Objective Story throughline with Psychology to create an Objective
Story Domain of Psychology will automatically create a Subjective Story Domain of Physics
at the same time. The reasoning is the same here as it was for the Main and Obstacle
Character throughlines. No matter which Class you match with one of the throughlines on
the Dramatica structure, the dynamic pair of that class will be matched to the dynamic
pair of that throughline.
Who am I and what am I doing?
When looking from the Main Character's perspective, use the first person singular (I)
voice to evaluate the Classes.
- If the Main Character's Domain is Universe (e.g. Luke in Star Wars or George
in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), questions like the following would arise:
What is it like to be in my situation? What is my status? What condition am I in? Where am
I going to be in the future? What's so special about my past?
- If the Main Character's Domain is Physics (e.g. Frank Galvin in The Verdict
The Verdict or
Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive), questions like the following would be more
appropriate: What am I involved in? How do I get what I want? What must I learn to do the
things I want to do? What does it mean to me to have (or lose) something?
- If the Main Character's Domain is Mind (e.g. Scrooge in A Christmas Carol),
you would consider questions such as the following: What am I afraid of? What is my
opinion? How do I react to something? How do I feel about this or that? What is it that I
remember about that night?
- If the Main Character's Domain is Psychology (e.g. Laura in The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie
or Frank in In The Line of Fire), the concerns would be more like: Who am I
really? How should I act? How can I become a different person? Why am I so angry, or
reserved, or whatever? How am I manipulating or being manipulated?
Who are YOU and what are YOU doing?
When considering the Obstacle Character's perspective, it is best to use the second
person singular ("You") voice to evaluate the Classes. This is best imagined as
if one is addressing the Obstacle Character directly, where "You" is
referring to the Obstacle Character.
- If the Obstacle Character's Domain is Universe (e.g. Marley's Ghost in A Christmas
Carol), you might ask them: What is it like to be in your situation? What is your
status? What condition are you in? Where are you going to be in the future? What's so
special about your past?
- If the Obstacle Character's Domain is Physics (e.g. Jim in The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie
or Booth in In The Line of Fire): What are you involved in? How do you get what
you want? What must you learn to do the things you want to do? What does it mean to you to
have (or lose) something?
- If the Obstacle Character's Domain is Mind (e.g. Obi Wan in Star Wars
Star Wars or
Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?): What are you afraid of? What is
your opinion? How do you react to that? How do you feel about this or that? What is it
that you remember about that night?
- If the Obstacle Character's Domain is Psychology (e.g. Laura Fisher in The Verdict
or Sam Gerard in The Fugitive): Who are you really? How should you act? How can
you become a different person? Why are you so angry, or reserved, or whatever? How are you
manipulating or being manipulated?
Who are WE and what are WE doing?
When considering the Subjective Story perspective, it is best to use the first person
plural ("We") voice to evaluate the Classes. We refers to the Main and
Obstacle Characters collectively.
- If the Subjective Story's Domain is Universe (e.g. The Ghost & Hamlet's pact in
or Reggie & Marcus' alliance in The Client), consider asking: What is it like
to be in our situation? What is our status? What condition are we in? Where are we going
to be in the future? What's so special about our past?
- If the Subjective Story's Domain is Physics (e.g. George & Martha's game in
Afraid of Virginia Woolf?): What are we involved in? How do we get what we want? What
must we learn to do the things we want to do? What does it mean to us to have (or lose)
- If the Subjective Story's Domain is Mind (e.g. Frank & Laura's affair in
Verdict or Dr. Kimble & Sam Gerard's relationship in The Fugitive): What
are we afraid of? What is our opinion? How do we react to that? How do we feel about this
or that? What is it that we remember about that night?
- If the Subjective Story's Domain is Psychology (e.g. Obi Wan & Luke's relationship
in Star Wars): Who are we really? How should we act? How can we become different
people? Why are we so angry, or reserved, or whatever? How are we manipulating or being
Who are THEY and what are THEY doing?
When considering the Objective Story perspective, it is best to use the third person
plural ("They") voice to evaluate the Classes. They refers to the entire
set of Objective Characters (protagonist, antagonist, sidekick, etc.) collectively.
- If the Objective Story's Domain is Universe (e.g. The Verdict, The Poseidon
Adventure, or The Fugitive), consider asking: What is it like to be in their
situation? What is their status? What condition are they in? Where are they going to be in
the future? What's so special about their past?
- If the Objective Story's Domain is Physics (e.g. Star Wars): What are they
involved in? How do they get what they want? What must they learn to do the things they
want to do? What does it mean to them to have (or lose) something?
- If the Objective Story's Domain is Mind (e.g. Hamlet or To Kill A Mockingbird):
What are they afraid of? What is their opinion? How do they react to that? How do they
feel about this or that? What is it that they remember about that night?
- If the Objective Story's Domain is Psychology (e.g. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
or Four Weddings and a Funeral): Who are they really? How should they act? How can
they become different people? Why are they so angry, or reserved, or whatever? How are
they manipulating or being manipulated?
to the Next Section of the Book-->
How to Order Dramatica:
A New Theory of Story
the Table of Contents
Back to the Dramatica Home Page
Copyright 1996, Screenplay Systems, Inc.
The Dramatica theory was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley
Chief Architect of the Dramatica software is Stephen
Dramatica is a registered trademark of Screenplay Systems Incorporated
the Dramatica Theory Home Page
Try Dramatica & StoryWeaver Risk
*Try either or both for 90 days. Not working for you?
Return for a full refund of your purchase price!
About Dramatica and
Hi, I'm Melanie Anne Phillips,
creator of StoryWeaver,
co-creator of Dramatica
and owner of Storymind.com. If you have a moment, I'd like to tell you
about these two story development tools - what each is designed to do, how
each works alone on a different part of story development and how they can be
used together to cover the entire process from concept to completion of your
novel or screenplay.
What They Do
Dramatica is a tool to help you
build a perfect story structure. StoryWeaver is a tool to help you build
your story's world. Dramatica focuses on the underlying logic of your
story, making sure there are no holes or inconsistencies. StoryWeaver
focuses on the creative process, boosting your inspiration and guiding it to add
depth, detail and passion to your story.
How They Do It
Dramatica has the world's only
patented interactive Story Engine� which cross-references your answers to
questions about your dramatic intent, then finds any weaknesses in your
structure and even suggests the best ways to strengthen them.
StoryWeaver uses a revolutionary new
creative format as you follow more than 200 Story Cards� step by step through
the story development process. You'll design the people who'll inhabit
your story's world, what happens to them, and what it all means.
How They Work
By itself Dramatic appeals to
structural writers who like to work out all the details of their stories
logically before they write a word. By itself, StoryWeaver appeals to
intuitive writers who like to follow their Muse and develop their stories as
But, the finished work of a
structural writer can often lack passion, which is where StoryWeaver can help.
And the finished work of an intuitive writer can often lack direction, which is
where Dramatica can help.
So, while each kind of writer will
find one program or the other the most initially appealing, both kinds of
writers can benefit from both programs.
Try Both Programs
We have a 90
Day Return Policy here at Storymind. Try either or both of these
products and if you aren't completely satisfied we'll cheerfully refund your
Complete Catalog of Products
the Writer's Survival Kit Bonus Package
FREE with ANY purchase!
A $300 Value!
step by step approach to story development, from concept to completed
story for your novel or screenplay. More than 200 interactive
Story Cards guide you through the entire process.
Pro - $179.95
2 Exclusive Bonuses! The
most powerful story structuring software available, Dramatica is driven
by a patented "Story Engine" that cross-references your
dramatic choices to ensure a perfect structure.
Writer's DreamKit - $49.95
brother to Dramatica Pro, Writer's DreamKit is built around the same
patented Story Engine - it just tracks fewer story points. So, you
develop the same solid story structure, just with fewer details.
Perfect for beginning writers or those new to Dramatica.
Structure - $149.95
all-in-one writing environment with built-in word processor that helps
you organize and cross-reference your story development materials.
INCLUDES DVD SET BONUS!
Writer - $99.95
brother of Power Structure includes the essential organization and word
processing tools writers need the most.
- Index Cards (Mac) - $19.95
index cards - add notes, titles, colors, click and drag to re-arrange.
An essential tool for every writer.
Magic Screenwriter - $149.95
advanced screenwriting software available, Movie Magic is deemed a
"preferred file format" by the Writer's Guild. An
industry standard, MMS is used by professionals and studios around the
Draft - $199.95
Magic Screenwriter, Final Draft is an industry standard, used by many
professional screenwriters and studios around the world.
The Lines (Macintosh) - $29.95
cost automatic screenplay formatter for Macintosh includes high-end
features such as interactive index cards linked to your script.
Hour Writing Course - $19.95
you need to know about story structure - twelve hours of video on a
single DVD - presented by Dramatica Theory co-creator, Melanie Anne
Software Companion - $19.95
four hours of video demonstrations of every key feature in Dramatica,
narrated by the co-creator of Dramatica.
Tips Book - $19.95
170 pages of
eye-opening essays on story structure, storytelling, finding inspiration
and a wide variety of writing techniques.
Seminar 8 DVD Set - $99.95
14 hours of
video from a live two day course taught by theory co-creator Melanie
Anne Phillips covering Dramatica story structure and StoryWeaver
Seminar Online - $49.95
The same 14
hour program presented in streaming video that you can view online or
download for a permanent copy.
Theory 2 Hour Audio Program - $19.95
concept in the Dramatica Theory of Story is fully explained in this
Characters of the Opposite Sex - $29.95
audio CD set that explains everything you need to know to create
characters of both sexes that ring absolutely true (and maybe even gain
insight into the communication problems in the real world!)
Storyteller Improves Your Writing - $29.95
better writing with this series of interactive exercises.
to Create Great Characters DVD - $19.95
A 90 minute
video program recorded during Dramatica co-creator Melanie Anne
Phillips' live in-person seminar on story structure and storytelling.
vs. Passion - Audio CD $19.95
Mind approach to writing uses your own passions to create your story's
structure. It focuses your efforts, clarifies the direction of
your story, and triggers your imagination.
with the Story Mind - Audio CD - $19.95
Learn how to
psychoanalyze your story's "mind" to uncover and treat
problems with characters, plot, theme, and genre.
Prices - Discounts on Select Products
Are you a
student, teacher, or academic staffer? Get the very best price on
select products with these manufacturer sponsored academic discounts!
Deals - Starting at $49.95
discounts with these bundles of our most popular writing products.
Survival Kit Bonus Package - FREE!
ANY purchase - Writing software, online writing workshops, writing
seminars on video, story theory book, and much, MUCH more!


- Diversity and Character Development
- Fine and Performing Arts
- Foreign Language
- Physical Education
- Social Studies
Diversity is a key aspect of our community. We are a richly diverse school community in terms of, but not limited to, race, family systems, religion, gender, ethnicity, ability level, economics and beliefs. Faculty members encourage open-mindedness by guiding students to make choices that show respect for self, others, property and school. We wish for our students to be considerate, confident and respectful members of our school community. Through demonstrated examples, empathic learning, discussions, stories and guided practice, students learn about different perspectives. We discuss ways to join groups and invite others to join in the play. We create understandings about how to deal with playground conflicts so that students feel safe to join in, knowing they will be welcomed and accepted.
Kindergarten and First grade meets once every two weeks to discuss character development. Some of our most important skills include being able to join groups and welcoming others into a group. This way, everyone feels safe in the community knowing that he/she is always welcome.
Another skill that students work on is using conversation skills so that the other person’s perspective is being considered.
Through parent collaboration, we seek to build on these understandings. We look to our Harbor HAWKS Initiative for guidance and uniformity in terms of voice and message:
- H is for Honesty: Do I accept responsibility for the things that I do or say?
- A is for Achievement: Do I work hard and value perseverance? Do I support others in that goal? Do I respect the uniqueness of others? Do I simply do my personal best, because it is the right thing to do?
- W is for Work Ethic: Do I persevere in my academics, arts and athletics?
- K is for Kindness: Am I a good citizen? Do I show empathy and kindness to those around me?
- S is for Sportsmanship: Am I a good sport? Do I let others take the lead sometimes and allow my own voice to step back when it is someone else’s turn to be heard? Do I play fair, whether I win or lose? Do I keep a good attitude and support my teammates or the other team?
In independent schools, we view the arts, athletics and academics as core pieces, with equal value, in the school curriculum. Students in Early Childhood have strong exposure to the arts; this includes art classes as well as music theory.
Art Classes: PreK 3s and 4s
In art class, students work with our Artist in Residence in a studio setting. Our preschoolers work in whole group instruction or sometimes in small groups, which rotate each week, depending on the project being developed. Since art is a centerpiece to preschool learning in the classroom, our preschool art class curriculum is designed to be a deeper and richer artistic experience. Students use a wide variety of tactile materials, such as clay, watercolors, sculpture materials, fabric and paint, in an environment where creativity is key. Preschool art is about self-expression; the adult’s hand should not be seen in the preschool art piece. Preschool art is about process; all pieces should look individual and one-of-a-kind. We integrate our curriculum so that the themes being developed in the preschool classroom are also explored artistically in art class. We want our students to have the opportunity to demonstrate what they are learning in other disciplines (language arts, science, mathematics) through the creation of a work of art.
Art Classes: Kindergarten and First Grade
Artistic expression and art fundamentals are critical aspects of our kindergarten, first and second grade art curriculum. At these stages, students are exposed to techniques, specifics artists, and great works of art, as well as key elements of art including: line, shape, form, space, texture, value, and color. Students often study important works of art and then practice the techniques unique to creating a similar piece of art. Key aspects of the experience include: developing a sense of aesthetic judgment and color theory, understanding how visual arts relate to history and culture, and showing appreciation of the creative works of self and others. SMART Board and iPad technology are used in the classroom to enrich understandings and to offer a unique form of multi-media art-based experiences.
Music: PreK 3s and 4s
Music is the basis for Harbor Country Day School’s performing arts curriculum. Preschool students attend a minimum of two music classes a week in which various topics relating to music are explored. Singing and vocalization are of great importance to our music program. Singing, chanting, rhyming and rhythm activities are used to encourage active participation in an inviting environment. We believe that singing helps to promote a positive sense of community for even our youngest students. In addition to singing, preschool students use various rhythm instruments such as claves, egg shakers and drums to explore rhythm, timbre, and tempo.
Music: Kindergarten and First Grade
Kindergarten marks a more formal classroom structure for our music classes. Students attend music class twice a week and participate in both our choral and instrumental programs. Beginning in kindergarten, all students participate in chorus. Chorus is an important aspect of our music curriculum, as it fosters a sense of community, responsibility and teamwork. Students perform in the winter and spring concert each year and develop skills such as following a conductor, pitch matching and concert etiquette.
Harbor’s instrumental program begins in kindergarten with the use of hand bells and glockenspiels. Students are introduced to the concepts of pitched instruments versus rhythm instruments as they learn to play songs throughout the year. Dynamics, timbre and rhythm are emphasized as a precursor to our recorder program. First grade students participate in our recorder program. It is designed to challenge and stimulate a developing sense of multitasking and coordination skills. Through a differentiated approach, each student progresses through the program at his or her own rate, allowing for an individualized experience tailored to each student.
Kindergarten and First Grade
In the grades K-1, students are exposed to the languages of Spanish and Mandarin in a natural approach. Our focus is on creating an immersion experience in which students receive meaningful comprehensive input via role-plays, chants, songs, games, poems and dialogues. At the end of the Lower School years students should have familiarity with basic vocabulary and rudimentary styles of conversation. In order to encourage global citizenship, special attention is paid to culturally authentic materials and activities such as: art crafts, foods, greetings, etiquette and customs of the countries studied.
PreK 3s and 4s
Preschoolers visit the library to hear books read to them, which coordinate with what they are studying in the classroom. Preschoolers are introduced to library procedures, such as how to borrow a book, and begin to have book discussions.
Kindergarten and First Grade
During library read-alouds, kindergarteners practice reading comprehension skills such as identifying the beginning, middle and end of a story. They begin having discussions about books, are introduced to the idea of genres, story elements, and are exposed to the idea of fiction and non-fiction stories. Kindergarteners begin to see that the library is a shared space in our school where we appreciate a love of literature. By first grade, students are working on identifying elements in a story: character, setting, plot, and are identifying some genres, in addition to fiction and non-fiction elements in stories. They are developing an understanding of how to use the library materials.
Early Childhood Curriculum
Overview: Grades PreK 3s and 4s through Grade One
Early Childhood is the developmental time frame running from 0-7 years of age. The stages are broken down into: (early) 0-36 months, (mid) 3-5 years, and (late) 5-7 years old. There are significant developmental differences between these three stages in Early Childhood. In the preschool and early kindergarten years, imaginative thinking/inventive play tends to rule a child’s thought processes. He or she is guided by internal rules based on their own perspective of how they see the world. They are developing understandings of colors, shapes, numbers, oral and written language, concepts and seasons, among many other things.
By late Early Childhood, children are developing more stable understandings of the world around them. We call this shift a change from imaginative thinking, where understandings are based on one’s own perspective, to scientific thinking, where one begins to form conceptual understandings. What fosters this growth is a curriculum that gives 3-6 year olds the tools that promote thinking: use of blocks, water, art, music, language, nature-based learning, physical activities and hands-on learning experiences. The academic curriculum is designed to support developing skills such as problem solving and critical thinking. Our goal is to develop students who are ready for the Lower and Upper School curriculum by providing learning experiences that help develop the young child’s deliberate memory, mediated perception (knowing that some things are more important than others), logical thinking, sense of self-control and focused attention.
PreK 3s and 4s
Preschoolers’ reading/writing interests and skills are an important part of how we proceed with literacy. It is important to instill a love of learning without pushing the individual child in age-inappropriate ways. Preschool readiness is a part of how we approach the balanced literacy program in preschool. The elements we use in kindergarten, first and second grade are all there, but our approach is more centered on teacher-directed read alouds, literary discussions, and early stages of phonics instruction. We encourage inventive spelling as a way to support letter/sound connections. Our three year olds explore shape recognition as a precursor to letter recognition. We learn our names through repeated exposures in circle time. We practice fine motor skills, such as using play doh, cutting with scissors, building blocks, and beading, which prepare students for holding a pencil. Using read alouds, teachers model intonation and reading comprehension strategies. Children are exposed to concepts of print. Multisensory approaches are used to practice writing letters. Fingerplays and rhymes support phonemic awareness. Upper and lower case letters are introduced through a variety of exercises.
In fours, preschoolers work on letter sound correspondence, first sounds in words, and early inventive spelling (sounding out words by practicing what sounds they hear). They practice writing their name and capitalizing the first letter in their name. The upper and lower case letters are introduced. Rhymes, and first sounds are introduced in circle time, and through stories and fingerplays. Storytelling and comprehension is reinforced through student directed retelling of stories. We use methodologies that relate to the Teacher’s College of Reading and Writing program, which is later introduced in kindergarten. Preschoolers practice hearing word boundaries, learn that words are made up of sounds, practice rhymes and syllables. Students develop understandings that there are patterns in words and recognize some high frequency words.
Kindergarten and First Grade
Kindergarten builds on the literacy skills introduced in preschool. The kindergarten program supports a print-rich environment and has a strong phonics component. Students begin the Teacher’s College of Reading and Writing program, the first lesson of which is to think creatively about story ideas. Kindergarten is a time of intense story telling creativity and we capitalize on this by freeing the child of an expectation for perfect spelling by encouraging inventive spelling. This allows a child to use any word, even for those for which the child does not know the correct spelling. Inventive spelling encourages phonemic awareness. During the kindergarten year, students learn to blend sounds to form words, they learn to recognize syllables and can hear and say rhymes. We use Words Their Way for Emergent Spellers as a source of support with phonemic skills development. Students work on handwriting, distinguishing letter patterns, and begin working with word families.
First graders are developing the skills needed to improve independent reading and are beginning to read to learn. As decoding gives way to fluency, a first grader’s reading comprehension improves. Focusing on high frequency words helps improve fluency. The first grader begins to fall in love with characters in stories, becomes familiar with folktales, and uses illustrations to support comprehension. First graders begin developing understandings of letter patterns known as blends and diagraphs. Nuances of word patterns, such as the concepts of plurals, contractions, compound words, and synonyms/antonyms, greatly expand reading skills. In writing, students learn to add details to stories, to write sentences, and to vary their sentence structure. They practice writing stories with a beginning, middle and ending.
PreK 3s and 4s
Our preschoolers are highly curious and engaged mathematicians! They like to compare and contrast volumes, mix and pour liquids, sort objects by colors and create patterns using blocks. During daily meetings, age-appropriate mathematical concepts are introduced to the whole group, and children practice these during our centers time, either independently or with guided practice in small groups. They work on visual patterns, sorting objects based on two features, identifying one- and two-digit numbers, and recognizing shapes and numbers. Counting and one-to-one correspondence, especially for 4s, is emphasized.
Kindergarten and First Grade
Our approach to mathematics in kindergarten is conceptual and problem solving oriented. Students show how they solve problems using written language, illustrations and number sentences. The curriculum focuses on describing patterns, sorting objects, making predictions, identifying odd/even numbers, shapes and simple addition and subtraction. Language of greater than/less than is introduced. Children study time, ways we measure time, and money. In first grade, students reinforce the skills learned in kindergarten but also begin working with fractions, place value and data interpretation.
PreK 3s and 4s
PreK 3s participate in Physical Education a few times each week. Students are introduced to basic locomotor skills throughout the year, using child-centered activities. The children learn about moving through general space while maintaining one’s personal space. By engaging in movement challenges, the students begin to develop social skills, gross motor coordination, and eye/hand, eye/foot coordination. In each class, a variety of musical genres are employed both as signals and for student motivation. As the school year progresses, listening skills are encouraged, with music as one of the tools used to help develop emerging listening capabilities.
PreK 4s participate in Physical Education classes several times each week, where they engage in a wide variety of developmentally appropriate activities and experiences. Locomotor skills are practiced throughout the year. These include power walking, leaping, galloping, and skipping, all cued with music as a signal. Manipulative activities, using early childhood equipment, are explored during class. Child-centered activities during PE class allow the students experience frequent successes and improve their social skills, while encouraging the continual development of physical fitness levels. By the end of the year, each child develops a love of movement.
Kindergarten and First Grade
Our Physical Education program supports the physical, intellectual, and social development of our Kindergarten and First graders. The students are exposed to a wide variety of activities in PE class. Through movement education, students learn and develop proper techniques of fundamental locomotor skills, such as skipping, galloping, sliding, leaping. Warm-up activities for every class include gross motor coordination using motivational music, and movement exploration activities are practiced throughout the year. Eye/hand and eye/ foot coordination, large muscle coordination, and balancing skills, along with listening skills (sequencing) are all developed through the use of a manipulative activities and exercises.
Throughout the year, students are encouraged to begin developing their skills at taking turns. They participate in low organizational and group games aimed at further improving aerobic fitness, cooperation, learning strategies, and sportsmanship. The students learn to work independently, with a partner, and in a group.
Our Early Childhood Science program is one where students from preschool through second grade have science at least twice each week, with a dedicated, Early Childhood/Lower School science teacher. Students study the biological sciences, earth science and physical science. Our science teacher visits the preschoolers twice each week with hands-on lessons such as hatching baby chicks, caring for caterpillars, and studying ant farms. Students learn about light and shadows, friction and gravity, air and motion. They maintain a Long Island ecosystem fish tank and learn about the ocean, farm life, adaptations and hibernation. Kindergarteners study the five senses, living and non-living organisms, migration, hibernation and habitats. They learn about recycling by creating their own recycling stations and study endangered animals and habitats. In connection with the social studies curriculum, in science, kindergarteners bake pies and cook applesauce. They maintain their own ecosystem fish tank and learn about food webs in relation to their class pet, Chip the rabbit. Much of their curriculum takes place outside where they take samples from trees, study root systems and look for worms. Students in first grade learn about insects and spiders, cold and warm blooded animals, and use measurement to make scientific observations. Field trips to go apple picking with kindergarteners and a trip to the local grocery store, to study nutrition, take place during the school year. The scientific method is introduced. The first grade students keep a fish tank in their classroom.
The Early Childhood social studies curriculum begins with the classroom. Early on, especially in preschool, we instill a sense of community in the classroom, first by developing trust between the student and teacher, then by creating routines and structure that helps to foster good feelings between peers in the classroom. We share our customs and traditions while modeling respect for others. Students learn about different people in communities. By kindergarten, we introduce a greater sense of community as well as community helpers, symbols of patriotism, holidays and introduce map skills. Children are developing a burgeoning sense of responsibility to self and others. In first grade, students develop understandings related to citizenship. They study important historical figures as well as U.S. states, with special emphasis on New York. Map skills are explored to a greater extent, especially through the unit related to Flat Stanley. Across grade levels, students are given opportunities, in age-appropriate ways, to engage in higher-level thinking, to problem solve, to negotiate and to develop understandings related to facts versus opinions. A strong emphasis is placed on the ideas of citizenship, community and respect.
PreK 3s and 4s
Based on the most recent research related to technology and the young child, we teach our threes and fours three main ideas about technology: technology can be fun, there is a safe and responsible way to use technology, technology can teach us things that we don’t already know. Our iPad to student ratio is 1:4 with 10 minute sessions of supervised use. Applications are related to letter/sound correspondence, categorical reasoning, thematic reasoning, and letter formation. Preschool teachers use laptops to illustrate concepts, such as when students are learning about oceans and studying jellyfish – images and videos bring this learning to life. Technology is a part of a preschooler’s world in limited, but meaningful ways.
Kindergarten and First Grade
Our kindergarten and first grade students use technology to enrich understandings and to organize, evaluate and synthesize information. They learn practical applications for managing and organizing information: how to create, save, store and retrieve their work. They learn about internet safety, and learn to use technology responsibly. Students have access to laptops and iPads. SMART Board and iPads are used as teaching tools in classroom lessons.
In their technology classes, our kindergarteners use technology to view their world globally. They use Google Earth to make real world connections to where they live and create an address page on the web. They create iBooks, learn programming language, (through the use of a program called, SCRATCH), and learn the basics of how to store information on a server. Specific skills include Powerpoint presentations, logging in and shutting down, saving information on the server, and some fundamentals related to using the server.
Our first graders expand on these fundamentals. Beginning in first grade, computer programming-, using SCRATCH, plays a more central role. Students learn how to think through their own mental representations to approach real world challenges in a computer-based environment. They learn that by manipulating commands, they can create solutions to physics-based problems: the roll, angles and vectors, the bounce, properties of matter, etc. Students use Powerpoint more independently to create and present their work. They use U.S. Mint to practice equivalencies and to study details and inscriptions on coins. Basic skills developed at one grade level are added upon at the next level.


Full Language Arts Packages
Moving Beyond The Page
Blast into the solar system and explore the depths of ocean. Follow American History from the first colonies, to westward expansion, to the lives of the immigrants. Learn about the 50 states and research the history of your own state. Moving Beyond the Page curriculum covers the standards in science, social studies, and language arts. Through projects, worksheets, and literature students will gain the knowledge they need. You may choose to integrate the social studies and science units with the language arts or to choose to use them alone. link
Comes with: Each Concept comes with a variety of Literature, Manipulatives, a Teachers manual and Student Activity book.
Notes: Moving Beyond The Page is a literature and project based curriculum. There are more activities than one family needs and it can become overwhelming if one chooses to do them all. Our favorite way to use it is to pick and choose between activities or to combine two closely aged siblings in one level, choosing harder acitivities for one student and easier activities for another. link to placement test
Language Smarts™ Level E (4th grade) is a colorful, fun, 400-page book. It teaches the reading, writing, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and thinking skills students are expected to learn in fourth grade. Language Smarts™ can serve as a complete curriculum for language arts when combined with literature packets and/or trips to the libary. Improve your students’ language arts skills while you develop their critical thinking skills. Each section introduces a specific topic, followed by appropriate practice and application activities. This level covers: parts of speech, punctuation, sentences and paragraphs, homophones and homographs, fact or inferences, writing, and more. link
Comes with: This is a stand alone product.
Notes: Covers language arts skills through colorful worksheets and doesn't need much parent involvement. Colorful pages. Great for families who want to cover the basics but leave time to explore or to go with online curriculums.
Nurture a love of the English language, along with an understanding of how it's correctly used, with Shurley English. Appealing to multiple learning styles, students will repeatedly practice old and new skills, developing their mastery of English in reading, writing, and even thinking skills. The teacher's manual encourages student-teacher interactions with scripted lessons. Students books contain a jingle section, reference section, practice section, and test section. An audio CD with the jingles and introductory sentences is also included to help students remember concepts. This level 4 kit covers all eight parts of sentence types; parts of speech including indirect objects; quotations; reference skills; usage including pronoun/antecedent agreement; capitalization including outlines; verbs; pronouns; conjunctions; punctuation; letter, expository, persuasive, descriptive, narrative, and creative writing; figures of speech and writing autobiographies. link
Comes with: Student Workbook, Teachers Manual with audio CD.
Notes: Solid program but teacher intensive and uses repetition to teach.
The standards-based critical thinking activities of Reading Detective® develop the analysis, synthesis, and vocabulary skills students need for exceptional reading comprehension. The activities are especially effective at helping students understand more challenging reading concepts such as drawing inferences, making conclusions, determining cause-and-effect, and using context clues to define vocabulary. Students read and analyze short literature passages and stories that include fiction and nonfiction genres. Then they answer multiple-choice and short-response questions, citing sentence evidence to support their answers. link
Jack Kris Publishing Combo + Literature Packets
Growing with Grammar, Soaring with Spelling, and Winning with Writing by Jack Kris Publishing can be combined for a well laid out curriculum that is practical for busy parents. Each day and week is clearly laid out in each book. While the pages are simple without lots of color and pictures, they are well laid out and easy to use. Once a student can read independently they can work relatively independently within this program. Link
Comes with: Student Books and Answer keys
Notes: Each level builds on the prior year, so concepts are repeated.
Spectrum Language Arts Combo + Living Books
Spectrum is a simple workbook
combination that is colorful and easy to understand. Works as a supplement when used separately or packaged together. Packaged set includes Writing, Reading, and Language Arts workbooks. Link to spectrum
Notes: Great for families using other more exploratory programs so that there is basic practice but time for other family curriculum choices.
Logic of English Essentials (remedial)￼
Essentials curriculum uses proven, research-based methods to teach remedial students ages 8 to adult to read, spell, and write successfully. Essentials improves the spelling and reading skills of all learners by providing linguistically accurate phonics instruction, fluency practice, morphology and vocabulary development, grammar, and composition. Clear instructions and scripted lessons allow teachers, tutors, and parents to learn alongside their students, developing their own understanding of the structure of English as they teach. Multi-sensory instruction and a variety of multi-sensory exercises allow teachers to customize the curriculum for the needs of their students, paving the way to success in reading for all kinds of learners. link
Comes with: Essentials Teacher's Guide,Essentials Student Workbooks, Spelling Journal, Basic Phonogram Flash Cards, Spelling Rule Flash Cards, Advanced Phonogram Flash Cards, Grammar Flash Cards, Phonogram Game Cards (2 sets in different colors),Phonogram Game Tiles, Phonogram and Spelling Rule Quick Reference, Spelling Analysis Card.
Notes: Logic of English is a very solid phonics foundation that will start at square one and progress very quickly. It is meant for remediation students above age 8. It is quite parent intensive but may raise reading level significantly. Placement Help
Video Overview of Essentials
Language Arts Supplements
Reading Eggspress (online)
Reading Eggspress makes reading real books, improving spelling skills and building reading comprehension highly engaging for kids aged 7 to 13. The online reading program is packed with hundreds of interactive reading activities, online children’s books, and literacy games. And it really works! link
Reading A to Z (Online)
Reading A-Z plus and Headsprout are combined in a single student portal, provided online books, reading practice and fun interactive phonics lessons or comprehension lessons for older students. Perfect for the student who needs online practice without a lot of games.
All About Reading
Your student will learn exciting new concepts, including words with multiple suffixes, fifteen new phonograms, and methods for decoding multisyllable words – and continue to establish a firm foundation for a lifetime of learning. Every component of reading is taught: decoding (phonics and structural analysis), vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. link
Comes with: Teacher Manual, Student Activity Packet, 2 Readers, Interactive kit.
Notes: All About Reading is great for struggling readers, but it can be too repetitive for quick learners. link to placement test
Reading Horizons Elevate (online, remedial)
This is an online program designed for students in 3rd grade or above that are struggling with reading. This is a program designed for specifically for struggling readers that delves deeper into reading instruction and differentiates to meet student needs.
Notes: This program will cover grammar and spelling but requires the addition of writing and literature packets at this level.
Spelling You See
Americana continues the Skill Development Stage of spelling. Students will read nonfiction stories about American history and culture. The reading level gradually increases, providing opportunities for vocabulary development and allowing students to learn how to spell words in an interesting context.
- Features nonfiction stories about American history and culture
- Involves the three core activities for Spelling You See:
- chunking – provides hands-on experience with the many irregular letter patterns in English
- copywork – requires the brain to pay attention to details in print
- dictation – gives an opportunity for student to demonstrate decoding and encoding in a meaningful context
- Gradually increases in reading level, providing opportunities for vocabulary development and allowing students to learn how to spell words in an interesting context
- Includes 36 weekly lessons divided between two books; each lesson has five parts
- Has daily activities consisting of two facing pages
Comes with: Instructors Handbook and Student Pack.
Notes: Continual Review is a notable part of the program. Does not necessarily correlate to grade level.
Soaring with Spelling
List words are mostly two-syllable words and some complex single syllable words and some multi-syllable words. Lessons contain games such as crossword puzzles, word search, definition matching, unscrambling words, identifying misspelled list words in a paragraph, alphabetizing words, complete the sentences, match the picture to the list word, and identifying words that make certain sounds. link
Comes with: Workbook and Answer Key.
All About Spelling
In Level 3, your student will continue to learn encoding skills, reliable spelling rules, and multisensory strategies for spelling, along with exciting new concepts including 10 new phonograms, the jobs of Silent E, words with C+l-e syllables, contractions, homophones, consonant and vowel suffixes, and past tense. Phonological awareness and encoding skills are taught throughout Level 3. link
Comes with: Teachers Manual, Student Pack and Interactive Kit
Notes: All About Spelling level 3 goes with All About Reading level 4
(Students should complete All About Spelling Level 2 before starting Level 3.)
Spelling Workout has all the components you need to lead students from simple sound-letter relationships to more complex spelling patterns. Students learn spelling skills based on phonics through unique, cross-curricular reading passages, practice, and high-interest writing activities. link
Notes: This Spelling program is phonics based and includes writing, reading, and editing in higher lessons.
First Language Lessons
This workbook uses classical techniques of memorization, dictation, narration, and diagramming to develop your child's language ability in the important, foundational years of language study. The Student Workbook provides complete worksheets for the student, making it possible for busy parents and teachers to spend more time teaching and less time preparing. Link
Comes with: Teacher Edition and Student Workbook.
Notes: Is very effective for auditory learners. Requires daily parent involvement.
Growing with Grammar
Diagramming compound subjects and predicates, combing sentences, identifying two subjects and two predicates in a sentence, diagramming questions and commands, direct quotations, indirect quotations. Writing a paragraph, concrete and abstract nouns, nouns of direct address, compound nouns, noun suffixes, dictionary skills, giving directions predicate nouns, contractions formed with pronouns, helping verbs, verb phrases, verb tenses, writing a narrative paragraph, diagramming adjectives and adverts, double negatives, writing a descriptive paragraph, prepositional phrases used as adverbs and adjectives, diagramming prepositional phrases, conjunctions, interjections, writing a book report, and more. link
Comes with: Workbook and Answer Key.
Editor in Chief
Improves students’ grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and attention to detail using a standards-based thinking approach rather than drill and practice. This method teaches students to carefully analyze and edit stories. This book includes 16 lessons in grammar and mechanics. Students identify and circle errors in each story and write their correction. Writing styles and content are varied to sustain interest and to broaden the students’ exposure to different writing formats, such as letters, stories, and dialogue. The skills developed can be applied to the students’ own writing. Detailed answers are also included. link
The Language Mechanic
The Language Mechanic program uses fun examples and logical reasons to eliminate the confusion students often feel while learning the mechanics of language. This book demonstrates and reinforces why each language rule is important. Lessons begin with a "grabber" - a humorous miscommunication that results when a rule is broken. Examples are followed by an explanation of the specific rule, the logic behind it, then guided and independent practice. link
Spectrum Language Arts
Spectrum is a simple workbook combination that is colorful and easy to understand. Works as a supplement when used separately or packaged together. Packaged set includes Writing, Reading, and Language Arts workbooks. Link to spectrum
Notes: Great for families using other more exploratory programs so that there is basic practice but time for other family curriculum.
Writing with Ease
provides easy-to-use materials for introducing this comprehensive writing approach to young students; an approach that understands the need for one-on-one instruction and focuses on copywork (putting words on paper) and narration (putting ideas into words). Link
Comes with: This is a stand alone book.
Four Square Writing
The Four Square method can be used with all forms of writing and will fit any reading or language arts program. This step-by-step approach is built around a simple graphic organizer that first shows students how to collect ideas and then helps them use those ideas to create clear and polished prose. Open-ended reproducibles make the technique accessible to writers of all ability ranges. Link
Notes: A writing method that is easy to teach.
Winning with Writing
This level covers direct, indirect quotations, dialogue, the writing process, creative writing, how-to-writing, personal narrative, descriptive writing, and persuasive writing. link
Comes with: 2 Workbooks and Answer Key.
Spectrum WritingSpectrum is a simple workbook combination that is colorful and easy to understand. Works as a supplement when used separately or packaged together. Packaged set includes Writing, Reading, and Language Arts workbooks.
Link to spectrum
Notes: Great for shorter attentions spans or for families using other more exploratory programs so that there is basic practice but time for family interests.
Institute for Excellence in Writing:
Recorded live with Mr. Andrew Pudewa, this four-DVD writing course for elementary students new to IEW lays a solid foundation of writing skills. Over the course of 15–30 weeks, students will learn how to effectively use a wide range of structural models and stylistic techniques in their compositions, as they write on a variety of enjoyable fiction and non-fiction topics. Included with the student handouts are complete teacher's notes, source texts, assignments, and checklists. link
Notes: Great for 4th through 6th graders. Book based IEW is also available for parents who are familiar with the method. This is an effective but non-traditional writing method.
Video Overview of IEW
In Depth Look at IEW
Writing Skills Workbooks
This program is a simple, yet colorful workbook that will build wriitng skills in your student. It covers both expository and creative writing with an incremental approach. It gradually brings students up to full writing assignments such as personal narratives and short reports. Link
Notes: Colorful and Easy to use.
This program is based on The Writer's Jungle, written by Julie Bogart. The Writer's Jungle is an explanation of Bogart's writing method. One can use The Writer's Jungle to guide writing as a parent designed curriculum. Alternately, the author created a series of writing curriculums and language arts guides (with grammar and literature study) that follow the philosophy of The Writer's Jungle. This curriculum has a feeling of Charlotte Mason. Link
Notes: This curriculum covers language arts and writing depending on the component you choose, but requires another curriculum to cover foundational skills. It does not focus on expository writing. Additional components to accompany the writing guides are also published. Portions of this curriculum are only available under individual book titles as it was written as a periodical. Levels in this program do not necessarily correlate to standard grade levels so looking at samples is important.
Video Overview of Bravewriter
Word Roots Beginning
Students learn the meaning and spelling of roots, prefixes, and suffixes commonly used in English. Learning these word elements dramatically improves spelling and the ability to decode unfamiliar words. The activities focus on using these words in context to help students incorporate each word into their vocabulary and retain the correct spelling. There are periodic reviews to make sure students retain what is taught in the lessons. Word Roots books will add hundreds of words to your students’ vocabulary and greater depth to their thinking and writing. link
Wordly Wise 3000® provides systematic academic vocabulary instruction—developing the critical link between vocabulary and reading comprehension. The program incorporates the use of context clues, word study, reading comprehension, and writing. The words presented are commonly encountered in grade-level literature, textbooks, and standardized tests. Link
Focuses on understanding of mathematical concepts. Uses clear explanations, lots of visual exercises and pattern exercises. Mastery oriented: concentrates fairly long on a topic, with fairly few topics per grade. Emphasizes mental math and developing number sense. Very little preparation needed. link
Comes with: 2 Worktexts
Notes: A great curriculum that covers all skills really well. Crammed full of information so page layout can seem a little overwhelming. No color. A great fit for the student that gets Math. 2 workbooks A & B. link to placement test
youtube videos bythe author: link
- Using strategies based on place value and properties of operations to divide
- Understanding division as solving for an unknown factor
- Fluently dividing any combination of whole numbers
- Solving abstract and real-world problems involving all four operations
- Interpreting remainders in short and long division
- Understanding fraction notation in light of division link
Comes with: Instructional DVD, Integer Block Set, Teacher manual and Student workbook.
Notes: Math-U-See works well for struggling learners or those who prefer a hands on approach. It may be repetitive for students who enjoy a fast pace. link to placement test
Singapore Primary Math
The students are provided with the necessary learning experiences beginning with the concrete and pictorial stages, followed by the abstract stage to enable them to learn mathematics meaningfully. This approach encourages active thinking process, communication of mathematical ideas and problem solving. This helps develop the foundation students will need for more advanced mathematics. Practice exercises are designed to provide the students with further practice after they have done the relevant workbook exercises. Review exercises are provided for cumulative reviews of concepts and skills. All the practice exercises and review exercises are optional exercises.
Comes with: Workbooks A & B, Text A & B, Optional – Home Instructor Guide
Notes: Colorful kid friendly pages. link to placement test
Right Start Math
This unique, award-winning, hands-on program de-emphasizes counting, uses visualization of quantities, and provides strategies and visual pictures for learning the facts. Understanding and problem solving are emphasized throughout the curriculum. The primary learning tool is the AL Abacus, a specially designed two-sided abacus that is both kinesthetic and
visual. The AL Abacus is grouped in fives and tens for quick recognition of quantities. The second side of the AL Abacus teaches place value to the thousands. Children develop visual strategies as they use this manipulative. Practice is provided with math card games, minimizing review worksheets and eliminating stressful flash cards. These games provide interesting and varied repetition that is needed for the automatic responses to the facts. More importantly, these games provide an application for new information and create hours of fun learning math facts and concepts. link
Comes with: Lesson book, Worksheets, CD, Games book and complete manipulatives set.
Notes: A great Math especially for struggling learners, but is very parent intensive. Lots of games and manipulatives. AL Abacus is primary manipulative. link to placement test
Youtube videos explaining the games. link
Focusing on algebraic reasoning and geometric concepts, Saxon Math Homeschool 5/4 teaches math with a spiral approach, which emphasizes incremental development of new material and continuous review of previously taught concepts.
Following Saxon Math 3 the Saxon 54 textbook covers concepts such as number sense, numeration, numerical operations, measurement and geometry, patterns, relationships, math functions, and data manipulation are introduced. Students will specifically learn to add three-digit numbers, subtract numbers with re-grouping, read time, write numbers, estimate arithmetic answers, divide with two-digit answers, multiply three or more factors, simplify fraction answers, use a decimal number line, and more. link
Comes with: Teachers Manual, Home Study Meeting Book, Student Workbooks and factcards.
Notes: Saxon Math is a spiral math with lots of review. It has excellent math facts drill but a very dry presentation. Black and white only. Manipulatives available for younger grade levels . link to placement test
Math in Focus
Math in Focus provides an authentic Singapore math curriculum, highlighting problem solving as the focus of mathematical learning. This complete program teaches concepts using a concrete-pictorial-abstract learning progression to anchor learning in real-world and hands-on experiences. Each topic is approached with the expectation that students will understand both "how" it works, and also "why." Link
Comes with: Student Textbook, Student Workbook, and Answer Key, with Assessments available separately.
Notes: This program uses concrete- pictorial-abstract method of instruction in a colorful format but maintains a traditional textbook feel.
Beast Academy books provide a curriculum that is both rigorous and complete as well as engaging and entertaining. Each grade is split into four parts (A-D). For each part there is a Guide and a Practice book.
Guides provide instruction delivered by the Academy instructors in a comic book style that encourages reasoning and problem solving.
Practice books provide hundreds of problems, puzzles, and games to reinforce the lessons. Link
Notes: This program was written for advanced math students. Problems are generally fewer but more difficult. The 5th grade level prepares students for Pre-Algebra. Please see the site for placement test.
Aleks Math is a research-based, online program that offers course products for mathematics, business, science, and behavioral science. Using personalized learning and adaptive assessments, ALEKS quickly and accurately determines exactly what a student is most ready to learn. This unique approach to learning dramatically improves student performance and confidence. link
Notes: Very simple style. No videos until older grades. Has a great facts mastery program.
Ascend Math offers personalized learning plans, and continuous assessment. It provides math tutorials that are prescribed to fill any gaps that a student may have. It has been designed for intervention to catch up students quickly but also covers the math skills required at each grade level.
Notes: Printable worksheets to go with this program are available.
Dreambox is an adaptive, math curriculum. It is meant to personalized to the individual. The students learn concepts through game play. link
Sumdog (online supplement only)
Sumdog is a fun math practice program that uses games and competition to build math skills. Link
Notes: Somewhat trendy graphics.


A) Preserve a way of life B) Act out community stories C) Reinforce community values D) All of these
D) All of these
What makes theater such a potent social force?
A) The entertaining stories that it tells B) Its ability to reach a massive number of audience members C) Its collective and public nature D) The ease in which a person can put on a play
C) Its collective and public nature
Which of the following is true of the theater?
A) It can evoke a collective emotional response B) It can generate and focus collective anger or outrage C) It can contribute to the stability of a community and reinforce the status quo D) All of these
D) All of these
The essential difference between the ancient Greek theatre and the medieval theatre is that __________________.
A) Greek theatre focused on the place of human beings in the universe whereas the medieval theatre sought to affirm religious beliefs B) People wore masks only in the medieval theatre C) Plays were put on by community members only in the ancient Greek theatre D) Performances were held outdoors only in the ancient Greek theatre
A) Greek theatre focused on the place of human beings in the universe whereas the medieval theatre sought to affirm religious beliefs
As theatre in Greece began, Greek plays were associated with festivals to honor this God.
A) Eurip B) Dionysus C) Sophocles D) Medea
What are theatrical conventions?
A) Elements of dramatic construction and performance that facilitate the presentation of plays B) Events where theatre professionals gather to discuss their work C) Plays which are preformed so often they are now considered part of the culture D) Guidelines that an architect must follow when building a theatre
A) Elements of dramatic construction and performance that facilitate the presentation of plays
Which of the following was typical of ancient Greek theatre?
A) Both men and women performed as actors B) The actors always wore masks C) There was a lot of violence performed onstage D) Plays depicted religious struggles
B) The actors always wore masks
Some theatre historians think tragedy began when one member of a Greek chorus began a dialogue with the rest of the chorus. Who was this first speaker?
A) Clytemnestra B) Oedipus C) Plato D) Thespis
One example of religious theatre in Western Europe during the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries was __________.
A) The Reformation B) The Crusades C) Mystery cycles D) Pageant wagons
C) Mystery cycles
Plays performed as part of the medieval religious festivals did which of the following?
A) Reinforced people's faith by allowing them to identify with Christ's suffering and triumph B) Served the interests of the ruling classes and the Catholic Church by reinforcing the social organization of the time C) Both of these D) None of these
C) Both of these
Greek Theatre of Athens
Fifth Century Greek tragedies intricately bound to the religious as well as the political life of the community. Originally developed during festivals to honor Dionysus - Greek God of life force. Transformation of actors concerned with issues of social and religious order transformation of nature to sustain human existence examined relationships necessary to sustain human existence imi\
Unlike the ancient Greek or medieval theatres, the actors in the Elizabethan theatre and the Beijing Opera were __________. A) Untrained B) Comprised of both men and women C) Professional actors D) Not the focus of a production
C) Professional actors
One of the major focuses of the Elizabethan theatre was? A) The internal struggles of the characters B) The power struggles between kings C) The organization of the family D) Both A and B
D) Both A and B
In addition to Shakespeare, which of the following playwrights also wrote for the Elizabethan theatre? A) Christopher Marlow and Ben Johnson B) Pierre Corneille and Jean-Paul Sartre C) Arthur Miller and Eugene O'Neill D) August Wilson and Tom Stoppard
A) Christopher Marlow and Ben Johnson
Which of the following statements is true about William Shakespeare? A) He never worked as an actor B) Most of his plays were adaptations from other sources, including other plays C) His plays focus on political upheaval rather than on the personal experiences of the characters D) None of these
B) Most of his plays were adaptations from other sources, including other plays
Shakespeare's theatre was called the _____________? A) King's Playhouse B) Queen's Theatre C) Globe D) Rose
To make the audience understand where particular scenes took place, Shakespeare used _____________ in his plays. A) Elaborate theatrical sets that were made to resemble specific locations B) The language of his characters to described the setting C) Painted signs that told the audience where the scene took place D) All of these
B) The language of his characters to described the setting
One of the major focuses of the traditional Beijing Opera is? A) The organization of the family B) The power struggles between kings C) Political propaganda D) The relationship between the individual and the gods
A) The organization of the family
The four kinds of roles in the Beijing Opera are ______________. A) Speaking, Singing, Dancing, and Miming B) Comic, Tragic, Tragicomic, and Farcical C) Old Male, Young Male, Old Female, and Young Female D) Male, Female, Painted-face, and Comic
D) Male, Female, Painted-face, and Comic
Supernatural characters are represented in the Beijing Opera by ______________. A) Puppets B) Music and Sound Effects C) Actors in elaborate face paint D) There are no supernatural characters in the Beijing Opera.
C) Actors in elaborate face paint
Unlike Western theatre, the Beijing Opera relies primarily on ________________. A) Language B) Gesture C) Audience participation D) All of these
How many plays did August Wilson write that comprise the cycle of plays chronicling African American life in the United States? A) four B) five C) eight D) ten
The oral and musical rendering of the history and texture of black American life make up which of the following art forms? A) Kabuki B) the blues C) Dadaism D) Musical Theatre
B) the blues
What is "peonage?" A) a kind of African work song B) a traditional African dance involving the whole community C) a system where white employers claimed that their black workers owed them money and insisted that they work to pay it back D) the word for a black slave
C) a system where white employers claimed that their black workers owed them money and insisted that they work to pay it back
In whose work did August Wilson say he "found himself?" A) Sam Cook and Aretha Franklin B) Shakespeare and Aeschylus C) Bessie Smith and Romare Bearden D) Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X
C) Bessie Smith and Romare Bearden
Where did Wilson get the idea for the boarding house in JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE? A) "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" by Bessie Smith B) Light at Two Lights by Edward Hopper C) "Mill Hand's Lunch Bucket" by Romare Bearden D) Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech
C) "Mill Hand's Lunch Bucket" by Romare Bearden
Who was the actual Joe Turner? A) the brother of a Tennessee governor B) a folk blues singer C) a jazz musician D) a local politician in Wilson's hometown
A) the brother of a Tennessee governor
What do Seth and Bertha Holly do? A) They clean houses B) They are slaves on a plantation C) They don't work D) They run a boardinghouse
D) They run a boardinghouse
What does Harold Loomis do at the end of JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE? A) he finds his wife and they live happily ever after together B) he gives his daughter over to his wife and cuts himself with a knife C) he leaves the boardinghouse just before his wife arrives and never s D) he dies
B) he gives his daughter over to his wife and cuts himself with a knife
What does the metaphor of the road stand for in JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE? A) freedom of movement and the end of slaver B) connecting people to new opportunities and new ways of life C) the search to find oneself D) all of these
D) all of these
What is the central action of the play, JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE? A) Herald Loomis searches for his lost wife B) Herald Loomis searches for himself and finds his song C) Herald Loomis escapes from Joe Turner D) Seth and Bertha strive to welcome and shelter those who've been on the road
B) Herald Loomis searches for himself and finds his song
The creation of a stage production is __________ and ___________ art. A) an easy and rewarding B) a difficult and individual C) an interpretive and collaborative D) an easy and collaborative
C) an interpretive and collaborative
What do we call a number of plays produced at the same time and performed on a rotating basis? A) a repertory B) a trilogy C) Summer Stock D) a menagerie
A) a repertory
What is the physical action of a theatre performance called? A) catharsis B) repertory C) blocking D) movement
One of the main functions of the set, costume and lighting design is which of the following? A) to spend the production budget B) to make what is happening on stage as true-to-life as possible C) to please the audience D) to build visual metaphors
D) to build visual metaphors
What is the power of the Theatre?
The theatre not only mirrors the roles human beings take in their respective societies but also plays an important part in changing the way we see ourselves. Reflects religious belief, social organization and issues of concern to the community questions relationships of race and gender
The Actor's Triple Existence
1. Present in his own person 2. Creates a character who has his own boundaries separate from those of the actor's own person 3. View from the audience's perspective to make adjustments.
The Actor's Craft
The vitality and talent of the actor are contained and shaped through the development of technique Vocal and Physical Technique Some intangibles that arise by immersion
A group of actors that come together to complement each other.
Several plays performing at once.
Purpose of Rehearsal
To provide the foundation for performance
Actor of stage and screen One man shows - particular significance in the world today
Ann Deavere Smith
Actor of stage and screen well known playwright and actor a. Started with Rodney King incident - Twilight LA b. Takes on many characters - One woman show
Francis Mc Dormand
Stage - Good People Film - Fargo
What are the three necessary ingredients of the theatre? A) the actor, a theatre space, and the audience B) the actor, the director, and the audience C) the actor, the director, and the designers D) the actor, the designers, and the audience
A) the actor, a theatre space, and the audience
Which of the following can be described as the actor's existence onstage? A) the actor is present as his or her own person B) the actor creates a character that has his or her own boundaries separate from the actor's own person C) the actor maintains a critical facility that allows them to view their performance from the audience's perspective and adjust their performance as necessary D) all of these
D) all of these
What is the purpose of the audition? A) to determine which actors will work well together in an ensemble B) to judge how an actor's talents will suit the needs of the show C) to allow the director and casting director an opportunity to see how different actors may fill a certain role D) all of these
D) all of these
Why might a director ask an actor to do a "cold reading" at an audition? A) to see if they were familiar with the chosen play B) to make the actor uncomfortable and see how well they work under pressure C) to judge the intelligence of the actor D) because it is faster then letting them perform a prepared monologue
C) to judge the intelligence of the actor
According to The Creative Spirit, in order for a production to have vitality and originality, the rehearsal process must be a time of _________________. A) hard work B) exploration C) strict adherence to the director's vision D) all of these
What is a useful rehearsal method for enhancing belief and creative imaginative actions? A) Presence B) Blocking C) Kuroko D) Improvisation
What acting approach involves identifying as closely as possible with the character one is playing? A) the Stanislavsky approach B) internal acting approach C) external acting approach D) both A and B
B) internal acting approach
What is "subtext?" A) a method of choosing actors for roles in a play that relies on generalizations of what characters should look like B) thoughts that occur behind or between the character's lines but go unspoken C) a dramatic genre in which the perspective shifts between serious and comic perspectives D) the process of exploration and repetition used to prepare a play for public presentation
B) thoughts that occur behind or between the character's lines but go unspoken
This acting approach deals with conscious choices about how language is spoken, which physical details to emphasize, and how emotional content is going to be expressed. A) the internal acting approach B) the Stanislavsky approach C) the external acting approach D) the gestural acting approach
C) the external acting approach
The main difference between the acting one does on stage versus the acting one does in a film is usually described in terms of __________________. A) scale B) money C) recognition D) time commitment
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
George II of Saxe-Meiningen, leader of a small duchy later to become germany. Meningen Court Thaeatre Took role of director determined to reclaim teh theatre from haphazard production practices and excesses of popular leading actors indulged by a star system in which all elements of a production were dedicated to showing off their talents.
Most famous director in the realism period Psychological approach Came up with a form of acting called the Method. Detail of objects and set helps actor immersion Later let actors help in the process Defined the position of the director as one who interprets the play wrights creation Internal aproach
Realism bold interpretations of classical works and highly original new pieces stresses the importance of spontaneity in the rehearsal process
Imaginary barrier between the actors and the audience
Visionary Director - Polish Reform actor through external approach - expressive power Text part of production but not dominating force strippped down basic materials that could support the actor's work
McCarthy Era playwright concerned with the communist scare in the theatre industry.
Four Directing Models
1. Director works in partnership with the playwrights and actors i. Saxe-Meiningen, Stanislavsky 2. Using text or creating a text to support their own visions i. Grotowski, Ping Chong and Robert Wilson 3.Director guides the work of a theatre collective. Devised work i. Elizabeth LeCompte 4. Playwrights who direct their own work. Not finished until the wrighter has directed the first production. i. Adam Rapp
A way of expressing the most compelling ideas of the play in a concentrated form that will become a guide for the work of all the theatre artists involved in the production Collaboration: Initiated by the director, dependent on collaboration with the designers.
Selection of certain actors because they have a certain physical appearance and personality
Non Traditional Casting
color blind casting Ex. different members of the same family are of different races.
The arrangements of actors on stage to communicate character relationships
Before the official position of the director was established, who often oversaw the coordination of a production and the placement of the actors on stage? A) the stage manager B) the playwright C) the producer D) no one
B) the playwright
When did the official position of the director come into being? A) the 16th century B) the 17th century C) the 18th century D) the 19th century
D) the 19th century
What need did the creation of the director fulfill? A) an interest in a more detailed, and therefore complicated, representation of place and character history B) the movement toward realism as an artistic model C) Both of these D) None of these
C) Both of these
Who is credited as the first modern director? A) George II B) Konstantin Stanislavsky C) Anton Chekhov D) Jerzy Grotowski
A) George II
What is the "spine" of a play? A) The central action or idea that brings the rest of the play's plot and character action together B) the lead actor's journey throughout the play C) the director's vision for the production D) the term given to the directorial process
A) The central action or idea that brings the rest of the play's plot and character action together
Name the famous director who is known for his psychological approach to character development. A) Shakespeare B) Francis Ford Coppola C) Konstantin Stanislavsky D) The Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
C) Konstantin Stanislavsky
Name the famous director who is known for his physical approach to actor training. A) Jerzy Grotowski B) Robert Wilson C) Duke of Saxe-Meiningen D) Konstantin Stanislavsky
A) Jerzy Grotowski
Which of the following are the director's responsibilities? A) choosing the play to direct and casting the actors B) creating a metaphor for the production and collaborating with designers C) creating an atmosphere that is conducive to creative work and rehearsing the scenes D) All of these
D) All of these
The selection of certain actors because they have a certain type of physical appearance and personality is called what? A) non-traditional casting B) Method acting C) Typecasting D) Gestural acting
What is another name for "non-traditional" casting? A) typecasting B) color-blind casting C) total theatre D) concept casting
B) color-blind casting
The arrangement of actors onstage to communicate character relationships is called __________. A) stage picture B) theatre in the round C) proscenium theatre D) performance theatre
A) stage picture
The sequence of changes that defines character development is called __________. A) drama B) cues C) progression D) ensemble
The nature and relationship between the audience and the stage.
A theatre constructed in a rectangular form with the stage at one end of the rectangle.
Frames the audience's view of the stage Masks the mechanics of the backstage operations Defines clearly the theatrical space particularly suited for realism
Three sided stage extends into the audience
Also called Theatre in the round Audience sits around the entire stage
Spaces that can be arranged differently depending on the needs of the specific production
Designates the placement of all the lighting instruments hung at various positions in the theatre.
What is a rectangular theatre with the stage at one end of the rectangle called? A) thrust stage B) a proscenium or end stage C) multilevel stage D) arena stage
B) a proscenium or end stage
What is a theatre space in which the audience is placed on three sides of the stage called? A) thrust stage B) a proscenium or end stage C) multilevel stage D) arena stage
A) thrust stage
What is a round or square stage completely surrounded by the audience called? A) thrust stage B) a proscenium or end stage C) multilevel stage D) arena stage
D) arena stage
What is a flexible theatre space called in which the stage space and the configuration of the audience space can be changed from production to production? A) poor theatre B) total theatre C) black box D) theatre in the round
C) black box
What difficulty might a set designer working in theatre in the round experience? A) set pieces cannot be very tall or must be transparent B) set pieces need to be finished on all sides C) Both of these D) None of these
C) Both of these
Which of the following is not true regarding designers work in the theatre? A) Most designers have talents that are shared with other visual arts B) They are interpretive artists whose creativity must be used to shape the world of the play C) A designer's work stands alone and separate onstage from the other design areas and the acting D) Each designer must interpret the ideas of the plays with materials just as the actors shape ideas with their voices and bodies
C) A designer's work stands alone and separate onstage from the other design areas and the acting
What designer aids actors the most in helping them discover the psychology of character? A) The set designer B) The costume designer C) The lighting designer D) The sound designer
B) The costume designer
Which design area is credited with moving the theatre into the "modern era?" A) Set design B) Lighting design C) Costume design D) None of these
B) Lighting design
What is Adolphe Appia known for? A) designing a terrain B) designing the first ground plan C) designing the light board D) designing the glory
A) designing a terrain
During a performance, who is responsible for making sure all the light cues are "called" on time? A) The director B) The lighting designer C) The stage manager D) The light board operator
C) The stage manager
What are sound effects that may be live or recorded that contribute to the interpretation of the play called? A) gobos B) amplification C) environmental sound D) sound reinforcement
C) environmental sound
Unlike the actors and director, most of the designer's work is done ______________. A) without any collaboration B) before the rehearsal process begins C) during technical rehearsals D) in the actual theatre space