Written by: Mrs. Komaki

I have been teaching the Language Arts program at Guide Academy for six years, enjoying the atmosphere of students, staff, and parents. Guide Academy is committed to the total child academically, spiritually, and mentally.

As a Language Arts teacher, I place importance on all aspects of the program, including Reading, Vocabulary, Spelling, and Writing. However, writing is always a challenging area to teach. Often, students wonder why they must write something, especially if we have just had a discussion on the subject, and who besides the teacher will ever read their work. The truth is, it takes time for students to realize they do not need an outside audience for their work to be important.

I remind students that good writing requires feelings, and the words they choose will make their writing more effective. I also emphasize that writing must have meaning, strong vocabulary, and vivid details so the reader can picture the story in their mind. As students strengthen their spelling, vocabulary, and reading, their writing naturally improves and becomes less intimidating.

Language Arts is a subject students will use every day of their lives, and writing will always play an important role. Whether composing an essay, completing a research project, taking a test, or simply writing a note on a card for a loved one, all components of Language Arts come into play. My hope is that students will one day look back and remember a special Language Arts class at Guide Academy.