Humanities

New Roads uses the Columbia University Teachers College Reading and Writing Project’s approach to literacy instruction to prepare students to become skilled readers, writers, and inquirers. Through literacy rich, content-area instruction, our program promotes lifelong, confident readers and writers. By bolstering the development of oral language skills, including cross-curricular vocabulary, we empower students to advocate confidently for themselves and others. We nurture these lifelong skills through carefully created curriculum as well as authentic, daily practice.

Our social studies curriculum revolves around expanding social concepts of self, family, community, cities, countries, and the world. Students are taught to inquire about essential New Roads values such as equity, generosity, compassion, human rights, diversity, social justice, and ecological stewardship. By looking at the past, we compare, contrast, and contemplate the present and future. Third, fourth, and fifth graders are immersed in interactive, simulative, interdisciplinary classroom encounters. Through this approach, history comes alive — students find personal meaning and have transformative, memorable experiences.

The study of language arts is designed to develop effective written and oral expression, close reading and critical thinking skills, and mastery of the fundamentals of grammar. Starting in 6th grade, we introduce expository writing with a carefully structured curriculum designed to unmask what is required to create a clearly organized, well-expressed and thoroughly developed piece of critical writing. Writing is also used as part of the reflection and metacognition process. We balance traditional literature with a broader repertoire of reading choices, longer and shorter works of fiction and nonfiction, primary sources, plays, poetry, and essays.

Ours is a diverse school in a diverse city. Other cultures, other histories, marvelous and varied cultures and histories are sitting next to us on the bus, each with a different story to tell. In History we encounter the uniqueness of varied cultures and unmask the extraordinary common threads which ultimately relate so many of the world’s peoples to each other, guided by New Roads’ strong commitment to social justice, diversity, and ecological awareness. Each one of us is "other" to someone, but by exiting our comfort zones and immersing ourselves in what is yet to be discovered, we overcome these artificial divides.

Our Middle School Spanish program emphasizes proficiency in listening, reading, writing, grammar and basic conversational fluency. As with all programs at the Middle School, our Spanish program takes advantage of the living, dynamic language laboratory available to all students living in Los Angeles. Faculty ensure that students continually participate in active engagement of the four major language skill areas — speaking, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and expository composition — in order to gain functional usage of the target language.

An English course at New Roads School is a place of imaginative exploration. In this rich environment students read, write, emulate, speak, listen, interpret, and think critically. The multicultural curricula includes both carefully chosen texts and a vibrant independent reading program that fosters proficiency and discovery. The course of study integrates the classic and the contemporary, including works of fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry from distinct time periods and geographical locations and representing a range of voices, including those that have been traditionally marginalized or ignored.

The History and Social Science program encourages students to develop essential skills and core knowledge that will help them become informed participants in a global society. Students learn to engage with challenging texts, evaluate the validity of sources, think critically, communicate effectively, and develop the tools to engage in an informed, thoughtful way with the essential questions of history and contemporary society. As is the culture of New Roads, the study of civilization addresses not only the conventional narrative, but also the marginalized stories so that students can develop a more complete understanding.

The Modern Language Department focuses its approach to language as revolving around an active engagement of conversational strategies, cultural studies, and grammar, linguistic, and literary analysis. We offer American Sign Language, Spanish, and French, in the Upper School. Our instructors employ various mediums — art, film, literature, music, performance art, TPRS, etc. — in the effort to inspire students to improve their speaking abilities. Faculty ensure that students continually participate in active engagement of the four major language skill areas — speaking, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and expository composition — in order to gain functional usage of the target language.