The arts of language - reading, writing, speaking, and researching - are not only critical to success in school but indispensable to thinking and life-long learning. Mastery of the language arts enables humans to think, understand, analyze, and communicate. Middle school, the bridge between childhood and young adulthood, is the time for the development of lifelong habits and skills. Thus, Rockwood School District's middle school language arts program encompasses not only the four key areas, but also includes crucial skills - listening, using the library, studying and applying spelling and vocabulary skills.

In addition, the challenge courses exist to meet the needs of those qualified who will study intensified, compacted and/or accelerated content in conjunction with individual and collaborative projects to enhance inquiry, research, analysis, synthesis, production and communication. Because students further develop the arts and the skills of language, they leave middle school prepared for the challenges of high school and ready for a life of learning.