AMEN 4 Youth, LLC is proudly presenting a highly innovative and exciting English Language Arts Alternative Literacy Curriculum titled S.L.A.M. (Spoken Lyrics with an Academic Mission). S.L.A.M., also known as Lyrical Education, integrates ELA instruction with a high packed engagement of Lyrical Instruction using a technique called L.I.P.P (Lyrical-writing In Performance Poetry), which builds written and oratorical skills while drawing from Spoken Word writings and performance Poetry. This technique simultaneously teaches students English Language Art skills, building upon a composite set of written and oral language components. These skills and therigor they induce prepares students to be able to Present knowledge and Ideas, retain information, and write and rehearse for oral presentation while collaborating with others. LIPP was created by award- winning poet, author, motivational speaker and education activist, Hakim Nathaniel Crampton, whose ground breaking curriculum, S.L.A.M. (Spoken Lyrics with an Academic Mission) is currently being used by several teachers within Jackson Public Schools, as well as Summer school programming in Harper Woods, Michigan. Hakim created SLAM to address the growing needs of diverse populations of students falling behind in literacy skill sets in both reading and writing. SLAM Lyrical Education uses its own Curriculum Workbooks designed to build the requisite Literacy skills meeting State Educational Standards as well as Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in the English Language Arts (ELA). SLAM is available to students grades 4-12 and freshman College undergrads. SLAM offers three curriculum workbooks, each workbook is specific to grade level engagement and literacy outcomes. These ranges cover Grades 4, 5 & 6 and 7, 8 & 9 and finally grades 10-12 and first and second year College Communications and English students. In Workbook 1, S.L.A.M. An Alternative Educational Model & Workbook Building Literacy Skills in English Language Arts, students learn 10 major Lessons that are adaptable across grade levels 10-12 and College as well as adaptable across class subjects. This is met by building upon the Literacy skills and content retention needed at those grade levels, focusing on Language concepts and components, Vocabulary and Syntax, the organization of Ideas, and Reading Comprehension. Workbook 1 contains Reviews, Fill-in the Blanks, Literary Word identifications, Extracting Literary Words from Prose, Vocabulary Builders, Biography composition, Speech Making Preparation and lastly, space for the students to compose their final written Lyrical Dissertation or Slam. Because SLAM is adaptable at each of the various grade levels, Teachers are able to assimilate their grade level curriculum with the SLAM methods. As a curriculum, Workbook 1 was constructed and designed to match each of the 10 Lessons with grade level expectations ranging in areas of Reading, Writing, Research, Textual Critique, and other Language Arts, such as Oratory, Theatrical Expression, and Stage Performance. For ELA Teachers, this allows them to co-relate both State and or the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and seamlessly integrate SLAM with their classroom course work. To further this goal, SLAM is designed to allow Teachers the adaptability to implement the workbook instruction as an in class assignment that allows them to produce an Academic Poetry Slam or APS. APS is a classroom competition among students that gives them a chance to SLAM an assignment for a grade. Hence, the gist of the title SLAM! Our goal is to teach students how to incorporate Lyrical writing and oral traditions into classroom coursework, giving them a poetic and prose mastery over educational materials.
About the Author: Hakim Nathaniel Crampton is the Founding Director of A.M.E.N. 4 Youth, LLC where he oversees the implementation of S.L.A.M. Lyrical Education and S.T.A.R.S. for at-risk youth. He is a Youth Violence Prevention Advocate in which he is very active across the state of Michigan in partnering with statewide organizations, groups and educational institutions combating violence in schools and local communities impacted by gun violence and drugs. Crampton created the curriculum workbook series S.L.A.M. Spoken Lyrics with an Academic Mission, which engages academically low performing students with a unique academic mentorship fused with English Language Arts centered instruction using Spoken word, Lyrics, Song and Hip Hop history and education. S.L.A.M. is integrated with classroom course work, showing students how to turn their class assignments into a "Poetic Thesis" of sorts, in the form of academic SLAMs with students competing for a grade or extra points. SLAM Lyrical Education is currently being taught by Crampton in four schools in Jackson Michigan from grades 5-12. Hakim Crampton has completed two nationwide Spoken Word tours of Cafes and conferences performing pieces from his forthcoming semi-poetic-bio "Exegetically Speaking." Hakim is notable for his "freestyle" stage performances in which he blends poetic theatrics with a unique style of sermonizing flows. Gifted as a writer, performer, and floicist Hakim is known as the Neo-Soul-Spoken-Flow-Poet. He released his first album in 2010 titled Memoirs of a Neo Soul Poet, available on ReverbNation and the Google Play Store. Hakim currently works for the Student Advocacy Center of Michigan as a Youth Voice Facilitator.