District Beliefs About English Language Arts (ELA)
Our philosophy in the English Language Arts (ELA) classroom is guided by educational research in the field of literacy. We believe that the English Language Arts classroom is a unique place where students develop voice as well as learn to respect and to hear different voices. It is the place where many students learn they have a right to their own voice, where multiple forms of literacy are explored, and where difference is valued in pursuit of an education.
We believe:
Parental and community engagement are critical to students reaching competency in literacy.
Success in all areas of learning relies on literacy competency: reading, writing, speaking, and listening
Literacy development is an ongoing process which requires just as much attention for adolescents as it does for beginning readers and writers.
Adolescents need high levels of literacy to understand the vast amount of information available to them.
Literacy competency develops best when students are provided systemic and sequential skills instruction along with the opportunity to interact with a variety of literary genres.
Students need to develop a variety of strategies and skills that will allow them to construct, critically examine, and apply meaning in groups and independently.
Students need to be introduced to a wide variety of quality literature and "real world" resources that increase their knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of themselves, other people, and the world in which they live.
Students need to reflect on their growth as readers and writers.
