English Language Arts Progression

Grade 6 - English Language Arts

The Mount Olive Public School District English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum aligns with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for ELA. This curriculum fosters the development of literate individuals who critically read and write for a variety of purposes, so as to fulfill their need to connect with texts, their lives, and the world. Through a balanced literacy framework, students who meet the NJSLS will build strong content knowledge, comprehend and analyze a variety of texts, and understand author’s purpose, craft, and structure in both informational and literary texts. In addition, the curriculum fosters a life-long love of reading through time devoted to independent reading self-selected texts. Students will write analytical essays with appropriately-selected evidence, narratives, journal responses, literature responses, and synthesized responses. The course allows for frequent opportunities to collaborate with peers. Students will hone research skills and will practice presenting in a variety of formats. Vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics instruction will be infused throughout writing units. Writings will include narratives, informational essays, and argumentative essays.

Grade 7 - English Language Arts

The Mount Olive Public School District English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum is based on and aligns with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for ELA. This curriculum fosters the development of literate individuals who critically read and write for a variety of purposes, so as to fulfill their need to connect with texts, their lives, and the world. Through a balanced literacy framework, students who meet the NJSLS will build strong content knowledge, comprehend and analyze a variety of texts, and understand author’s purpose, craft, and structure in both informational and literary texts. In addition, the curriculum fosters a life-long love of reading through time devoted to independent reading self-selected texts. Students will write analytical essays with appropriately-selected evidence, narratives, journal responses, literature responses, and synthesized responses. The course allows for frequent opportunities to collaborate with peers. Students will hone research skills and will practice presenting in a variety of formats. Vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics instruction will be infused throughout writing units. Writings will include narratives, informational essays, and argumentative essays.

Grade 7 - Accelerated English Language Arts

The Mount Olive Public School District English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum aligns with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for ELA. This curriculum fosters the development of literate individuals who critically read and write for a variety of purposes, so as to fulfill their need to connect with texts, their lives, and the world. Through a balanced literacy framework, students who meet the NJSLS will build strong content knowledge, comprehend and analyze a variety of texts, and understand author’s purpose, craft, and structure in both informational and literary texts. In addition, the curriculum fosters a life-long love of reading through time devoted to independent reading self-selected texts. Students will write analytical essays with appropriately-selected evidence, narratives, journal responses, literature responses, and synthesized responses. The course allows for frequent opportunities to collaborate with peers. Students will hone research skills and will practice presenting in a variety of formats. Vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics instruction will be infused throughout writing units. Writings will include narratives, informational essays, and argumentative essays.

Students in Accelerated ELA Grade 7 will continue to develop advanced skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and research. Students will be consistently challenged to expand their knowledge and skills in these areas. The use of various texts and topics will allow for complex discussions amongst their peers, collaboration for better insight as well as, independent pacing for career readiness. Students will also focus on style and voice of authors and how those elements can be used to develop a theme and achieve the author's purpose.

Grade 8 - English Language Arts

The Mount Olive Public School District English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum is based on and aligns with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for ELA. This curriculum fosters the development of literate individuals who critically read and write for a variety of purposes, so as to fulfill their need to connect with texts, their lives, and the world. Through a balanced literacy framework, students who meet the NJSLS will build strong content knowledge, comprehend and analyze a variety of texts, and understand author’s purpose, craft, and structure in both informational and literary texts. In addition, the curriculum fosters a life-long love of reading through time devoted to independent reading self-selected texts. Students will write analytical essays with appropriately-selected evidence, narratives, journal responses, literature responses, and synthesized responses. The course allows for frequent opportunities to collaborate with peers. Students will hone research skills and will practice presenting in a variety of formats. Vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics instruction will be infused throughout writing units. Writings will include narratives, informational essays, and argumentative essays.

Grade 8 - Pre-Honors English Language Arts

The Mount Olive Public School District English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum aligns with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for ELA. This curriculum fosters the development of literate individuals who critically read and write for a variety of purposes, so as to fulfill their need to connect with texts, their lives, and the world. Through a balanced literacy framework, students who meet the NJSLS will build strong content knowledge, comprehend and analyze a variety of texts, and understand author’s purpose, craft, and structure in both informational and literary texts. In addition, the curriculum fosters a life-long love of reading through time devoted to independent reading self-selected texts. Students will write analytical essays with appropriately-selected evidence, narratives, journal responses, literature responses, and synthesized responses. The course allows for frequent opportunities to collaborate with peers. Students will hone research skills and will practice presenting in a variety of formats. Vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics instruction will be infused throughout writing units. Writings will include narratives, informational essays, and argumentative essays.

The Pre-Honors Curriculum builds further upon these skills by having students take a critical look at author's voice and artistic choices in a text. Students will analyze such elements in regards to how they impact mood and tone and help deliver the ultimate message of the piece. Students will also use these texts as mentor pieces as they begin developing their own voices as writers.