Teaching Language Arts At The Elementary Level
By: Shelby McCarthy
Embedded Files
Learning Targets:
By the end of the lesson, readers should be able to explain what elementary language arts is
At the end of this lesson readers should understand:
The importance of a safe learning environment
The importance of assessment
The benefits of engagement and small group instruction
Warm Up:
Think about your Elementary Language Arts experience...whether it was you being the student or teacher or simply just observing...
What worked? What didn't work? What do you wish would have been different? Did you enjoy it?
What is Elementary Level Language Arts?
Language arts at the elementary level is very important, it begins to lay a foundation of understanding of the surrounding world and all other academic disciplines. So what exactly is Language Arts and what does it cover? According to Teach.com, Elementary level Language arts covers reading, writing, communications skills, syntax, vocabulary. In addition to introducing students to basic grammar and English language usage, reading is also an important pillar of teaching language arts. Specialized reading classes and groups will aid students in applying the material taught in lessons. Language arts and reading skills build upon each other each year and help to prepare students for higher education and beyond.
How can Language Arts be taught effectively?
Effective teaching of the subject matter goes much deeper than covering the material asked to teach but also creating an environment conducive for learning. Students must feel heard, safe and engaged in order to fully absorb the subject matter. Literary educators are being urged to expand the minds of their students beyond the material they need to learn to pass. The National Council of Teachers of English are asking that educators engage students in meaningful writing and reading and live out democracy in their classrooms (Warrington, 2017). Carrying out a classroom of democracy might look like introducing age appropriate social issues and reading material, entailing a growth mindset and attitude of inclusivity.
Let's chat with an expert
Michelle Dunstan is a second grade teacher at Green Run Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Virginia Wesleyan University and a Minor in Special Education. She has worked in the VBCPS for three years and is a dedicated teacher who teaches language arts at the elementary level. Michelle will explain three critical points in teaching language arts effectively.
Interview Takeaway One:
Creating and Maintaining a safe learning environment is the base for a good education
Creating, setting and enforcing classroom rules from the first day of school is beneficial to everyone. It allows the student to know what is expected of them from the beginning and it leaves no room for questioning. When a student enters the classroom there should be a feeling of security, respect and representation. In the classroom there is a variety of people from a variety of backgrounds and those should be celebrated and encouraged. If a child doesn't feel represented in readings or subject matter there is a risk that the child will disengage from material and school all together. Michelle uses age appropriate social justice issues in her reading material to help every student feel represented and connected to the world around them. During Black History month we use readings that deliver important messages about racial equality and use media that shows equal representation of people of all colors (M. Dunstan, personal communication, February 4, 2021).
Interview Takeaway Two:
Frequent assessment is beneficial to the learning process
In Virginia Beach, teaching language arts is broken down into five main categories: reading, writing, speaking, listening and recognition. Can the student read at grade level? Can they write? Communicate a point efficiently? Listen to what is being taught? Can they use what they have been taught and recognize simple content of the English language? These simple questions are ways teachers can assess students, gauge their knowledge levels and help get them to reach their full potential in the classroom. Further explained by Michelle, it helps us tailor an educational experience just for them, created by them (M.Dunstan, personal communication, February 4, 2021).
Interview Takeaway Three
Small groups and engagement teach important lessons
Upon entering the classroom every single student will possess a different level of material mastery. There are always going to be students who are advanced, those who hit benchmarks appropriately and those who are missing the fundamentals of material proficiency. Using the above assessments of each student, an educator could then group these students into small groups. The usage of small groups helps the instructor to use time wisely. With fewer students time can be dispersed and changed as the needs of the group change. A smaller setting also allows for more feedback. Feedback can come in the form of peer feedback during discussions or a more formal feedback approach from the teacher. Most importantly small groups give the teacher the ability to teach a growth mindset through personal engagement. During small group time the teacher will be able to personally engage each child. During this critical time Michelle explains that she uses low risk activities, sometimes with material that has yet to be covered in order to allow for failure and struggling. Some of the activities are scenario problems where the student is asked to apply what they have learned to a real life situation and other she introduces STEM where there can be many opportunities to solve the problem. Creating the possibility for failure helps the child to gain confidence about learning. It allows for a “pause and reflect” moment, where they are confronted with their wrong and asked to fix it. Doing so creates pride and confidence, leaving the student wanting to learn more and more. (M.Dunstan, personal communication, February 4, 2021).
Let's Wrap Up
After doing some research and conducting a personal in depth interview with a Virginia Beach school teacher, teaching language arts is so much more than teaching the material needed to pass benchmark or class exams. Classroom environment, classroom practices, material used and instructional strategies all impact how and what a student learns while in your care. It is best explained by Warrington (2017), teachers want what's best for students...they work exhaustively to provide that. By creating a safe learning environment, using frequent assessments and using small groups to teach valuable lessons one can effectively teach language arts.
Knowledge Check
According to VB teacher Michelle Dunstan, frequent assessment is key. List some ways in which you can assess your students on a frequent basis.
2. Which of the following options are not included in the Teach.com definition of Language Arts?
A. Reading
B. Writing
C. Foreign Language
D. Vocabulary
References:
Warrington, A., Bomer, K., & Bomer, R. (2017). Katherine and Randy Bomer, NCTE's 2017 Outstanding Elementary Educators in the English Language Arts. Language Arts, 95(2), 87-93. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44809942
NCTE Conference on English Education Committee, Allen, H., Odland, N., Hayes, E., Stuart, A., Monson, D., . . . Lloyd-Jones, R. (1976). Preparation of the Elementary Language Arts Teacher. Language Arts, 53(4), 363-369. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41404163
Teaching English and language arts. (2021). Retrieved February 15, 2021, from https://teach.com/careers/become-a-teacher/what-can-i-teach/ela/#:~:text=In%20elementary%20school%2C%20language%20arts,focal%20points%20of%20elementary%20lessons.
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