ELA

About the Content:

The goal of the English Language Arts Curriculum for elementary grades K-4 is to instill a love of reading and writing in all students. Each unit of study is an opportunity for students to reflect on the essential question(s) presented, as they read & write for extended periods of time in a Reading or Writing Workshop.

The Workshop Model consists on a 10-15 minute mini-lesson that offers explicit instruction linked to a Common Core aligned Teaching Point. This is an opportunity for the teacher to model a reading or writing strategy using an anchor text. The students then have extended time to read or write using the recently modeled strategy. During this time, the teacher will conference with individuals or small-groups to differentiate instruction and provide the needed scaffolding or extension. Students at this time also have access to adaptive technology that offers personalized practice. The final 5-10 minutes of the workshop is alloted for students to share what they have learned that day for the benefit of the entire class.

ELA Learning Expectations:

1. Curiosity- The desire to know more about the world.

2. Openness- The willingness to consider ways of being and thinking in the world.

3. Engagement- A sense of investment and involvement in learning.

4. Creativity- The ability to use novel approaches for generating, investigating, and representing ideas.

5. Persistence- The ability to sustain interest in and attention to short- and long-term projects.

6. Responsibility- The ability to take ownership of one’s actions and understand the consequences of those actions for oneself and others.

7. Flexibility- The ability to adapt to situations, expectations, or demands.

8. Metacognition- The ability to reflect on one’s own thinking as well as on the individual and cultural process used to construct knowledge.

National Council of Teachers of English & National Writing Project (2011)