WALPOLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
GRADES K-5
Curriculum Summary
These curriculum summaries have been developed by teachers and administrators to serve as another way of communicating with parents. They highlight the core curriculum and expectations for student learning at each grade level.
The curriculum summaries describe what most students at a grade level are expected to know and be able to do by the end of the school year. They also reflect the goals of the various Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. It is important to note that although children may learn and grow at different rates and through varied styles, all should make regular progress.
While we have high expectations for all students and encourage each student to work to their capacity, parents and teachers recognize that some students have more difficulty in school. Others will progress more rapidly and move well beyond these core expectations. It is the joint responsibility of school and home to provide support, challenge, and encouragement for all students.
Grade K
Students will
recognize and name all upper and lower case letters of the alphabet.
demonstrate one to one letter-sound correspondences for each consonant.
associate the short sounds and introduce the long vowel sounds with common spellings for the five major vowels.
count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables and sounds in spoken words.
add or substitute individual sounds in simple words to make new words.
identify and rhyme words.
read common high frequency words by sight.
identify concepts of print; words are separated by spaces, left to right, top to bottom progression of sentences.
describe relationship between the illustrations and the print.
read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.
ask and answer questions about key details in a story.
retell stories; including characters, setting, and major events.
draw, dictate, and write using inventive spelling and sight words to express an opinion in their writing journal.
draw, dictate, or write information about a topic in their journal.
print many upper- and lowercase letters.
capitalize first word in a sentence, leave spaces between words and use end punctuation.
spell simple words phonetically.
participate in conversations with teacher and peers in small and large groups about kindergarten topics and texts.
ask and answer questions in order to get information, seek help, or clarify something that is not understood.
describe familiar people, places, things, and events.
Grade 1
Students will
apply grade level phonics and word analysis.
recognize high frequency words.
read aloud fluently with appropriate pace and intonation to support comprehension.
comprehend by identifying story elements and sharing accurate narrative sequences.
read a wide range of genres- fiction, nonfiction, folktales, fairy tales, prose and poetry.
demonstrate reading strategies (picture walks, context clues, questioning, predicting, summarizing, etc.) before, during, and after reading.
write for different purposes, e.g. entertain, inform, or state opinion.
spell assigned words accurately.
apply phonetic skills when writing.
learn and apply appropriate letter formation.
participate in collaborative conversations with peers and teachers about grade one topics and texts.
apply standard English grammar when writing or speaking.
Grade 2
Students will
know and apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
read grade level text with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
ask and answer “wh” questions about a story.
retell stories, fables, and folktales and determine main idea, lesson or moral.
identify character, setting, problem, solution.
identify informational text structure – headings, subheadings, captions, diagrams, etc.
write narratives recounting a well-elaborated event with robust word choice.
write informational text on a topic.
write opinion pieces in which a topic is introduced and supportive reasoning is provided with concluding statement.
write stories or poems with dialogue.
revise and edit writing.
demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and writing.
form and use collective nouns, irregular plural nouns, and past tense of irregular verbs.
use adjectives and adverbs when speaking and writing.
expand simple sentences.
read, pronounce, write, and understand the meaning of common abbreviations.
use proper capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
define unknown or multiple meaning words using context clues, prefixes, suffixes, glossaries, and dictionaries.
identify synonyms and real life connections between words and their use.
participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts.
produce complete sentences to provide requested detail and clarification.
follow agreed upon rules of discussion.
link comments to remarks of others.
ask and answer questions about what a speaker says to clarify comprehension.
Grade 3
Students will
know and apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
decode multisyllabic words.
read grade appropriate irregularly spelled words.
read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
use context clues to confirm or self correct word recognition and understanding.
ask and answer questions to demonstrate comprehension of literature.
retell stories, fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures identifying main idea, lesson, or moral.
identify elements of fiction (e.g. characters, setting, plot, problem, solution) and elements of poetry (rhyme, rhythm, figurative language, alliteration, onomatopoeia).
compare and contract themes, settings, and plots of stories.
read and comprehend informational texts determining main idea of the text and supportive details.
compare and contrast the texts on the same topic.
write narrative with the major components of the writing diamond, e.g. an entertaining beginning, elaborative detail, suspense, main event and extended ending.
write opinion pieces on topics or texts supporting point of view with reasons.
write informative texts to examine a topic and convey ideas clearly and accurately.
write poems, descriptions, and stories with figurative language.
use technology to produce and publish writing.
conduct a short research project that builds knowledge about a topic.
engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.
demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
form and properly use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions in speaking and writing.
demonstrate the command of conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Grade 4
Students will
know and apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
draw inferences from literature.
summarize a story, determine the theme of a story, drama or poem.
compare and contrast point of view of two stories.
locate and analyze similes and metaphors in stories, poems, folktales and texts.
make text to text and text to self connections in literature.
determine the main idea of a text and how it is supported by key details.
compare and contrast primary and secondary accounts of the same event.
write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using effective techniques, elaborative detail and clear event sequences focused on one main event (writing diamond).
write stories, poems, and scripts that use similes and metaphors.
write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
develop and strengthen writing through planning, revising, and editing.
use technology to produce and publish writing.
conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade four topics.
paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media.
report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner.
demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and writing.
use relative pronouns and relative adverbs.
form and use prepositional phrases.
correctly use frequently confused words.
write legibly by hand, printing or cursive.
demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Grade 5
Students will
know and apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
quote accurately from a text to support inferences.
summarize a story; determine the theme of a story, drama or poem including how characters respond to challenges.
compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in literature.
locate and analyze similes and metaphors in stories, poems, folktales and texts.
locate and analyze examples of foreshadowing in stories, poems, folktales, and plays.
analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to meaning, tone, and beauty of literature.
compare and contrast the overall structure of events, ideas, and concepts in two or more texts.
integrate information from several texts on the same topic.
write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using effective techniques, elaborative detail and clear event sequences.
(use dialogue, rich word choice, word referents, and transitional phrases to manage the sequence of events).
write stories, poems, and scripts that draw on characteristics of tall tales, myths and modern genres, e.g. mysteries, fantasies, historical fiction.
write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
develop and strengthen writing through planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
use technology to produce and publish writing.
conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade five topics and texts.
summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by evidence.
report on a topic or text or present an opinion sequencing ideas logically and supporting themes with relevant details.
demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and writing.
explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections.
form and use the perfect verb tenses.
demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
clarify the meaning of unknown or multiple meaning words based on grade 5 reading and content.
Contacts
Brendan Dearborn, Boyden School Principal
Carrie Ruggiero, Elm Street School Principal
Brian Bemiss, Fisher School Principal
David Barner, Old Post Road School Principal