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Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Howard N. Lee, Chairman Raleigh Jane P. Norwood, Vice Chair Charlotte Kathy A. Taft Greenville Michelle Howard-Vital Wilmington Edgar D. Murphy Durham Evelyn B. Monroe West End Maria T. Palmer Chapel Hill Robert “Tom” Speed Boone Wayne McDevitt Asheville John Tate III Charlotte Beverly Perdue, Lieutenant Governor New Bern Richard Moore, State Treasurer Kittrell NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Patricia N. Willoughby, State Superintendent 301 N. Wilmington Street • Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-2825 • www.ncpublicschools.org In compliance with federal law, including the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, NC Public Schools administers all state-operated educational programs, employment activities, and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the Office of Curriculum and School Reform Services, 6307 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-6307. Telephone (919) 807-3761; Fax (919) 807-3767 i NORTH CAROLINA STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY ii BLANK iii FOREWORD North Carolina has had a Standard Course of Study since 1898. Since that time, the curriculum has been revised periodically to reflect the changing needs of students and society. The most recent total revision of the state curriculum occured in 1985. The 1985 Standard Course of Study reflected the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to function effectively in an industrial age. It also included efforts to develop mature thinkers and problem solvers. In the years since 1985, we have witnessed a dramatic shift in the needs of business and industry, and society in general. These changes have been collectively heralded as the information age. The 21st century will bring new challenges in preparing students for the demands of an information age. While students must attain enabling skills such as reading, writing, and computing, they must also attain the new basics which include creative thinking and problem solving, interpersonal skills, negotiation and teamwork. Also since 1985, all the major content areas have developed National Standards which guide curriculum revisions. Major recent school reform efforts such as the ABC Plan with strong accountability components have necessitated an even more clearly defined state curriculum. These changes, coupled with more in-depth learning at a much higher level, provide the foundation for current revisions to the Standard Course of Study. The revisions are futuristic in outlook. They look at what students will need to know and be able to do to be successful in the 21st century. Howard N. Lee Chairman, State Board of Education iv v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Department of Public Instruction gratefully acknowledges the cooperation and assistance received from individuals and groups throughout the State in this current revision process. Without such cooperation, the revisions and printing of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study would not have been possible. We wish to express a special thanks to: • the Division of Instructional Services for providing the leadership and vision that guided the develop-ment of these documents. The untiring efforts of this staff contributed greatly to the completion of this task, • office support staff in instructional services who, in addition to their on-going responsibilities, word processed the revised documents, • the many local educators, parents, and business people who participated in the current revision process by serving on curriculum committees and reacting to draft documents, • faculty from the institutions of higher education who advised the staff and assisted in the revision of the curriculum, • the Communications and Information Division for technical assistance in the publication of the docu-ments, • Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) for allowing its Dimensions of Thinking to serve as a framework for this revision process, The curriculum will continue to be revised and improved to meet the needs of the children of North Carolina. vi Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies INTRODUCTION K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction ix INTRODUCTION Background and Overview History North Carolina has maintained a Standard Course of Study since the 1890’s. That document was a brief, simple guide which outlined the curriculum for the public schools. Every five to seven years since that time, the Standard Course of Study has been revised to reflect the needs of North Carolina students. Following the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Reform Act in June of 1984, the area of Instructional Services within the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction began a revision of the Standard Course of Study. These efforts to define a basic education program for the State resulted in two publications: • The Basic Education Program for North Carolina’s Public Schools (Adopted by State Board of Education in response to a legislative mandate) - outlines the curriculum, programs not confined to subject areas, general standards, material support, and staffing which should be provided in all schools throughout the state. • The North Carolina Standard Course of Study (Adopted as policy by the State Board of Education) - sets content standards and describes the curriculum which should be made available to every child in North Carolina’s public schools. It includes the subject or skills areas of arts education, English language arts, guidance, healthful living, information/computer skills, math-ematics, science, second language studies, social studies, and workforce development education. Also included are the philoso-phy and rationale underlying the curriculum frameworks and considerations for developing a thinking framework, aligning curriculum and assessment, and providing for the needs of excep-tional children. Standard The revised Standard Course of Study has moved from a Course detailed, prescriptive curriculum guide to a more flexible guide to of Study instruction, emphasizing what students should know and be able to do as they progress through various levels of proficiency and ultimately x exit from high school. The revised curriculum focuses on themes and concepts rather than isolated facts. It emphasizes thinking skills and problem solving more than the memorization and recall of informa-tion. The revised Standard Course of Study is based on recent research on how students learn. It is a curriculum that promotes integration through the identification of common skills and processes. The Standard Course of Study includes the curriculum that should be made available to every child in North Carolina’s public schools. Many public schools in the state presently offer an even more comprehensive curriculum. Therefore, in some curriculum areas, electives were also included. The Standard Course of Study is part of the Department of Public Education’s continual improvement efforts. The curriculum will be revised on a regular basis to remain consistent with the changing needs of our nation, state, and local communities. Philosophy and Education has long served as the key to equal opportunity for Rationale American citizens. We should be proud of our schools. Historically, American schools have prepared students to join an industrialized economy and become contributing citizens in their communities. Today, however, the challenge of education is to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Students in modern society must be prepared to: • compete in a global economy, • understand and operate complex communication and information systems, and • apply higher level thinking skills to make decisions and solve problems. American businesses seek students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the international marketplace of today’s information-based society. Whether at work or in post-secondary study, students must be able to apply what they’ve learned from their years of public schooling. The purpose of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study is to guaran-tee that all students have equal access to the same basic curriculum. If public education is an avenue to equal opportunity, high standards must be set for all students. The Standard Course of Study does not seek to prescribe how schools should organize themselves or how teachers should instruct. Rather, the curriculum sets standards against which schools and teachers may judge their success. xi Curriculum The Department of Public Instruction views integration as a curriculum Integration implementation strategy which links the content and skills from various disciplines. There are various models of integration which seek to achieve an acceptable degree of interdisciplinary learning. Generally, these mod-els use the language and methodology from more than one discipline and focus on unifying themes, issues, problems, concepts, and experiences. These models help the learner make connections among the individual disciplines and are based upon the following beliefs. Integration: • Mirrors the real world in which we live. • Motivates students by making learning relevant to their personal lives. • Adds coherence to vast amounts of information by making connections among disciplines. • Addresses the overcrowded curriculum by viewing content as a “means” not an “end.” • Acknowledges reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and the use of numbers as enabling skills within thinking processes. • Fosters collaboration among students and teachers. Although the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction strongly endorses the concept of integration among various disciplines, local school districts, schools, and classroom teachers are best able to develop curricu-lar units which will be meaningful to the teachers and students at the classroom level. It is the responsibility of the State to set quality curricu-lum and performance standards and to develop models of integration which link curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Thinking and To become productive, responsible citizens and to achieve a sense of Reasoning Skills personal fulfillment, students must develop their ability to think and reason. It is no longer adequate for students to simply memorize informa-tion for recall. If graduates are to function effectively now and in the 21st century, they must be able to acquire and integrate new information, make judgments, apply information, and reflect on learning. Research during the 1960’s in cognitive psychology has led to the study of the processes that underlie learning. Although there are numerous models of intelligence and learning, the following guiding assumptions serve as the foundation for a thinking framework for North Carolina’s public schools. xii • All students can become better thinkers. • Thinking is content dependent and influenced by the learner’s prior knowledge of that content. • The teaching of thinking should be deliberate and explicit with an emphasis on the transfer and application of thinking processes and skills. • Thinking is improved when the learner takes control of his/her thinking processes and skills. • Curriculum, instruction, and assessment should be aligned to enhance the teaching of thinking. • Improving student thinking will require fundamental changes in the school culture, including lesson design, student assessment, classroom organization, and school governance. • Over-emphasis on factual recall inhibits the development of thinking. • Schools must model thoughtful behavior-decision making, problem solving and other thinking processes. • Efforts to improve thinking within a school or school system should be guided by a conceptual framework and comprehensive plan. • There is no single best program for the teaching of thinking. Dimensions of The Department of Public Instruction has adopted Dimensions of Thinking Thinking* (1988) as the framework for the revised curriculum. The more recent work, Dimensions of Learning (1994), builds on the theory and research from Dimensions of Thinking and provides direction from a practitioner’s perspective. • Thinking Skills: These are specific cognitive operations--the building blocks of thinking. Examples are observing, recalling comparing, and ordering. • Thinking Processes: These are complex sequences of thinking skills. Different processes involve variable sequences of thinking skills. They occur over time. • Creative Thinking: This is the ability to form new combinations of ideas to fulfill needs. It is generative in nature and is usually judged by outputs. • Critical Thinking: This is reasonable, reflective thinking--deciding what to believe. It is evaluative in nature and helps one not to be blinded by his/her own point of view. • Metacognition: This is the awareness of one’s own self as a thinker. * Marzano, R.J. et.al. (1988). Dimensions of Thinking, Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum. xiii The North Carolina Standard Course of Study sets content standards for what students should know and be able to do. The North Carolina ABCs Accountability Plan establishes performance standards which specify the level of proficiency a student must reach in order to have met specific content standards in specified subject areas. These performance standards are indicators of proficiency for those content areas that are tested. A balanced assessment program for North Carolina schools, teachers, and students serves multiple purposes. Classroom assessment informs instruc-tion and monitors students’ progress, while statewide testing focuses on accountability for student achievement and quality programs. Accountabil-ity measures are the means of checking broadly to determine what has been learned within the school. These assessments allow for corrections in instructional focus at a program level and are important indicators of the degree to which all students are learning the Standard Course of Study. These data also help teachers determine students’ progress from year to year. Results from accountability measures provide one source of informa-tion for parents and the public in a timely and accurate manner. Ongoing classroom assessments are multifaceted and document students’ progress over time. They are planned and administered by the classroom teacher and are focused on improving learning, readjusting instruction, and promoting quality, in-depth student work. These assessments make use of various strategies such as observations and open-ended questions and resources such as instructional management systems (test item banks) and portfolios. They encourage the observation of processes and the collection of student products. These assessments inform instructional planning and student, teacher, and parent conferences where individual student progress and future goals are discussed. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction believes that a balanced assessment program supports implementation of the Standard Course of Study. Balanced assessment includes testing for accountability purposes and the continual development of quality classroom assessment as vehicles to prepare students to master high content and performance standards. The strategies most likely to result in long-term growth and learning of high quality will result from effective use of classroom assess-ments as an integral part of instruction. Additionally, strong classroom assessment engages students in self-assessment and greater ownership for their own learning. Quality classroom assessment is essential to the goals of high student achievement and the continuous improvement of schools. Alignment of Curriculum and Assessment Balanced Assessment Program xiv Decisions & Actions A strong model for teaching and learning includes classroom assessment as an integral part of a balanced assessment program. In an instruction-assessment cycle assessment methods are tied to learning targets and then to decisions about instruction. (See Figure 1 on page xiv.) In the initial part of the cycle, learning targets (goals) are clarified and students know in advance what they are expected to learn. Teachers use their in-depth understanding of the curricu-lum to identify the most important learning goals and establish priorities for instruction in order to build on students’ prior understandings. They consider multiple targets – factual information, concepts, processes, reasoning, appli-cations, and attitudes. They establish high expectations for all students for all important learning targets. Most importantly, they are able to clarify for themselves and their students what those targets are and what mastery of them will look like. Since the primary users of classroom assessment are teachers and students, the most important purpose is to direct and inform student learning. Teachers and students need multiple evidences about each student’s understandings and performances to diagnose, monitor progress, evaluate achievement, and plan for future instruction. Teachers use a variety of assessment methods, both formal and informal, to gather evidence of student learning. They match the type of assessment method to the learning target they want to measure and use stategies that ask students to demonstrate their thinking and reasoning. Through an ongoing process teachers may use classroom activities both to instruct and assess at the same time. What is important is that evidence of student learning is gathered with a variety of assessment methods, in multiple contexts, and over an extended period of time. As they gather the evidence about students’ learning through classroom assess-ment, teachers make sense of assessment information. They ask themselves reflective questions. For example, they may ask: • What do these errors actually tell me about the students’ thinking and understanding? • Do I have sufficient evidence to know how well the students really understand? • How well can I generalize about how much students know and can do? • What other evidence may I need? Reflection helps teachers decide what information and feedback can be ex-tracted from student assessment data and what inferences and interpretations can be made about student learning. Learning Targets Assessment Methods xv Learning Targets Feedback Inferences Purposes of Assessment Information Needed Communication Documentation Assessment Cycle: A Model for Teaching and Learning Assessment Methods Decisions & Actions In the last part of the model, teachers document, act on, and communicate information from the assessments. By taking action based upon what the students understand and can do, teachers are likely to be more effective in their decisions. They may decide to reteach key concepts, to move to the next unit of instruction, to regroup students for further instruction, or to allow more practice and application time. Documentation of student learning occurs throughout the teaching and learning model and will include diverse formats: checklists, anecdotal records, observations, grades, portfolios. Communication can provide clear, precise, useable feedback to students, parents, administra-tors, or other interested adults. This communication can be formal (a report card or scheduled conference) or informal (a telephone conversation, note, or conversation). The cycle of teaching and learning will repeat again and again throughout the year, with the teacher’s identifying and clarifying the next learning targets. Both classroom assessment and statewide testing focus on the learning targets that are described in the Standard Course of Study, albeit for different pur-poses. Future changes in the scope and form of statewide assessments will therefore be based on the Standard Course of Study. Communication Documentation Figure 1 xvi Learning Outcomes Programs for Children With Special Needs The Purpose The main purpose of exceptional children’s programs is to ensure that of Programs for students with disabilities develop mentally, physically and Exceptional emotionally to the fullest extent possible through an appropriate, Children individualized education in the least restrictive environment. Children with special needs are students who because of permanent or temporary mental, physical, or emotional disabilities need special educa-tion and are unable to have all their educational needs met in a regular class without special education or related services. Children with special needs include those who are autistic, hearing impaired (deaf and hard of hearing), mentally handicapped (educable, trainable, or severely/pro-foundly), multi-handicapped, orthopedically impaired, other health im-paired, pregnant, behaviorally-emotionally handicapped, specific learning disabled, speech-language impaired, traumatic brain injured, and visually impaired (blind or partially sighted). See Section .1501 or Procedures Governing Programs and Services for Children with Special Needs for definitions of these classifications. Programs and services for children with special needs may be classified as both instructional programs and instructional support services, depending on the educational need of an individual student. Content Sequence Curricula for most children with special needs follow the curricula for students in general education. Emphasis must be given to instruction in English language arts, arts education, social studies, health-ful living, mathematics, science, career and vocational education, depend-ing on the needs of the individual student. Attention must focus upon cognitive, affective, motor and vocational development within the curricu-lar areas. The Individualized Education Program for students with dis-abilities is based on a comprehensive assessment, and states in writing the special education offerings to be provided to each student with a disability. Learning outcomes - knowledge, skills, concepts, understandings, and attitudes - for students with disabilities will differ from student to student. For many exceptional students, the same learning outcomes developed for students in general education will be appropriate. Some exceptional students will meet the learning outcomes at a different time and in a different manner than students in general education. Some students with severely limiting disabilities might not meet these outcomes in general education and will need a totally different curriculum. xvii The purpose for adapting or changing curricula and teaching and learning strategies for students with disabilities is to help them achieve at their highest level, and to prepare them to function as independently as possible. Completion of school experience by students with disabilities is deter-mined by meeting the requirements for graduation or by attaining the goals in the Individualized Education Program, or both. To graduate with a diploma, an exceptional student must earn the State mandated units of credit based on successful completion of course work, and acceptable scores on tests adopted by the State. Exceptional students who do not meet the State and local requirements for a diploma, but meet other re-quirements for graduation, will be eligible to participate in graduation exercises and receive a certificate of achievement. Although course requirements are the same for exceptional students and non-exceptional students, the instruction must be tailored to meet each student’s individual needs. Instruction is based on the curricula needs (academic, affective, motor, and vocational) of each student with a disabil-ity. Instruction varies from student to student so curricula may vary also. The key to all education for students with disabilities is the Individualized Education Plan. Curriculum Adaptation xviii SBE Revised April 1999 State of North Carolina Graduation Requirements North Carolina high school students are expected to meet specific state requirements in order to receive a high school diploma. These requirements apply to all students across the state and help ensure that all graduates have met certain standards. These standards for achievement and courses are designed to prepare students for higher education and for work as adults. In addition to state standards, local school boards may set other standards to graduate. Ninth graders entering high school for the first time in 2000-01 also are required to select and complete one of four courses of study before they graduate. This marks the first time that North Carolina has required students to meet this standard. Educators hope that this will spur students to consider more carefully their future opportunities and to plan accordingly. Graduation Requirements – plan ahead! There are three types of requirements that students must meet: credits, Course of Study and tests. Students, with their parents’ input, need to decide if they are planning for a career immediately after high school graduation, if the student plans to pursue a two-year or community college degree, or if the student will pursue a four-year college or university degree. If undecided, students should take the most rigorous course of study in which they can be successful, particularly in mathematics. Students need to ensure that they understand the education and other preparation required for the career they choose to pursue as adults. Students and their parents should review this plan annually to determine any changes needed. Credits and Courses of Study Students must select a Course of Study to guide the courses they take during high school. Three of the four Courses of Study require that students complete 20 course credits as well as the NC High School Exit Exam. These Courses of Study – Career Prep, College Tech Prep, and College/University Prep – are designed for students to go directly to work or to a community or technical college or to a four-year college or university. A fourth Course of Study, the Occupational Course of Study, is designed for certain students with disabilities who have an Individualized Education Plan. Most students, regardless of Course of Study, take credits in the same core curricular areas. In fact, the Courses of Study provide enough flexibility for students to modify their Course if they choose to do so. The Career Prep, College Tech Prep, and College/University Prep Courses of Study require a minimum of 4 credits in English 3 credits in science *3 credits in mathematics 1 credit in Health/Physical Education electives 3 credits in social studies Please see chart on Page xix for additional information about credit requirements. * The College/University Prep Courses of Study requires 4 credits in Mathematics for first time ninth graders beginning in 2002-03. SBE Revised April 1999 NC COURSE OF STUDY GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS* Content Area CAREER PREP Course of Study Requirements COLLEGE TECH PREP** Course of Study Requirements COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY PREP Course of Study (UNC 4-yr college) Requirements OCCUPATIONAL*** Course of Study Requirements English 4 Credits I, II, III, IV 4 Credits I, II, III, IV 4 Credits I, II, III, IV 4 Credits – Occupational English I, II, III, IV Mathematics 3 Credits Including Algebra I 3 Credits ** Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, OR Algebra I, Technical Math I & II, OR Integrated Mathematics I, II, III 4 Credits (4th credit effective for first time ninth graders in 2002-2003) Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and higher level math course with Algebra II as prerequisite OR Integrated Mathematics I,II,III and a credit beyond Integrated Mathematics III 3 Credits Occupational mathematics I, II, III Science 3 Credits A Physical Science course, Biology, Earth/Environmental Science 3 Credits A Physical Science course related to career pathway (CP), Biology, Earth/Environmental Science 3 Credits A Physical Science course, Biology, Earth/Environmental Science 2 Credits Life Skills Science I, II Social Studies 3 Credits Government/Economics (ELPS), US History, World Studies 3 Credits Government/Economics (ELPS), US History, World Studies 3 Credits Government/Economics (ELPS), US History, World Studies (2 courses to meet UNC minimum admission requirements-US History & 1 elective) 2 Credits Social Studies I (Government/US History) Social Studies II (Self-Advocacy/Problem Solving) Second Language Not required Not required ** 2 Credits in the same language Not required Computer Skills No specific course required, students must demonstrate proficiency through state testing (starting with graduating class of 2001) No specific course required, students must demonstrate proficiency through state testing (starting with graduation class of 2001) No specific course required, students must demonstrate proficiency through state testing (starting with graduation class of 2001) Computer proficiency as specified in IEP Health and Physical Education 1 Credit Health/Physical Education 1 Credit Health/Physical Education 1 Credit Health/Physical Education 1 Credit Health/Physical Education Career Technical 4 Credits in Career/Technical Select courses appropriate for career pathway to include a second level (advanced) course OR 4 Credits Select courses appropriate for career pathway to include a second level (advanced) course Not required 4 Credits Career/Technical Education electives Arts Education (Dance, Music, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts) 4 Credits in an Arts Discipline Select courses appropriate for an arts education pathway to include an advanced course Recommend at least one credit in an arts discipline and/or requirement by local decision Recommend at least one credit in an arts discipline and/or requirement by local decision Recommend at least one credit in an arts discipline and/or requirement by local decision Recommend at least one credit in an arts discipline and/or requirement by local decision (for students not taking an arts education pathway) Electives or other require-ments***** 2 Elective Credits and other credits designated by LEA 2 Elective Credits and other credits designated by LEA 3 Elective Credits and other credits designated by LEA Occupational Preparation: 6 Credits: Occupational Preparation I,II,III,IV**** Proficiency on Exit Exam (Effective for entering ninth graders 2001-2002) Proficiency on Exit Exam (Effective for entering ninth graders 2001-2002) Proficiency on Exit Exam (Effective for entering ninth graders 2001-2002) Elective credits/completion of IEP objectives/Career Portfolio-required/ No Exit Exam TOTAL 20 Credits plus any local requirements 20 Credits plus any local requirements 20 Credits plus any local requirements 22 Credits plus any local requirements *Effective for ninth graders entering for the first time in 2000-01. The additional mathematics credit in college/university prep is for entering ninth graders of 2002-03. **A student pursuing a college tech prep course of study may meet the requirements of a college/university course of study by completing 2 credits in the same second language and one additional unit in mathematics. ***This course of study shall be made available for certain students with disabilities who have an IEP, beginning in 2000-01. ****Completion of 300 hours of school-based training, 240 hours of community-based training, and 360 hours of paid employment. *****Examples of electives include JROTC and other courses that are of interest to the student. xix NORTH CAROLINA ACADEMIC SCHOLARS PROGRAM History In March, 1983, the State Board of Education approved the North Carolina Scholars Program to begin with the 1983-1984 school year. In March, 1990, the State Board of Education revised the program and re-designated it the North Carolina Academic Scholars Program. Again, the State Board of Education revised program requirements in August 2002 to make it more consistent with graduation requirements and promote rigorous academic study. The current plan will remain in effect for students who entered ninth grade for the first time in or before 2002-2003. The revised plan is effective for students who enter the ninth grade for the first time in or after 2003-2004. Students who complete the requirements for an academically challenging high school program will be named North Carolina Academic Scholars and receive special recognition. Recognition The students who qualify for this special recognition • will be designated by the State Board of Education as North Carolina Academic Scholars. • will receive a seal of recognition attached to their diplomas. • may receive special recognition at graduation exercises and other community events. • may be considered for scholarships from the local and state business/industrial community. • may use this special recognition in applying to post-secondary institutions. (Candidates are identified by the end of grade 11 and their candidacy can be included in application forms and/or transcripts sent to these institutions.) NORTH CAROLINA ACADEMIC SCHOLARS PROGRAM (Revised 8/8/02) This plan is in effect for students who entered the ninth grade for the first time in or before 2002-2003. The following revised plan is effective for students who enter the ninth grade for the first time in or after 2003-2004. CHANGES Students must: • begin planning for the program before entering grade 9 to ensure they obtain the most flexibility in their courses. • complete all the requirements of this North Carolina Academic Scholars Program. • have an overall four-year grade average of B or its equivalent as determined by the local board of education. Students must: • begin planning for the program before entering grade 9 to ensure they obtain the most flexibility in their courses. • complete all the requirements of this North Carolina Academic Scholars Program. • have an overall four-year unweighted grade point average of 3.5. • complete all requirements for a North Carolina high school diploma. Unweighted grade point average of 3.5 rather than a B Completion of all requirements for a high school diploma Credits The following designated number of credits per subject area listed below must be taken in grades 9-12. Credits The following designated number of credits per subject area listed below must be taken in grades 9-12. 4 English I,II,III,IV 4 English Language Arts I,II,III,IV none 3 Mathematics (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II or one unit of advanced mathematics for which Algebra II is a prerequisite) 4 Mathematics (Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and a higher level math course with Algebra II as prerequisite OR Integrated Mathematics I, II, III, and a higher level mathematics course with Integrated Mathematics III as prerequisite) One additional credit required, optional Integrated Math sequence 3 Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or one other advanced science in lieu of Physics) 3 Science (a Physics or Chemistry course, Biology, and an Earth/Environmental Science course) Physics OR Chemistry, an Earth/Environmental Science course specified 3 Social Studies (Government/Economics, U.S. History, and one world studies course) 3 Social Studies (World History, Civics/Economics, and U.S. History) World History specified 2 Foreign Languages (two levels of the same language) 2 Languages other than English ( two credits of the same language) none 1 Health/Physical Education 1 Healthful Living none 1 Career and Technical Education 2 Additional units selected from among English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies or Foreign Language courses 1 Arts Education (Dance, Music, Theatre Arts or Visual Arts) A new credit required in Career/Technical Education and in Arts Education 4 Electives 5 Elective credits to include at least two second-level or advanced courses (Examples of electives include JROTC and other courses that are of interest to the student.) Two second-level or advanced level courses required 22 Note: Adopted by the State Board of Education on March 8, 1990. The above is the single plan applicable to graduates effective with the class of 1994. 24 Note: Adopted by the State Board of Education in August 2002. The above is the single plan applicable to students who enter the ninth grade for the first time in or after 2003-2004. Two additional credits required 2004 English Language Arts TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ...................................................................................................................... ix Foreword............................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................. 4 Preface .................................................................................................................. 5 Outcomes .............................................................................................................. 6 Purpose.................................................................................................................. 7 Philosophy............................................................................................................. 8 Program Description.............................................................................................. 11 Grade Level Curriculum K-2 Grade-Level Goals and Objectives.................................................................. 14 3-5 Grade-Level Goals and Objectives................................................................... 31 6-8 Grade-Level Goals and Objectives................................................................... 57 9-12 Grade-Level Goals and Objectives................................................................. 83 Advanced Placement (AP) English Goals and Objectives ...................................... 122 Appendices A – Information on Beginning Reading Instruction................................................ 132 B – Grade Span Continuums K-2 ............................................................................................................ 160 3-5 ............................................................................................................. 161 6-8 ............................................................................................................. 162 9-12 ........................................................................................................... 163 C – Strand Continuums Written Language....................................................................................... 164 Oral Language ........................................................................................... 166 Other Media/Technology ........................................................................... 167 D – Content of a Reading and Literature Program K-12......................................... 168 E – Glossary .......................................................................................................... 176 2004 English Language Arts 2 2004 English Language Arts FOREWORD North Carolina has had a Standard Course of Study since 1898. Since that time, curricula have been revised periodically to reflect the changing needs of students and society. The most recent revision of the complete K-12 state English Language Arts curriculum occurred in 1992. That curriculum reflected the shift in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed by business, industry, and society to function in an information-driven world. Current revisions continue to build upon those efforts. The revised curriculum is based upon surveys of the effectiveness of the previous curriculum, current educational research, and input from public school teachers, administrators, college and university faculties, parents, and business and community leaders. In addition, the revised curriculum is based on national curriculum standards developed jointly by the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association and on language arts standards developed by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The North Carolina English Language Arts Standard Course of Study clearly defines a curriculum supporting the ABC’s school reform effort as well as the North Carolina Testing Program. These revisions maintain a forward focus by looking at what students will need to know and to be able to do as successful and contributing citizens in our state and nation in the years ahead. 3 2004 English Language Arts ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Department of Public Instruction gratefully acknowledges the cooperation and assistance received from individuals and groups throughout the State in this current revision process. Without such cooperation, the revisions and printing of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study would not have been possible. We wish to express a special thanks to: • the Office of Instructional Services for providing the leadership and vision that guided the development of this document; • the many local educators, parents, and businesspeople who participated in the current revision process by serving on committees and reacting to draft documents; • faculty from the institutions of higher education who advised the staff and assisted in the revision of the curriculum; • the members of the elementary, middle, and high school curriculum revision committees who gave their time and expertise; and • the Department of Public Instruction English Language Arts staff who carried the primary responsibility for revision and editing the curriculum. The 1999 revision process involved on some level the entire English Language Arts community resulting in a document that North Carolina educators find useful. The 2004 process involved minor clarifications of the goals and objectives to allow more understanding of the intent of the original document. We will regularly revise the curriculum in order to meet the needs of the students of North Carolina. 4 2004 English Language Arts PREFACE Intent The intent of the North Carolina English Language Arts Standard of Course of Study (SCS) is to establish competency goals and objectives SCS for the teaching and learning of English Language Arts in North Carolina. The document details the English Language Arts content that should be taught in all schools. Optional documents are available that support the SCS. These support documents offer suggestions for methodology and materials to implement the curriculum. The primary goal of English Language Arts instruction in North Carolina is to ensure that all students learn how to use language effectively in order to function as individuals and as contributing members of society. _______________________________________________________ Revisions The entire K-12 North Carolina English Language Arts Standard of SCS Course of Study was last revised in 1999. The beginning reading portion was revised in 1997 in response to legislative mandate to include more emphasis on early and systematic phonics instruction within a balanced reading program. The curriculum contains specific goals and objectives for each grade level. This 2004 curriculum includes clarifications and specificity designed to make the competency objectives more comprehensible and to support teachers’ implementation of the standards. 5 2004 English Language Arts OUTCOMES OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STUDY Outcomes The outcomes of a successful English Language Arts curriculum are that students can use language effectively. ______________________________________________________ Student Students who successfully complete a balanced and effective Language English Language Arts program will be able to perform the following Competencies activities: Use strategies and processes to improve their language use: • by planning, adjusting, evaluating, and refining the language they use for different purposes and audiences. Use language to acquire, interpret, and apply information: • by identifying, collecting, or selecting information and ideas; • by analyzing, synthesizing, and organizing information to discover related ideas, concepts, or generalizations; and • by applying, extending, and expanding on information and concepts. Use language to critically analyze and evaluate information: • by assessing the validity and accuracy of information and ideas determining the value of information and ideas; and • by developing criteria and evaluating the quality, relevance, and importance of information and ideas. Use language to express aesthetic and personal responses: • by responding to personal situations and events in selections and to personal situations and events; • by responding to the personal, social, cultural, and historical significance of selections or personal experiences; and • by responding critically and creatively to selections or personal experience. 6 2004 English Language Arts PURPOSE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STUDY Purpose The ultimate purpose of the English Language Arts curriculum is to teach students the language abilities they need to communicate effectively as individuals and as contributing members of society. ____________________________________________________________ Language Students will develop the language skills necessary to function in society Abilities as the following individuals: Self-directed learners who possess: • a desire to learn for a lifetime; • the competence to learn in real-life situations; • a knowledge of pragmatics in communication; • the motivation and ability to produce quality work and products; and • the disposition to make personal and aesthetic responses. Collaborative workers who possess: • the ability to function as both effective receivers and senders of information; • leadership and group skills to function effectively within interpersonal relationships; • sensitivity to social, historical, and cultural diversity; and • the desire to contribute to the improvement of society. Complex thinkers who possess: • awareness and ownership of their own learning; and • the ability to reason, make decisions, and solve complex problems in a variety of contexts. 7 2004 English Language Arts PHILOSOPHY Societal Futurists predict new challenges in preparing students for the demands of Needs an information age. These visionaries expect the need for an increasingly high level of literacy. While students continue to need mastery of enabling skills such as reading, writing, and computing, they must also prepare for the new basics, which include problem solving, critical and creative thinking, decision making, flexibility and adaptability, and the ability to work collaboratively. The intent of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for English Language Arts is to equip students with the level of literacy needed to participate as informed citizens in a democratic society, to function effectively in the world of work, and to realize personal fulfillment. Curriculum The first priority of an English Language Arts program is language Priority development. Use of oral and written language sets human beings apart from other forms of life and allows for the expression of the human spirit, the development of ethical responsibility, and the ability to interact with and influence others. Indeed, it is this use of language which challenges us to examine and clarify our thinking as we search for the best means to communicate our thoughts and ideas. Guiding An effective English Language Arts program must be concerned with Principles both process and content—with how students learn and what they learn. In such an environment, teachers and students are guided by the following principles: • Learning to communicate through written and oral language and media should be a rewarding experience. • Students learn to communicate by using language in natural and purposeful ways. • Language skills are interrelated processes utilized by the learner to comprehend and convey meaning: oral (listening and speaking), written (reading and writing), and media use. • Teachers provide many kinds of support including skills emphasis and meaning emphasis. • Teachers balance both direct and indirect instruction. • Students learn to value their own language when it is valued by others who hold high expectations for all students. • Learning is enhanced in an environment where students are encouraged to: think critically and creatively about ideas, relate the content of the message to personal experiences, understand and use the patterns and structures of language. 8 2004 English Language Arts • Learners employ three curing systems on an intuitive and conscious or metacognitive level. Cues used in communication are: –knowledge of sound-symbol relationships (graphophonic information), –personal knowledge of language/word order (syntactic information), –personal knowledge of the student (semantic information). • Growth in the ability to use language to communicate is an on going and life-long process. Assessment of a curriculum should be continuous and integrated with the instructional process. • Assessment procedures should be balanced to include multiple-choice testing, open-ended questions, portfolios, demonstrations, debates, reports, investigations, etc. Generally, assessment should be focused on improving instruction and should promote quality, depth, and extensions of student work. • Students should share the responsibility for their learning. They must develop an increasing awareness of their own thinking, including attitudes, habits, and dispositions. Student-initiated learning involving choice, collaboration, and active participation is more likely to produce a high level of interest and accomplishment than teacher-centered exposition. • Using oral and written language and media enable learners to clarify their thinking, to investigate, and to increase knowledge in all subject areas. Integrating the teaching of English Language Arts with other subjects enhances the learner’s ability to move from the known to the unknown, to see relationships, and to make generalizations. _________________________________________________________________ ELA Language and literature are the content of an integrated English Language Arts Content program. The study of these areas should include the structure of the English language, its social and historical perspective, and a respect and appreciation for the cultural diversity of those who speak English. Essential to this study is the systematic exploration of literature with a clear emphasis on the comprehension and response to the beauty and legacy of the English language. A balanced English Language Arts curriculum focuses on the student as an active participant in the learning process. Included in the study is the selective and strategic use of monitoring, self-questioning, and focusing strategies. In a similar manner, engaged learners explore options in presentation: films or videotapes in the study of literature and language; audiotapes in the study of oral language; and word processors and other media in composing, revising, and publishing compositions. ________________________________________________________________ Summary As local school systems begin the implementation of this curriculum, they will recognize much information that is familiar and some that is new. It is the belief of the English Language Arts Section that the information included in this curriculum reflects current research and best teaching practices. The document 9 2004 English Language Arts has been a collaborative effort among the Department of Public Instruction, local education agencies, and institutions of higher education. It is intended to assist educators as they create conditions that enable students to learn and that encourage their desire to learn. 10 2004 English Language Arts ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Spiraling The English Language Arts Curriculum is a spiraling curriculum Curriculum in the sense that many of the same skills develop over time. _____________________________________________________ Strands Students at any grade level continue to develop skills in the three language strands: • oral language, • written language, and • media/technology use. The specific expectations for what students study at different grade levels vary. First graders and tenth graders, for example, all read and write and use technology, but the expectations about what they read and write and how they use media are different. (See Strand Continuums, Appendix C.) ______________________________________________________ Common Likewise, at all grades students study some common content: Content • language of the discipline (plot, theme, setting, etc.); • language conventions (sentence structure, mechanics, spelling and punctuation, etc.); and • different genre (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama). This common content study, however, also involves age-appropriate materials and different grade level expectations. (See Grade Span Continuums, Appendix B.) ______________________________________________________ Common In order to provide continuity of language study and increasing K-5 language skill development across grade levels, grades K-5 have Goals common goals. These goals are: • The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. • The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 11 2004 English Language Arts • The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. • The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. • The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. Common In order to provide continuity of language study and increasing 6-12 language skill development across grade levels, grades 6-12 also Goals have common goals. These goals are: • The learner will use language to express individual perspectives drawn from personal or related experience. • The learner will analyze information from a variety of sources. • The learner will examine the foundations and use of argument. • The learner will refine critical thinking skills and create criteria to evaluate text and multimedia. • The learner will interpret and evaluate a wide range of literary texts. • The learner will develop an understanding of the application of grammar conventions and language usage. Different The differences in English Language Arts study at each grade Grade level are reflected in the objectives under each goal at Level different grade levels. These differences in objectives result in Objectives different emphases at grade level spans. Students at a specific grade will continue to show evidence of mastery of competencies developed at previous grade levels, particularly as they contribute to mastery of grade-level competencies. Grades K-2 Emphasis Students develop and refine oral language skills while learning basic written language skills and use of media. They develop understandings, knowledge, strategies, and skills which enable them to become independent readers and writers who can continue learning throughout the years to follow. Grades 3-5 Emphasis Students continue to develop basic language skills and develop the use of these skills to learn content in other disciplines such as science, social studies, and the arts. They use a variety of media to demonstrate their learning. Grades 6-8 Emphasis 12 2004 English Language Arts Students in the middle grades continue to refine previously learned skills in increasingly complex presentations, reading selections, and written products. They use language to communicate skillfully and effectively for a variety of purposes, for different audiences, and within diverse contexts. Grades 9-12 Emphasis Students continue to develop language use in different contexts and for different audiences and purposes. They engage in the formal study of literature, write more complex compositions, engage in research, and develop skill in evaluating professional authors’ as well as their own language use. They develop sophisticated media productions to showcase their learning. 13 2004 English Language Arts English Language Arts Curriculum Grades K-2 Purpose/ Overview Children enter school eager to learn and make sense of their world. This search for meaning and interest in becoming a literate member of a community should be used to facilitate present and future learning. In grades K-2 the curriculum provides a framework for planning learning activities that promote the acquisition of a variety of strategies and skills that become habitual and automatic. These children use their language, knowledge, skills, and personal experiences to comprehend literature and other texts. During these first years children need to be given many daily opportunities to connect what they know to new skills and information as they grow cognitively and socially. Young children are able to be self-directed learners, collaborative partners in a community of learners, and complex thinkers when provided experiences with written and oral language that are relevant and appropriate for them as individual learners. Wixson and Dutro (CIERA Report #3-001) recommend that the content of state standards and benchmarks that are a part of a state’s curriculum should "derive from information based on current research conducted among linguistically and culturally diverse children." The curriculum for young children in North Carolina schools is based on the research as presented in Appendix A. Research has shown that children learn the foundation skills that enable them to become independent readers through direct instruction of decoding and comprehension skills and through strategies appropriate for individual student’s strengths, patterns of development, rate of learning, and specific learning needs. In addition, research indicates that children improve their reading skills by reading self-selected texts daily (Adams, 1990; Allington and Pressley, 1999; Clay, 1991; and Snow, 1998). Competency Goals And Objectives The five competency goals and objectives selected to accomplish program aims are designed to foster the development of strategies and skills in oral and written language abilities while using media and technology to learn to communicate. In the early grades students need to learn to use enabling skills and strategies which help readers to read (decode) texts in order to understand the message written by another author. They learn how texts are constructed as they become authors who compose and convey messages, using the conventions of oral and written language. The dominant focus of the curriculum for students in grades K-2 is the acquisition and development of language abilities while learning how to learn. When students complete second grade, they need to be able to apply the enabling strategies and skills to read a new (unseen) text independently, using appropriate decoding strategies and skills that may be necessary. These students must also be competent comprehenders who are able to construct meaning by making connections and applying comprehension strategies. They can create complete oral, written, and 14 2004 English Language Arts acquisition and development of language abilities while learning how to learn. When students complete second grade, they need to be able to apply the enabling strategies and skills to read a new (unseen) text independently, using appropriate decoding strategies and skills that may be necessary. These students must also be competent comprehenders who are able to construct meaning by making connections and applying comprehension strategies. They can create complete oral, written, and visual texts which are understood by other listeners/readers because they use the oral and written language conventions that are appropriate for the intended purpose and audience. When students are led to use their own experiences to comprehend and convey messages, they anchor their learning in what they know and extend their learning to new behaviors and competencies. When texts which are read, heard, and/or viewed are used as models of language and children are led to understand the purposes of authors, how authors select and use words and language structures, and how authors and speakers use genres to convey ideas, information, and experiences, they are able to apply these models to their own efforts to create texts. As children encounter various models and develop a greater repertoire of strategies and skills, they also develop their understanding of how to learn. As they experiment with these understandings and experience the responses of other readers and writers to their creations, they extend their understanding of how language is used and learning is constructed. The goals which address the conventions of oral and written language development are designed to promote students’ understanding of standard forms and conventions as aids which allow them to tell and write their ideas, feelings, experiences, and new learnings in ways others can understand. Second graders must be able to apply these conventions in texts and/or products they create using oral and written texts and/or non-print media. Building the foundation skills for decoding and comprehending, connecting prior learning with new learning, and using conventions as aids to communication enable students to begin their academic careers with deep understandings, not surface behaviors, which facilitate further learning. Through school experiences which develop these goals, young students are provided opportunities to engage in the social and academic context of learning that facilitates competence in understanding and being understood while using oral and written language as well as print and non-print media and technology. Strands Experiences with written language used in different genres, oral language used by peers and other more competent language users, and media and technology use provide the learning contexts in which children can construct and practice strategies and skills used throughout their academic careers. The group environment that is provided for young children enables these learners to benefit from sharing their comprehension and responses to texts. Within the group children have opportunities to refine and extend their thinking, to listen to and 15 2004 English Language Arts technology use provide the learning contexts in which children can construct and practice strategies and skills used throughout their academic careers. The group environment that is provided for young children enables these learners to benefit from sharing their comprehension and responses to texts. Within the group children have opportunities to refine and extend their thinking, to listen to and appreciate the viewpoints of others, and to acquire different ways to communicate. As they experience success in learning and increase their level of competence, they are able to develop the metacognitive skills and strategies that enable them to articulate their thinking and discuss the problem-solving processes they use. These skills and strategies provide a solid foundation for extending their learning as they use written and oral language and media and technology to read, comprehend, interpret, evaluate, generate, and create various kinds of texts. Teaching children how to use written and oral language in conventional forms that are appropriate to accomplish purposes they establish and purposes assigned to them facilitates later opportunities that are not limited because of inadequate language usage. Using media and technology as tools for thinking and communicating is intended to enable children to experience learning and sharing ideas through different models adapted for different purposes and contexts. The curriculum provides learning opportunities for children to interact with various kinds of texts for various purposes. Children who learn to listen to and read fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry and who can engage in self-selected reading extend their understanding of the many forms of communication. These children can also learn about the world and the diversity of the people in the world. Discussions with peers and more knowledgeable readers and writers facilitate children’s understanding of vocabulary and the conventions of written and oral language. From these experiences children develop a store of words, literary forms, and rules which they can use to understand more sophisticated texts and to construct their own texts. Connections Emergent readers and writers learn the regularities and irregularities of the English language as they listen to, interact with, read, and write literary, informational, and practical texts at increasing levels of sophistication. These students also learn to use media and technology to experience texts (fiction, non-fiction, drama, poetry) and share ideas and information as they interact with and create texts. During these early experiences children link their previous life experiences and literacy experiences to their current understanding of how readers read and writers write. Meeting the competency goals in oral language, written language, and media and technology use will create a firm foundation for further learning that is not constrained by inept use of language and thinking skills. Rather, it is a foundation built on deep understanding that facilitates application of knowledge and skills, analysis of tasks, generation of strategies for problem solving, and motivation to persevere and succeed. 16 2004 English Language Arts further learning that is not constrained by inept use of language and thinking skills. Rather, it is a foundation built on deep understanding that facilitates application of knowledge and skills, analysis of tasks, generation of strategies for problem solving, and motivation to persevere and succeed. Students in grades K-2 will continue to show evidence of mastery of competencies developed at previous grade levels, particularly as they contribute to mastery of grade-level competencies. Adams, M. Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print. Cambridge, MAS: MIT Press, 1991. Allington, R. and M. Pressley. "The Nature of Effective First-Grade Literacy Instruction." National Research Center on English Learning and Achievement. Albany, NY: University of Albany, SUNY, 1991. Clay, Marie. Becoming Literate: The Construction of Inner Control. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1991. Wixson, K. and E. Dutro. "Standards for Primary-Grade Reading: An Analysis of State Frameworks." Center for the Improvement of Early Reading achievement. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, 1999. 17 2004 English Language Arts KINDERGARTEN During the kindergarten year, students need to experience the enjoyment of reading while they learn the foundational strategies and skills that will enable them to read independently. Students learn these enabling skills of phonemic awareness, letter names, sound-letter correspondences, decoding skills, high frequency vocabulary, and comprehension skills as they listen and respond to a variety of texts. They enjoy listening to stories, relating characters and events to their own life experiences, dramatizing stories, and responding to stories through art and writing activities. They can extend their oral language skills when given opportunities to express themselves, and they can learn how oral language is recorded to convey experiences and ideas as they observe their experiences and ideas being written. Kindergarten students will: • Engage in word play. • Listen and respond to children’s literature. • Build reading and writing concepts, skills, and strategies. Strands: Oral Language, Written Language, and Other Media/Technology Competency Goal 1 The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. 1.01 Develop book and print awareness: • identify the parts of books and function of each part. • demonstrate an understanding of directionality and voice-print match by following print word for word when listening to familiar text read aloud. • demonstrate an understanding of letters, words, sentence and story. • identify the title, name of the author and the name of the illustrator. 1.02 Develop phonemic awareness and knowledge of alphabetic principle: • demonstrate understanding that spoken language is a sequence of identifiable speech sounds. • demonstrate understanding that the sequence of letters in the written word represents the sequence of sounds in the spoken word. • demonstrate understanding of the sounds of letters and understanding that words begin and end alike (onsets and rimes). 1.03 Demonstrate decoding and word recognition strategies and skills: • recognize and name upper and lower case letters of the alphabet. • recognize some words by sight including a few common words, own name, and environmental print such as signs, labels, and trademarks. 18 2004 English Language Arts name, and environmental print such as signs, labels, and trademarks. • recognize most beginning consonant letter-sound associations in one-syllable words. 1.04 Read or begin to read: • read or attempt to read own dictated story. • attempt to read/reads simple patterned text, decodable text, and/or predictable texts using letter-sound knowledge and pictures to construct meaning. 1.05 Interact for at least 10 minutes daily with self-selected texts that are consistent with the student’s independent reading level. Competency Goal 2 The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 2.01 Demonstrate sense of story (e.g., beginning, middle, end, characters, details and setting). 2.02 Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of types of books and selections (e.g., picture books, caption books, short informational texts, nursery rhymes, word plays/finger plays, puppet plays, reenactments of familiar stories). 2.03 Use preparation strategies to activate prior knowledge and experience before and during the reading of a text. 2.04 Formulate questions that a text might answer before beginning to read (e.g., what will happen in this story, who might this be, where do you think this happens). 2.05 Predict possible events in texts before and during reading. 2.06 Understand and follow oral-graphic directions. 2.07 Demonstrate understanding of literary language; e.g., "once upon a time" and other vocabulary specific to a genre. 2.08 Distinguish fantasy from reality when reading text. 2.09 Identify the sequence of events in a story. Competency Goal 3 The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. 19 2004 English Language Arts 3.01 Connect information and events in text to experience. 3.02 Discuss concepts and information in a text to clarify and extend knowledge. 3.03 Associate target words with prior knowledge and explore an author’s choice of words. 3.04 Use speaking and listening skills and media to connect experiences and text: • listening to and re-visiting stories. • discussing, illustrating, and dramatizing stories. • discovering relationships. Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Use new vocabulary in own speech and writing. 4.02 Use words that name and words that tell action in a variety of simple texts (e.g., oral retelling, written stories, lists, journal entries of personal experiences). 4.03 Use words that describe color, size, and location in a variety of texts: e.g., oral retelling, written stories, lists, journal entries of personal experiences. 4.04 Maintain conversation and discussions: • attending to oral presentations. • taking turns expressing ideas and asking questions. 4.05 Use a variety of sentence patterns such as interrogative requests (Can you go with me?) and sentence fragments that convey emotion (Me, too!). • write from left to right and from top to bottom. • write most letters and some words when dictated. 4.06 Write and/or participate in writing behaviors by using authors’ models of language. Competency Goal 5 The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. 5.01 Develop spelling strategies and skills by: • representing spoken language with temporary and/or conventional spelling. 20 2004 English Language Arts spelling. • writing most letters of the alphabet. • analyzing sounds in a word and writing dominant consonant letters. 5.02 Use capital letters to write the word I and the first letter in own name. 5.03 Use legible manuscript handwriting. 21 2004 English Language Arts FIRST GRADE First grade students extend their understanding of the enabling skills of phonemic awareness and decoding and word recognition while they extend their comprehension and use of conventions for written language. They read a variety of texts, listen to literature, and respond to books, poetry, plays, age-appropriate expository texts, environmental print, and self-selected reading materials. They expand their oral language skills and their knowledge about recording oral language to express themselves clearly. As they participate in discussing texts and constructing texts, they expand their store of words. They begin to use new vocabulary and formats for their written products as a result of their examination of models of speaking and writing. First grade students will: • Read a variety of texts in different settings. • Respond to texts in different ways. • Use conversational and literary language to express themselves. • Begin to develop effective listening and speaking skills. Strands: Oral Language, Written Language, and Other Media/Technology Competency Goal 1 The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. 1.01 Develop phonemic awareness and demonstrate knowledge of alphabetic principle: • count syllables in a word. • blend the phonemes of one-syllable words. • segment the phonemes of one-syllable words. • change the beginning, middle, and ending sounds to produce new words. • create and state a series of rhyming words that may include consonant blends (e.g., flag, brag). 1.02 Demonstrate decoding and word recognition strategies and skills: • generate the sounds from all the letters and appropriate letter patterns which should include consonant blends and long and short vowel patterns. • use phonics knowledge of sound-letter relationships to decode regular one-syllable words when reading words and text. • recognize many high frequency and/or common irregularly spelled words in text (e.g., have said, where, two). 22 2004 English Language Arts words in text (e.g., have said, where, two). • read compound words and contractions. • read inflectional forms (e.g., -s, -ed, -ing) and root words (e.g., looks, looked, looking). • read appropriate word families. 1.03 Use pronunciation, sentence meaning, story meaning, and syntax to confirm accurate decoding or to self-correct errors. 1.04 Self-monitor decoding by using one or two decoding strategies (e.g., beginning letters, rimes, length of word, ending letters). 1.05 Increase vocabulary, concepts, and reading stamina by reading self-selected texts independently for 15 minutes daily. Self-selected texts should be consistent with the student’s independent reading level. Competency Goal 2 The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 2.01 Read aloud independently with fluency and comprehension any text that is appropriately designed for emergent readers. 2.02 Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of texts (storybooks, short chapter books, newspapers, telephone books, and everyday print such as signs and labels, poems, word plays using alliteration and rhyme, skits and short plays). 2.03 Read and comprehend both fiction and nonfiction text appropriate for grade one using: • prior knowledge. • summary. • questions. • graphic organizers. 2.04 Use preparation strategies to anticipate vocabulary of a text and to connect prior knowledge and experiences to a new text. 2.05 Predict and explain what will happen next in stories. 2.06 Self-monitor comprehension by using one or two strategies (questions, retelling, summarizing). 2.07 Respond and elaborate in answering what, when, where, and how questions. 23 2004 English Language Arts questions. 2.08 Discuss and explain response to how, why, and what if questions in sharing narrative and expository texts. 2.09 Read and understand simple written instructions. Competency Goal 3 The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. 3.01 Elaborate on how information and events connect to life experiences. 3.02 Recognize and relate similar vocabulary use and concepts across experiences with texts. 3.03 Discuss unfamiliar oral and/or written vocabulary after listening to or reading texts. 3.04 Share personal experiences and responses to experiences with text: • publishing non-print texts. • discussing interpretations. • recording personal responses. 3.05 Recognize how particular authors use vocabulary and language to develop an individual, recognizable voice. 3.06 Discuss authors’/speakers’ use of different kinds of sentences to interest a reader/listener and communicate a message. 3.07 Compare authors’ uses of conventions of language that aid readers including: • kinds of sentences. • capitalization of first word in a sentence and proper names. • punctuation to end a declarative and interrogative sentence. Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Select and use new vocabulary and language structures in both speech and writing contexts (e.g., oral retelling using exclamatory phrases to accent an idea or event). 4.02 Use words that describe, name characters and settings (who, where), and tell action and events (what happened, what did ___ do) in simple texts. 24 2004 English Language Arts 4.03 Use specific words to name and tell action in oral and written language (e.g., using words such as frog and toad when discussing a nonfiction text). 4.04 Extend skills in using oral and written language: • clarifying purposes for engaging in communication. • using clear and precise language to paraphrase messages. • engaging in more extended oral discussions. • producing written products • completing graphic organizers. 4.05 Write and/or participate in writing by using an author’s model of language and extending the model (e.g., writing different ending for a story, composing an innovation of a poem). 4.06 Compose a variety of products (e.g., stories, journal entries, letters, response logs, simple poems, oral retellings) using a writing process. Competency Goal 5 The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. 5.01 Use phonic knowledge and basic patterns (e.g., an, ee, ake) to spell correctly three-and four-letter words. 5.02 Apply phonics to write independently, using temporary and/or conventional spelling. 5.03 Write all upper and lower case letters of the alphabet, using correct letter formation. 5.04 Use complete sentences to write simple texts. 5.05 Use basic capitalization and punctuation: • first word in a sentence. • proper names. • period to end declarative sentence. • question mark to end interrogative sentence. 5.06 Self-monitor composition by using one or two strategies (e.g., rereading, peer conferences). 5.07 Use legible manuscript handwriting. 25 2004 English Language Arts 26 2004 English Language Arts SECOND GRADE Second grade students use the listening, speaking, and reading foundational skills they have developed to extend their understanding of written language and their skills in using written language. They need to read a wider variety of texts that require strategies and skills with more complex vocabulary and ideas. These students need to be able to write sentences to express multiple ideas about a topic. Second grade students will: • Use acquired concepts and metacognitive skills to read and write more independently. • Comprehend and respond to texts using multiple skills and strategies. • Extend vocabulary skills to use oral and written communication effectively. • Use reading and listening, speaking and writing, and media and technology resources to accomplish a purpose. Strands: Oral Language, Written Language, and Other Media/Technology Competency Goal 1 The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. 1.01 Use phonics knowledge and structural analysis (e.g., knowledge of syllables, suffixes, prefixes, root words) to decode regular multi-syllable words when reading text. 1.02 Read most high frequency and many irregularly spelled words accurately in text. 1.03 Self-monitor decoding by using letter-sound knowledge of all consonants and vowels. 1.04 Apply knowledge of all sources of information (meaning, language, graphophonics) to read a new text silently and independently. 1.05 Use a variety of strategies and skills to read self-selected texts independently for 20 minutes daily. Self-selected texts should be consistent with the student’s independent reading level. Competency Goal 2 The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 2.01 Read and comprehend text (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama) appropriate for grade two by: • determining purpose (reader’s and author’s). • making predictions. • asking questions. 27 2004 English Language Arts • locating information for specific reasons/purposes. • recognizing and appl text structure. • comprehending and examin author’s decisions and word choice. • determining fact and opinion. • recognizing and comprehend figurative language. • making inferences and draw conclusions. 2.02 Use text for a variety of functions, including literary, informational, and practical. 2.03 Read expository materials for answers to specific questions. 2.04 Pose possible how, why, and what if questions to understand and/or interpret text. 2.05 Self-monitor own difficulties in comprehending independently using several strategies. 2.06 Recall main idea, facts and details from a text. 2.07 Discuss similarities and differences in events, characters and concepts within and across texts. 2.08 Interpret information from diagrams, charts, and maps. Competency Goal 3 The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. 3.01 Use personal experiences and knowledge to interpret written and oral messages. 3.02 Connect and compare information within and across selections (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama) to experience and knowledge. 3.03 Explain and describe new concepts and information in own words (e.g., plot, setting, major events, characters, author’s message, connections, topic, key vocabulary, key concepts, text features). 3.04 Increase oral and written vocabulary by listening, discussing, and composing texts when responding to literature that is read and heard. (e.g., read aloud by teacher, literature circles, interest groups, book clubs). 3.05 Locate and discuss examples of an author’s use of: • kinds of sentences (declarative, interrogative, exclamatory). 28 2004 English Language Arts • capitalization (titles, dates and days, names of countries). • punctuation (exclamation marks, commas in dates, and to introduce dialogue and quotations). • use of paragraphs in texts and their effects on the reader. • genre(s) and specific word choice(s). 3.06 Discuss the effect of an author’s choices for nouns, verbs, modifiers and specific vocabulary which help the reader comprehend a narrative or expository text. Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Begin to use formal language and/or literary language in place of oral language patterns, as appropriate. 4.02 Use expanded vocabulary to generate synonyms for commonly over used words to increase clarity of written and oral communication. 4.03 Read aloud with fluency and expression any text appropriate for early independent readers. 4.04 Use oral communication to identify, organize, and analyze information. 4.05 Respond appropriately when participating in group discourse by adapting language and communication behaviors to the situation to accomplish a specific purpose. 4.06 Plan and make judgments about what to include in written products (e.g., narratives of personal experiences, creative stories, skits based on familiar stories and/or experiences). 4.07 Compose first drafts using an appropriate writing process: • planning and drafting. • rereading for meaning. • revising to clarify and refine writing with guided discussion. 4.08 Write structured, informative presentations and narratives when given help with organization. 4.09 Use media and technology to enhance the presentation of information to an audience for a specific purpose. 29 2004 English Language Arts Competency Goal 5 The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. 5.01 Spell correctly using: • previously studied words. • spelling patterns. • analysis of sounds to represent all the sounds in a word in one’s own writing. 5.02 Attend to spelling, mechanics, and format for final products in one’s own writing. 5.03 Use capitalization, punctuation, and paragraphs in own writing. 5.04 Use the following parts of the sentence: • subject. • predicate. • modifier. 5.05 Use editing to check and confirm correct use of conventions: • complete sentences. • correct word order in sentences. 5.06 Use correctly in written products: • letter formation, lines, and spaces to create readable documents. • plural forms of commonly used nouns. • common, age - appropriate contractions. 5.07 Use legible manuscript handwriting. 30 2004 English Language Arts ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS GRADES 3-5 Purpose/ Overview The English Language Arts curriculum for grades 3-5 is designed to sustain and expand growth of the foundational skills that students acquire in the primary grades as well as promote growth of strategies, skills, and conceptual understandings. The priority of the English Language Arts curriculum is oral and written language development and use. A primary focus is using language to obtain and communicate information, for literary response and expression, for reflection and self-evaluation, and for problem solving and application. In this way, students will be able to function effectively in their world of home, school, and community and realize personal learning and fulfillment. The expectation in our society today is for one hundred percent literacy. Literacy requires the ability to think and reason as a literate person with a focus on thinking critically and creatively using oral language, written language, and other media and technology as tools. The goal in grades 3-5 is to move students toward increasing independence in the use of communication skills and strategies. In this grade span, students become independent readers and writers and continue to expand their literacy proficiency. They learn to apply their foundational skills automatically and flexibly to reading and writing fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry. If students are not independent readers by the end of third grade, they tend not to become proficient enough in their reading and writing to graduate from high school (Snow, et al., 1998). However, it is a reasonable expectation that with appropriate instruction all students can become independent readers by the end of third grade (Stahl, June, 1999). It is desirable that students enter third grade reading simple chapter books and other texts with comfort and understanding. In third grade, students build their capacity to comprehend more difficult and varied texts and continue to develop proficiency as readers throughout their school careers. Therefore, it is imperative that lower level skills be automatic so that students’ attention is focused on the active processing of text. By fourth grade, students read sufficiently well to comprehend, analyze, criticize, abstract, respond, and reflect on text. By using literacy as a tool, students profit from the learning opportunities ahead (Snow, et al., 1998). Competency Goals And Objectives The English Language Arts competency goals and objectives are intended to capture the essentials of oral and written communication at these grade levels. They reflect what students should know and be able to do in order to communicate critically, creatively, and effectively. The competency goals and objectives reflect interrelated aspects of the dynamic process of communication. 31 2004 English Language Arts The competency goals and objectives reflect interrelated aspects of the dynamic process of communication. The curriculum identifies specific competency goals and objectives that are crucial for continued success in subsequent years of students’ public school careers and beyond. While the curriculum identifies specific goals and objectives, a major consideration also includes making connections between the school setting, personal experience, and real world application. The grade level competencies lay the groundwork for shaping a knowledgeable, literate, and responsible citizenry. Word Recognition Strategies and Skills and Vocabulary The word recognition strategies and skills goal refines and builds upon the foundational skills of decoding so that students are able to develop word recognition automatically. Readers extend their knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and root words and apply their phonics knowledge to manipulate increasingly larger parts of words to identify unfamiliar words quickly and efficiently. Students increase their repertoire of sight words through wide reading, involvement in writing process elements, discussion, vocabulary study, and the repeated use of high frequency words. Their vocabularies expand quickly as they read widely and engage in content area study, discussion and word study, and explore word origins related to a range of topics. Strategic Comprehension Strategic comprehension focuses on reading, listening, and viewing for a variety of purposes: for literary experience, to inform, and to perform a task. It deals with the acquisition, interpretation, and application of information and ideas. Readers develop an initial understanding by identifying, collecting, and selecting information and ideas. They develop a more complete understanding by organizing and using information and ideas. They learn to establish a critical stance to form opinions, make judgments, and evaluate the quality and usefulness of information and ideas. Readers stand apart from the selection(s), information, idea(s), or experience(s) and consider it/them objectively. This goal involves readers’ ability to assess validity and accuracy, determine value, and judge relevance and importance of information and ideas. Students learn the strategies proficient readers apply before, during, and after reading a text. They learn to use metacognitive strategies as they read. Metacognition involves the awareness of, manipulation of, and control over one’s thinking processes including perseverance, attitudes, and attention. Readers are aware of their own thinking, learn strategies, and apply the strategies in preparation, engagement, and response to text(s). 32 2004 English Language Arts attention. Readers are aware of their own thinking, learn strategies, and apply the strategies in preparation, engagement, and response to text(s). Making Connections The English language arts program for grades 3-5 is a spiraling program with strong connections among the goals, objectives, and strands. The interrelationships include: • the study and use of the functions of oral and written language. • the study of language and the conventions of grammar. • vocabulary development and word study. • reading broadly and deeply from a variety of genres. • writing for a variety of purposes and audiences in a variety of forms. • comprehending literally, critically, strategically, and creatively. • awareness of thinking and understanding through self-monitoring and reflection. • connections between personal experiences and text(s). • expanding literacy through research and inquiry. Teachers will want to note and build upon the connections and the overlapping areas of the curriculum asking students to note and find connections, revisit significant concepts, participate in meaningful dialogue and develop knowledge and skills within the context of appropriate use. In this way we will develop students who can read and compose. When students are successful and realize the usefulness of what they are doing they become competent and confident readers and writers and effective communicators. They use oral language, written language, and media and technology to communicate effectively and as tools for learning and personal fulfillment for a lifetime. Students learn to clarify meaning and respond critically and creatively to texts, situations, and events. Responding and making connections involves comprehending, formulating personal reactions, predicting, summarizing, supporting, justifying, assessing other points of view, and evaluating. Readers make connections by reflecting upon and reacting to selections, situations, and events. They respond and reflect from a personal perspective as they connect background knowledge and experiences. Effective Communication Effective oral and written communication requires keen awareness of the purpose, message, audience, and contexts for communication. Students learn to use language clearly, strategically, critically, and creatively. This goal focuses on using language for a variety of functions: 33 2004 English Language Arts creatively. This goal focuses on using language for a variety of functions: • instructional (to get what we want). • regulatory (to control others and the world around us). • interactional (to establish and maintain relationships with others). • personal (to develop and maintain one’s own unique identity). • informative (to represent the world to others and to impart what one knows). • heuristic (to speculate and predict what will happen). • aesthetic (to express imagination, to entertain, and to use language for its own sake). This goal teaches students to use writing, speaking, and viewing as thinking processes and as tools for learning. Students learn and develop proficiency with a number of variables: mode, tone, form, purpose, and audience. While writing, speaking, and viewing students select from and combine these variables as appropriate to the task. While writing to learn, students discover connections, describe processes, express emerging understandings, raise questions, and find answers. Thinking, speaking, and writing are recursive processes. Grammar and Language Conventions Grammar and language conventions focus on students’ increasing proficiency in the understanding of and control of their language. Language use includes vocabulary development, word choice, and syntax in both oral and written communication. Students learn how to use effective and increasingly sophisticated language: • standard English for clarity. • technical language for specificity. • informal usage for effect. Students continue to develop increasing control over grammatical conventions including sentence formation, conventional usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. Literature The study of literature is crucially important in grades 3-5. It offers countless opportunities for students to make connections between language and their own personal experiences. Literature describes the human experience and involves an interaction with and conversation between the reader and the text. Students need to develop some understanding of the distinguishing features and structures of texts and of the visual and linguistic systems out of which texts are created. Language learning involves the exploration and careful study of a wide array of texts, both print and non-print. Students need to hear and read literature from the classics to contemporary selections. When students read texts that reflect the diversity of our culture in terms of gender, 34 2004 English Language Arts understanding of the distinguishing features and structures of texts and of the visual and linguistic systems out of which texts are created. Language learning involves the exploration and careful study of a wide array of texts, both print and non-print. Students need to hear and read literature from the classics to contemporary selections. When students read texts that reflect the diversity of our culture in terms of gender, age, social class, religion, and ethnicity among individuals, they deepen their personal learning. They grow in their ability to understand our society, its history, and the contributions made by all people. Read-aloud settings provide a functional context for engaging students in and developing their listening comprehension, critical thinking, critical questioning, word choice, and authors’ craft. Reading aloud from a variety of books and genres as well as multiple readings of the same book promote the art of listening, alert students to the rhythms and patterns of language, enhance their experiences, stimulate their discussions, and provide models for oral reading. It is imperative that students regularly share what they think, know, and feel about literature through response logs, dialogue journals, book talks, conferences, role play, artistic extensions of literature, and other mediums. Equally important is the study of some texts in detail. Another major goal is for students to read broadly with the benefit of exposure to the defining features of a variety of genres. Literature study provides many benefits to readers: • knowledge of the world and human experiences. • awareness of self and others. • appreciation of diversity among peoples and cultures. • an understanding of societies and their histories. • the development of an ethical and moral sense. • understanding of what it means to be human. • development of an understanding of other perspectives. • connections to people in our time and other times and places. • perspective on one’s experience within the contexts of others’ experiences. • appreciation of the richness and complexity of human nature. • experience with different text structures and the defining features of various genres. Strands Oral language, written language, and media and technology permeate all communication. Oral language is the foundation on which all communication is based. It is now—and is even more likely to be—a primary means of acquiring and transmitting information in the future. Oral language proficiency continues to develop in grades three to five and can be improved upon with instruction and guidance. Students who experience positive feedback to their efforts to use language and have opportunities to hear language used in a variety of social contexts have a broader base for their reading and writing development. 35 2004 English Language Arts primary means of acquiring and transmitting information in the future. Oral language proficiency continues to develop in grades three to five and can be improved upon with instruction and guidance. Students who experience positive feedback to their efforts to use language and have opportunities to hear language used in a variety of social contexts have a broader base for their reading and writing development. Listening and speaking skills develop as students use them for meaningful purposes and with varied audiences. Opportunities to speak for different purposes to different audiences assist students in becoming more efficient in their application of oral language. They can use oral language to relate experiences; to explain processes; to support opinions; to describe experiences, information, and ideas; and to converse with others. Through discussion of texts and content area study, students build upon, expand, and refine their vocabularies and concept knowledge. Through group work opportunities students gain information, ideas, and in-depth understanding and share with others. Competent communicators are sensitive to the needs of different audiences and the ways in which the purpose of a communication shapes the kinds of ideas and information selected and the way in which they are presented. Depending on whether they are explaining something, arguing, persuading, or telling a story, good communicators have learned how to vary their organizational strategies. They adapt the level of detail they provide and the language they use according to the context of the communication. Throughout the school years, oral language is both a means whereby students learn about reading and a goal of reading. Listening and speaking aid reading comprehension whether the teacher is sharing a book aloud with students or students are discussing a text they have read. Discussions guide students to respond to the meanings and interpretations of texts they read. Students make predictions as they read and either confirm or adjust those predictions based on verbal interactions with others. Discussions can reveal differences in interpretation, support for or evidence against a particular interpretation, and lead to shared meaning and deeper understanding. Listening and speaking permit students to respond to text and make connections before, during, and after reading. To ensure that they can communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences, all students need to learn standard English. As students adapt and modify their language to suit different purposes, they become more proficient and efficient communicators. Oral language sophistication pays dividends as students develop in their reading and writing. Background knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, and listening comprehension are the cornerstones of written language development in third, fourth,3 a6nd fifth grades. 2004 English Language Arts reading and writing. Background knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, and listening comprehension are the cornerstones of written language development in third, fourth, and fifth grades. Students need an array of strategies for comprehending, interpreting, evaluating, and appreciating texts they read and texts they compose. Good readers and writers demonstrate: a sense of purpose, an ability to frame expectations of a task by drawing on prior reading and writing experiences, a knowledge of various approaches and how to apply them, and the capacity to reflect on written language processes. In order to learn these skills, students need frequent opportunities to read and write about different topics for varying audiences and purposes. Personal experiences, readings, and discussions provide the raw material for writing. Students need direct instruction, guidance, and practice to develop effective reading and writing skills. Also, students need to understand the varying demands of different kinds of reading and writing tasks and how to adjust their efforts accordingly. To become confident and effective readers and writers, students need to learn how to use various elements of writing and various reading strategies flexibly and adaptively. Students develop their knowledge of form and convention as they create their own texts and critique those of others. Students who can draw on a deep knowledge of language structure as they read and compose communicate more effectively. When students connect the study of grammar and language patterns to the wider purposes of communication and artistic development, they are more likely to incorporate the models they encounter into their spoken and written language. Oral and written language are valuable research tools. The ability to formulate questions, plan, predict, investigate, analyze, hypothesize, and speculate provides students a way to frame and address issues in their studies and everyday life. The application of oral and written language to problem solving and negotiation is pervasive and effective in the everyday life of students. These experiences provide the context for developing students’ research and inquiry skills. The ability to identify good topics, to gather information, and evaluate, assemble, and interpret findings from among many sources is a critical skill for students to learn. Media and technology offer many resources that students can use to access information. In order to take advantage of the resources that are available, students need to learn how to use an array of technologies. Media and technology resources such as databases, bibliographies, other data resources, and human resources give students information, ideas, and images for their exploration and incorporation into daily classroom and personal inquiry. Students need instruction in accessing these resources, gathering information, synthesizing, and evaluating the information and ideas. By using media and technology as a tool, students are able to create, enhance, critique, select, and modify products, information, and ideas. Therefore, critical analysis and evaluation is one of the most useful and necessary skills students in 37 2004 English Language Arts classroom and personal inquiry. Students need instruction in accessing these resources, gathering information, synthesizing, and evaluating the information and ideas. By using media and technology as a tool, students are able to create, enhance, critique, select, and modify products, information, and ideas. Therefore, critical analysis and evaluation is one of the most useful and necessary skills students in grades 3-5 can develop and apply. Students in grades 3-5 will continue to show evidence of mastery of competencies developed at previous grade levels, particularly as they contribute to mastery of grade-level competencies. International Reading Association. Standards for The English Language Arts. Newark, Delaware, 1996. National Center on Education and the Economy. Performance Standards: Elementary School. Vol. 1. New Standards Project, 1997. Snow, Catherine, et. al. (eds.). Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1998. Stahl, Steven. Four Questions about Assessment. K-2 Literacy Assessment Training. Greenville, North Carolina, June, 1999. 38 2004 English Language Arts THIRD GRADE Students in third grade apply the foundational skills learned earlier automatically and flexibly to decode and comprehend fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. They use critical thinking skills which they apply strategically across the disciplines to comprehend and clarify information and ideas. They compose fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama for a variety of purposes and audiences. Third graders become increasingly independent and flexible in their use of communication skills and strategies. The learner will: • Read with fluency and comprehension fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. • Apply strategies flexibly and strategically for recognizing words, learning new words, and constructing meaning from text(s). • Expand vocabulary through wide reading, word study, and discussion. • Write for a variety of audiences and purposes using appropriate formats. • Use active listening and effective oral communication. • Use media, a variety of information sources, and technological resources as tools for learning. • Apply grammar and language conventions to access and communicate information and ideas. • Reflect upon and make connections among language, texts, and personal experience. • Apply comprehension strategies and skills to a wide variety of genres. Strands: Oral Language, Written Language, and Other Media/Technology Competency Goal 1 The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. 1.01 Apply phonics and structural analysis to decode words (e.g., roots, suffixes, prefixes, less common vowel patterns, syllable breaks). 1.02 Apply meanings of common prefixes and suffixes to decode words in text to assist comprehension. 1.03 Integrate prior experiences and all sources of information in the text (graphophonic, syntactic, and semantic) when reading orally and silently. 1.04 Increase sight vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and writing vocabulary through: • wide reading. • word study. • listening. 39 2004 English Language Arts • discussion. • book talks. • book clubs. • seminars. • viewing. • role play. • studying author’s craft. 1.05 Use word reference materials (e.g., dictionary, glossary) to confirm decoding skills, verify spelling, and extend meanings of words. 1.06 Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with the student’s independent reading level) to: • increase fluency. • build background knowledge. • extend vocabulary. Competency Goal 2 The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies to comprehend text (e.g., reread, read ahead, ask for help, adjust reading speed, question, paraphrase, retell). 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, or viewing by: • setting a purpose. • previewing the text. • making predictions. • asking questions. • locating information for specific purposes. • making connections. • using story structure and text organization to comprehend. 2.03 Read a variety of texts, including: • fiction (short stories, novels, fantasies, fairy tales, fables). 40 2004 English Language Arts • nonfiction (biographies, letters, articles, procedures and instructions, charts, maps). • poetry (proverbs, riddles, limericks, simple poems). • drama (skits, plays). 2.04 Identify and interpret elements of fiction and nonfiction and support by referencing the text to determine the: • author’s purpose. • plot. • conflict. • sequence. • resolution. • lesson and/or message. • main idea and supporting details. • cause and effect. • fact and opinion. • point of view (author and character). • author’s use of figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, imagery). 2.05 Draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text. 2.06 Summarize main idea(s) from written or spoken texts using succinct language. 2.07 Explain choice of reading materials congruent with purposes (e.g., solving problems, making decisions). 2.08 Listen actively by: • facing the speaker. • making eye contact. • asking questions to clarify the message. • asking questions to gain additional information and ideas. Competency Goal 3 The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. 41 2004 English Language Arts Goal 3 written language, and media and technology. 3.01 Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by: • considering the differences among genres. • relating plot, setting, and characters to own experiences and ideas. • considering main character’s point of view. • participating in creative interpretations. • making inferences and drawing conclusions about characters and events. • reflecting on learning, gaining new insights, and identifying areas for further study. 3.02 Identify and discuss similarities and differences in events, characters, concepts and ideas within and across selections and support them by referencing the text. 3.03 Use text and own experiences to verify facts, concepts, and ideas. 3.04 Make informed judgments about television productions. 3.05 Analyze, compare and contrast printed and visual information (e.g., graphs, charts, maps). 3.06 Conduct research for assigned and self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks). Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Read aloud grade-appropriate text with fluency, comprehension, and expression. 4.02 Use oral and written language to: • present information in a sequenced, logical manner. • discuss. • sustain conversation on a topic. • share information and ideas. • recount or narrate. 42 2004 English Language Arts • answer open-ended questions. • report information on a topic. • explain own learning. 4.03 Share written and oral products in a variety of ways (e.g., author’s chair, book making, publications, discussions, presentations). 4.04 Use planning strategies (with assistance) to generate topics and to organize ideas (e.g., drawing, mapping, discussing, listing). 4.05 Identify (with assistance) the purpose, the audience, and the appropriate form for the oral or written task. 4.06 Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic by using preliminary plans. 4.07 Compose a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama selections using self-selected topics and forms (e.g., poems, simple narratives, short reports, learning logs, letters, notes, directions, instructions). 4.08 Focus reflection and revision (with assistance) on target elements by: • clarifying ideas. • adding descriptive words and phrases. • sequencing events and ideas. • combining short, related sentences. • strengthening word choice. 4.09 Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., personal narrative, short report, friendly letter, directions and instructions). 4.10 Explore technology as a tool to create a written product. Competency Goal 5 The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. 5.01 Use correct capitalization (e.g., geographical place names, holidays, special events, titles) and punctuation (e.g., commas in greetings, dates, city and state; underlining book titles; periods after initials and abbreviated titles; apostrophes in contractions). 5.02 Use correct subject/verb agreement. 5.03 Demonstrate understanding by using a variety of complete sentences (declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory) in writing and speaking. 43 2004 English Language Arts (declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory) in writing and speaking. 5.04 Compose two or more paragraphs with: • topic sentences. • supporting details. • appropriate, logical sequence. • sufficient elaboration. 5.05 Use a number of strategies for spelling (e.g., sound patterns, visual patterns, silent letters, less common letter groupings). 5.06 Proofread own writing for spelling and correct most misspellings independently with reference to resources (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, word walls). 5.07 Edit (with assistance) to use conventions of written language and format. 5.08 Create readable documents with legible handwriting (manuscript and cursive). 44 2004 English Language Arts FOURTH GRADE Students in fourth grade apply reading strategies and skills automatically, flexibly, and strategically to comprehend fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. They read for literary experience, to gain information, and to perform a task. They use a variety of strategies and writing process elements to compose fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. They become increasingly proficient in active listening, speaking, and using media and technology. They deepen and extend their understanding and use of English language conventions in oral presentations and written products. The learner will: • Explore a wide range of texts and their distinguishing features. • Expand vocabulary through wide reading, word study, exposure to content area words, and discussion. • Routinely spell high frequency words and use resources to check spelling. • Write for a variety of purposes and audiences and use writing as a tool for learning. • Communicate effectively with different audiences through spoken, written, and visual formats. • Use media and technological resources for research and as tools for learning. • Use increasingly sophisticated knowledge of grammar and language conventions in oral and written products and presentations. • Apply comprehension strategies critically, creatively, and strategically. Strands: Oral Language, Written Language, and Other Media/Technology Competency Goal 1 The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. 1.01 Use word identification strategies appropriately and automatically when encountering unknown words (graphophonic, syntactic, semantic). 1.02 Infer word meanings from taught roots, prefixes, and suffixes to decode words in text to assist comprehension. 1.03 Identify key words and discover their meanings and relationships through a variety of strategies. 1.04 Increase reading and writing vocabulary through: • wide reading. • word study. • knowledge of homophones, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms. • knowledge of multiple meanings of words. 45 2004 English Language Arts • writing process elements. • writing as a tool for learning. • seminars. • book clubs. • discussions. • examining the author’s craft. 1.05 Use word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus) to identify and comprehend unknown words. 1.06 Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with the student’s independent reading level) to: • increase fluency. • build background knowledge. • expand vocabulary. Competency Goal 2 The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies to comprehend text and to clarify meaning of vocabulary (e.g., reread the text, consult other sources, ask for help, paraphrase, question). 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by: • setting a purpose using prior knowledge and text information. • making predictions. • formulating questions. • locating relevant information. • making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas. 2.03 Read a variety of texts, including: • fiction (legends, novels, folklore, science fiction). • nonfiction (autobiographies, informational books, diaries, journals). • poetry (concrete, haiku). 46 2004 English Language Arts • drama (skits, plays). 2.04 Identify and interpret elements of fiction and nonfiction and support by referencing the text to determine the: • plot. • theme. • main idea and supporting details. • author’s choice of words. • mood. • author’s use of figurative language. 2.05 Make inferences, draw conclusions, make generalizations, and support by referencing the text. 2.06 Summarize major points from fiction and nonfiction text(s) to clarify and retain information and ideas. 2.07 Determine usefulness of information and ideas consistent with purpose. 2.08 Verify the meaning or accuracy of the author’s statement(s) by referencing the text or other resources. 2.09 Listen actively by: • asking questions. • paraphrasing what was said. • interpreting speaker’s verbal and non-verbal messages. • interpreting speaker’s purposes and/or intent. Competency Goal 3 The learner will make connections with text through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. 3.01 Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by: • analyzing the impact of authors’ word choice and context. • examining the reasons for characters’ actions. • identifying and examining characters’ motives. • considering a situation or problem from different characters’ points of view. 47 2004 English Language Arts • analyzing differences among genres. • making inferences and drawing conclusions about characters, events and themes. 3.02 Analyze characters, events, and plots within and between selections and cite supporting evidence. 3.03 Consider the ways language and visuals bring characters to life, enhance plot development, and produce a response. 3.04 Make informed judgments about television and film/video productions. 3.05 Analyze and integrate information from one or more sources to expand understanding of text including graphs, charts, and/or maps. 3.06 Conduct research for assigned projects or self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources through the use of technological and informal tools (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks). Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Read aloud grade-appropriate text with fluency, comprehension, and expression demonstrating an awareness of volume and pace. 4.02 Use oral and written language to: • present information and ideas in a clear, concise manner. • discuss. • interview. • solve problems. • make decisions. 4.03 Make oral and written presentations using visual aids with an awareness of purpose and audience. 4.04 Share self-selected texts from a variety of genres (e.g., poetry, letters, narratives, essays, presentations). 4.05 Use planning strategies to generate topics and organize ideas (e.g., brainstorming, mapping, webbing, reading, discussion). 4.06 Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic with specific, relevant, supporting details by using preliminary plans. 48 2004 English Language Arts topic with specific, relevant, supporting details by using preliminary plans. 4.07 Compose fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using self-selected and assigned topics and forms (e.g., personal and imaginative narratives, research reports, diaries, journals, logs, rules, instructions). 4.08 Focus revision on a specific element such as: • word choice. • sequence of events and ideas. • transitional words. • sentence patterns. 4.09 Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., personal and imaginative narrative, research reports, learning logs, letters of request, letters of complaint). 4.10 Use technology as a tool to gather, organize, and present information. Competency Goal 5 The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. 5.01 Use correct capitalization (e.g., names of languages, nationalities, musical compositions) and punctuation (e.g., commas in a series, commas in direct address, commas and quotation marks in dialogue, apostrophes in possessives). 5.02 Demonstrate understanding in speaking and writing by appropriate usage of: • pronouns. • subject/verb agreement. • verb tense consistency. • subject consistency. 5.03 Elaborate information and ideas in writing and speaking by using: • simple and compound sentences. • regular and irregular verbs. • adverbs. • prepositions. • coordinating conjunctions. 49 2004 English Language Arts 5.04 Compose multiple paragraphs with: • topic sentences. • specific, relevant details. • logical progression and movement of ideas. • coherence. • elaboration. • concluding statement related to the topic. 5.05 Use visual (orthography) and meaning-based strategies as primary sources for correct spelling. 5.06 Proofread and correct most misspellings independently with reference to resources (e.g., dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, computer spell-checks, and other classroom sources). 5.07 Use established criteria to edit for language conventions and format. 5.08 Demonstrate evidence of language cohesion by: • logical sequence of fiction and nonfiction retells. • time order sequence of events. • sustaining conversations on a topic. 5.09 Create readable documents through legible handwriting (cursive) and/or word processing. 50 2004 English Language Arts FIFTH GRADE Students in fifth grade expand and deepen concepts, skills, and strategies learned at earlier grades. They make new connections as they experience more sophisticated ideas and begin to study subjects in more formal ways. They read and write a variety of texts with greater breadth and depth, critically analyzing and evaluating information and ideas. Fifth graders revisit and refine concepts and their knowledge of English Language Arts conventions as they become more sophisticated, independent learners.
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Title | English language arts (K-12) : standard course of study and grade level competencies |
Contributor | North Carolina. Department of Public Instruction. |
Subjects |
English language--Written English--Study and teaching--North Carolina English language--Spoken English--Study and teaching--North Carolina English language--Study and teaching--North Carolina Curriculum planning--North Carolina Language arts--North Carolina |
Place | North Carolina, United States |
Description | Rev. 2004; Cover title from opening screen (viewed on September 27, 2012).; Includes bibliographical references (p. 180-182). |
Publisher | Public School of North Carolina, State Board of Education, Dept. of Public Instruction |
Agency-Current |
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction |
Rights | State Document see http://digital.ncdcr.gov/u?/p249901coll22,63754 |
Requirements for Use | System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader; current access available via PURL. |
Physical Characteristics | 198 p. of electonic text : digital, PDF file. |
Collection | North Carolina State Documents Collection. State Library of North Carolina |
Type | Text |
Language | English |
Format |
Guides Instructional materials |
Digital Characteristics-A | 1478 KB; 198 p. |
Digital Collection | North Carolina Digital State Documents Collection |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Related Items | http://worldcat.org/oclc/811246357/viewonline |
Audience |
Grade 1 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 |
Pres File Name-M | pubs_englishlanguagearts2004.pdf |
Pres Local File Path-M | \Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_borndigital\images_master\ |
Full Text | Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Howard N. Lee, Chairman Raleigh Jane P. Norwood, Vice Chair Charlotte Kathy A. Taft Greenville Michelle Howard-Vital Wilmington Edgar D. Murphy Durham Evelyn B. Monroe West End Maria T. Palmer Chapel Hill Robert “Tom” Speed Boone Wayne McDevitt Asheville John Tate III Charlotte Beverly Perdue, Lieutenant Governor New Bern Richard Moore, State Treasurer Kittrell NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Patricia N. Willoughby, State Superintendent 301 N. Wilmington Street • Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-2825 • www.ncpublicschools.org In compliance with federal law, including the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, NC Public Schools administers all state-operated educational programs, employment activities, and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the Office of Curriculum and School Reform Services, 6307 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-6307. Telephone (919) 807-3761; Fax (919) 807-3767 i NORTH CAROLINA STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY ii BLANK iii FOREWORD North Carolina has had a Standard Course of Study since 1898. Since that time, the curriculum has been revised periodically to reflect the changing needs of students and society. The most recent total revision of the state curriculum occured in 1985. The 1985 Standard Course of Study reflected the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to function effectively in an industrial age. It also included efforts to develop mature thinkers and problem solvers. In the years since 1985, we have witnessed a dramatic shift in the needs of business and industry, and society in general. These changes have been collectively heralded as the information age. The 21st century will bring new challenges in preparing students for the demands of an information age. While students must attain enabling skills such as reading, writing, and computing, they must also attain the new basics which include creative thinking and problem solving, interpersonal skills, negotiation and teamwork. Also since 1985, all the major content areas have developed National Standards which guide curriculum revisions. Major recent school reform efforts such as the ABC Plan with strong accountability components have necessitated an even more clearly defined state curriculum. These changes, coupled with more in-depth learning at a much higher level, provide the foundation for current revisions to the Standard Course of Study. The revisions are futuristic in outlook. They look at what students will need to know and be able to do to be successful in the 21st century. Howard N. Lee Chairman, State Board of Education iv v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Department of Public Instruction gratefully acknowledges the cooperation and assistance received from individuals and groups throughout the State in this current revision process. Without such cooperation, the revisions and printing of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study would not have been possible. We wish to express a special thanks to: • the Division of Instructional Services for providing the leadership and vision that guided the develop-ment of these documents. The untiring efforts of this staff contributed greatly to the completion of this task, • office support staff in instructional services who, in addition to their on-going responsibilities, word processed the revised documents, • the many local educators, parents, and business people who participated in the current revision process by serving on curriculum committees and reacting to draft documents, • faculty from the institutions of higher education who advised the staff and assisted in the revision of the curriculum, • the Communications and Information Division for technical assistance in the publication of the docu-ments, • Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) for allowing its Dimensions of Thinking to serve as a framework for this revision process, The curriculum will continue to be revised and improved to meet the needs of the children of North Carolina. vi Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies INTRODUCTION K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction ix INTRODUCTION Background and Overview History North Carolina has maintained a Standard Course of Study since the 1890’s. That document was a brief, simple guide which outlined the curriculum for the public schools. Every five to seven years since that time, the Standard Course of Study has been revised to reflect the needs of North Carolina students. Following the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Reform Act in June of 1984, the area of Instructional Services within the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction began a revision of the Standard Course of Study. These efforts to define a basic education program for the State resulted in two publications: • The Basic Education Program for North Carolina’s Public Schools (Adopted by State Board of Education in response to a legislative mandate) - outlines the curriculum, programs not confined to subject areas, general standards, material support, and staffing which should be provided in all schools throughout the state. • The North Carolina Standard Course of Study (Adopted as policy by the State Board of Education) - sets content standards and describes the curriculum which should be made available to every child in North Carolina’s public schools. It includes the subject or skills areas of arts education, English language arts, guidance, healthful living, information/computer skills, math-ematics, science, second language studies, social studies, and workforce development education. Also included are the philoso-phy and rationale underlying the curriculum frameworks and considerations for developing a thinking framework, aligning curriculum and assessment, and providing for the needs of excep-tional children. Standard The revised Standard Course of Study has moved from a Course detailed, prescriptive curriculum guide to a more flexible guide to of Study instruction, emphasizing what students should know and be able to do as they progress through various levels of proficiency and ultimately x exit from high school. The revised curriculum focuses on themes and concepts rather than isolated facts. It emphasizes thinking skills and problem solving more than the memorization and recall of informa-tion. The revised Standard Course of Study is based on recent research on how students learn. It is a curriculum that promotes integration through the identification of common skills and processes. The Standard Course of Study includes the curriculum that should be made available to every child in North Carolina’s public schools. Many public schools in the state presently offer an even more comprehensive curriculum. Therefore, in some curriculum areas, electives were also included. The Standard Course of Study is part of the Department of Public Education’s continual improvement efforts. The curriculum will be revised on a regular basis to remain consistent with the changing needs of our nation, state, and local communities. Philosophy and Education has long served as the key to equal opportunity for Rationale American citizens. We should be proud of our schools. Historically, American schools have prepared students to join an industrialized economy and become contributing citizens in their communities. Today, however, the challenge of education is to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Students in modern society must be prepared to: • compete in a global economy, • understand and operate complex communication and information systems, and • apply higher level thinking skills to make decisions and solve problems. American businesses seek students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the international marketplace of today’s information-based society. Whether at work or in post-secondary study, students must be able to apply what they’ve learned from their years of public schooling. The purpose of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study is to guaran-tee that all students have equal access to the same basic curriculum. If public education is an avenue to equal opportunity, high standards must be set for all students. The Standard Course of Study does not seek to prescribe how schools should organize themselves or how teachers should instruct. Rather, the curriculum sets standards against which schools and teachers may judge their success. xi Curriculum The Department of Public Instruction views integration as a curriculum Integration implementation strategy which links the content and skills from various disciplines. There are various models of integration which seek to achieve an acceptable degree of interdisciplinary learning. Generally, these mod-els use the language and methodology from more than one discipline and focus on unifying themes, issues, problems, concepts, and experiences. These models help the learner make connections among the individual disciplines and are based upon the following beliefs. Integration: • Mirrors the real world in which we live. • Motivates students by making learning relevant to their personal lives. • Adds coherence to vast amounts of information by making connections among disciplines. • Addresses the overcrowded curriculum by viewing content as a “means” not an “end.” • Acknowledges reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and the use of numbers as enabling skills within thinking processes. • Fosters collaboration among students and teachers. Although the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction strongly endorses the concept of integration among various disciplines, local school districts, schools, and classroom teachers are best able to develop curricu-lar units which will be meaningful to the teachers and students at the classroom level. It is the responsibility of the State to set quality curricu-lum and performance standards and to develop models of integration which link curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Thinking and To become productive, responsible citizens and to achieve a sense of Reasoning Skills personal fulfillment, students must develop their ability to think and reason. It is no longer adequate for students to simply memorize informa-tion for recall. If graduates are to function effectively now and in the 21st century, they must be able to acquire and integrate new information, make judgments, apply information, and reflect on learning. Research during the 1960’s in cognitive psychology has led to the study of the processes that underlie learning. Although there are numerous models of intelligence and learning, the following guiding assumptions serve as the foundation for a thinking framework for North Carolina’s public schools. xii • All students can become better thinkers. • Thinking is content dependent and influenced by the learner’s prior knowledge of that content. • The teaching of thinking should be deliberate and explicit with an emphasis on the transfer and application of thinking processes and skills. • Thinking is improved when the learner takes control of his/her thinking processes and skills. • Curriculum, instruction, and assessment should be aligned to enhance the teaching of thinking. • Improving student thinking will require fundamental changes in the school culture, including lesson design, student assessment, classroom organization, and school governance. • Over-emphasis on factual recall inhibits the development of thinking. • Schools must model thoughtful behavior-decision making, problem solving and other thinking processes. • Efforts to improve thinking within a school or school system should be guided by a conceptual framework and comprehensive plan. • There is no single best program for the teaching of thinking. Dimensions of The Department of Public Instruction has adopted Dimensions of Thinking Thinking* (1988) as the framework for the revised curriculum. The more recent work, Dimensions of Learning (1994), builds on the theory and research from Dimensions of Thinking and provides direction from a practitioner’s perspective. • Thinking Skills: These are specific cognitive operations--the building blocks of thinking. Examples are observing, recalling comparing, and ordering. • Thinking Processes: These are complex sequences of thinking skills. Different processes involve variable sequences of thinking skills. They occur over time. • Creative Thinking: This is the ability to form new combinations of ideas to fulfill needs. It is generative in nature and is usually judged by outputs. • Critical Thinking: This is reasonable, reflective thinking--deciding what to believe. It is evaluative in nature and helps one not to be blinded by his/her own point of view. • Metacognition: This is the awareness of one’s own self as a thinker. * Marzano, R.J. et.al. (1988). Dimensions of Thinking, Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum. xiii The North Carolina Standard Course of Study sets content standards for what students should know and be able to do. The North Carolina ABCs Accountability Plan establishes performance standards which specify the level of proficiency a student must reach in order to have met specific content standards in specified subject areas. These performance standards are indicators of proficiency for those content areas that are tested. A balanced assessment program for North Carolina schools, teachers, and students serves multiple purposes. Classroom assessment informs instruc-tion and monitors students’ progress, while statewide testing focuses on accountability for student achievement and quality programs. Accountabil-ity measures are the means of checking broadly to determine what has been learned within the school. These assessments allow for corrections in instructional focus at a program level and are important indicators of the degree to which all students are learning the Standard Course of Study. These data also help teachers determine students’ progress from year to year. Results from accountability measures provide one source of informa-tion for parents and the public in a timely and accurate manner. Ongoing classroom assessments are multifaceted and document students’ progress over time. They are planned and administered by the classroom teacher and are focused on improving learning, readjusting instruction, and promoting quality, in-depth student work. These assessments make use of various strategies such as observations and open-ended questions and resources such as instructional management systems (test item banks) and portfolios. They encourage the observation of processes and the collection of student products. These assessments inform instructional planning and student, teacher, and parent conferences where individual student progress and future goals are discussed. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction believes that a balanced assessment program supports implementation of the Standard Course of Study. Balanced assessment includes testing for accountability purposes and the continual development of quality classroom assessment as vehicles to prepare students to master high content and performance standards. The strategies most likely to result in long-term growth and learning of high quality will result from effective use of classroom assess-ments as an integral part of instruction. Additionally, strong classroom assessment engages students in self-assessment and greater ownership for their own learning. Quality classroom assessment is essential to the goals of high student achievement and the continuous improvement of schools. Alignment of Curriculum and Assessment Balanced Assessment Program xiv Decisions & Actions A strong model for teaching and learning includes classroom assessment as an integral part of a balanced assessment program. In an instruction-assessment cycle assessment methods are tied to learning targets and then to decisions about instruction. (See Figure 1 on page xiv.) In the initial part of the cycle, learning targets (goals) are clarified and students know in advance what they are expected to learn. Teachers use their in-depth understanding of the curricu-lum to identify the most important learning goals and establish priorities for instruction in order to build on students’ prior understandings. They consider multiple targets – factual information, concepts, processes, reasoning, appli-cations, and attitudes. They establish high expectations for all students for all important learning targets. Most importantly, they are able to clarify for themselves and their students what those targets are and what mastery of them will look like. Since the primary users of classroom assessment are teachers and students, the most important purpose is to direct and inform student learning. Teachers and students need multiple evidences about each student’s understandings and performances to diagnose, monitor progress, evaluate achievement, and plan for future instruction. Teachers use a variety of assessment methods, both formal and informal, to gather evidence of student learning. They match the type of assessment method to the learning target they want to measure and use stategies that ask students to demonstrate their thinking and reasoning. Through an ongoing process teachers may use classroom activities both to instruct and assess at the same time. What is important is that evidence of student learning is gathered with a variety of assessment methods, in multiple contexts, and over an extended period of time. As they gather the evidence about students’ learning through classroom assess-ment, teachers make sense of assessment information. They ask themselves reflective questions. For example, they may ask: • What do these errors actually tell me about the students’ thinking and understanding? • Do I have sufficient evidence to know how well the students really understand? • How well can I generalize about how much students know and can do? • What other evidence may I need? Reflection helps teachers decide what information and feedback can be ex-tracted from student assessment data and what inferences and interpretations can be made about student learning. Learning Targets Assessment Methods xv Learning Targets Feedback Inferences Purposes of Assessment Information Needed Communication Documentation Assessment Cycle: A Model for Teaching and Learning Assessment Methods Decisions & Actions In the last part of the model, teachers document, act on, and communicate information from the assessments. By taking action based upon what the students understand and can do, teachers are likely to be more effective in their decisions. They may decide to reteach key concepts, to move to the next unit of instruction, to regroup students for further instruction, or to allow more practice and application time. Documentation of student learning occurs throughout the teaching and learning model and will include diverse formats: checklists, anecdotal records, observations, grades, portfolios. Communication can provide clear, precise, useable feedback to students, parents, administra-tors, or other interested adults. This communication can be formal (a report card or scheduled conference) or informal (a telephone conversation, note, or conversation). The cycle of teaching and learning will repeat again and again throughout the year, with the teacher’s identifying and clarifying the next learning targets. Both classroom assessment and statewide testing focus on the learning targets that are described in the Standard Course of Study, albeit for different pur-poses. Future changes in the scope and form of statewide assessments will therefore be based on the Standard Course of Study. Communication Documentation Figure 1 xvi Learning Outcomes Programs for Children With Special Needs The Purpose The main purpose of exceptional children’s programs is to ensure that of Programs for students with disabilities develop mentally, physically and Exceptional emotionally to the fullest extent possible through an appropriate, Children individualized education in the least restrictive environment. Children with special needs are students who because of permanent or temporary mental, physical, or emotional disabilities need special educa-tion and are unable to have all their educational needs met in a regular class without special education or related services. Children with special needs include those who are autistic, hearing impaired (deaf and hard of hearing), mentally handicapped (educable, trainable, or severely/pro-foundly), multi-handicapped, orthopedically impaired, other health im-paired, pregnant, behaviorally-emotionally handicapped, specific learning disabled, speech-language impaired, traumatic brain injured, and visually impaired (blind or partially sighted). See Section .1501 or Procedures Governing Programs and Services for Children with Special Needs for definitions of these classifications. Programs and services for children with special needs may be classified as both instructional programs and instructional support services, depending on the educational need of an individual student. Content Sequence Curricula for most children with special needs follow the curricula for students in general education. Emphasis must be given to instruction in English language arts, arts education, social studies, health-ful living, mathematics, science, career and vocational education, depend-ing on the needs of the individual student. Attention must focus upon cognitive, affective, motor and vocational development within the curricu-lar areas. The Individualized Education Program for students with dis-abilities is based on a comprehensive assessment, and states in writing the special education offerings to be provided to each student with a disability. Learning outcomes - knowledge, skills, concepts, understandings, and attitudes - for students with disabilities will differ from student to student. For many exceptional students, the same learning outcomes developed for students in general education will be appropriate. Some exceptional students will meet the learning outcomes at a different time and in a different manner than students in general education. Some students with severely limiting disabilities might not meet these outcomes in general education and will need a totally different curriculum. xvii The purpose for adapting or changing curricula and teaching and learning strategies for students with disabilities is to help them achieve at their highest level, and to prepare them to function as independently as possible. Completion of school experience by students with disabilities is deter-mined by meeting the requirements for graduation or by attaining the goals in the Individualized Education Program, or both. To graduate with a diploma, an exceptional student must earn the State mandated units of credit based on successful completion of course work, and acceptable scores on tests adopted by the State. Exceptional students who do not meet the State and local requirements for a diploma, but meet other re-quirements for graduation, will be eligible to participate in graduation exercises and receive a certificate of achievement. Although course requirements are the same for exceptional students and non-exceptional students, the instruction must be tailored to meet each student’s individual needs. Instruction is based on the curricula needs (academic, affective, motor, and vocational) of each student with a disabil-ity. Instruction varies from student to student so curricula may vary also. The key to all education for students with disabilities is the Individualized Education Plan. Curriculum Adaptation xviii SBE Revised April 1999 State of North Carolina Graduation Requirements North Carolina high school students are expected to meet specific state requirements in order to receive a high school diploma. These requirements apply to all students across the state and help ensure that all graduates have met certain standards. These standards for achievement and courses are designed to prepare students for higher education and for work as adults. In addition to state standards, local school boards may set other standards to graduate. Ninth graders entering high school for the first time in 2000-01 also are required to select and complete one of four courses of study before they graduate. This marks the first time that North Carolina has required students to meet this standard. Educators hope that this will spur students to consider more carefully their future opportunities and to plan accordingly. Graduation Requirements – plan ahead! There are three types of requirements that students must meet: credits, Course of Study and tests. Students, with their parents’ input, need to decide if they are planning for a career immediately after high school graduation, if the student plans to pursue a two-year or community college degree, or if the student will pursue a four-year college or university degree. If undecided, students should take the most rigorous course of study in which they can be successful, particularly in mathematics. Students need to ensure that they understand the education and other preparation required for the career they choose to pursue as adults. Students and their parents should review this plan annually to determine any changes needed. Credits and Courses of Study Students must select a Course of Study to guide the courses they take during high school. Three of the four Courses of Study require that students complete 20 course credits as well as the NC High School Exit Exam. These Courses of Study – Career Prep, College Tech Prep, and College/University Prep – are designed for students to go directly to work or to a community or technical college or to a four-year college or university. A fourth Course of Study, the Occupational Course of Study, is designed for certain students with disabilities who have an Individualized Education Plan. Most students, regardless of Course of Study, take credits in the same core curricular areas. In fact, the Courses of Study provide enough flexibility for students to modify their Course if they choose to do so. The Career Prep, College Tech Prep, and College/University Prep Courses of Study require a minimum of 4 credits in English 3 credits in science *3 credits in mathematics 1 credit in Health/Physical Education electives 3 credits in social studies Please see chart on Page xix for additional information about credit requirements. * The College/University Prep Courses of Study requires 4 credits in Mathematics for first time ninth graders beginning in 2002-03. SBE Revised April 1999 NC COURSE OF STUDY GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS* Content Area CAREER PREP Course of Study Requirements COLLEGE TECH PREP** Course of Study Requirements COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY PREP Course of Study (UNC 4-yr college) Requirements OCCUPATIONAL*** Course of Study Requirements English 4 Credits I, II, III, IV 4 Credits I, II, III, IV 4 Credits I, II, III, IV 4 Credits – Occupational English I, II, III, IV Mathematics 3 Credits Including Algebra I 3 Credits ** Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, OR Algebra I, Technical Math I & II, OR Integrated Mathematics I, II, III 4 Credits (4th credit effective for first time ninth graders in 2002-2003) Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and higher level math course with Algebra II as prerequisite OR Integrated Mathematics I,II,III and a credit beyond Integrated Mathematics III 3 Credits Occupational mathematics I, II, III Science 3 Credits A Physical Science course, Biology, Earth/Environmental Science 3 Credits A Physical Science course related to career pathway (CP), Biology, Earth/Environmental Science 3 Credits A Physical Science course, Biology, Earth/Environmental Science 2 Credits Life Skills Science I, II Social Studies 3 Credits Government/Economics (ELPS), US History, World Studies 3 Credits Government/Economics (ELPS), US History, World Studies 3 Credits Government/Economics (ELPS), US History, World Studies (2 courses to meet UNC minimum admission requirements-US History & 1 elective) 2 Credits Social Studies I (Government/US History) Social Studies II (Self-Advocacy/Problem Solving) Second Language Not required Not required ** 2 Credits in the same language Not required Computer Skills No specific course required, students must demonstrate proficiency through state testing (starting with graduating class of 2001) No specific course required, students must demonstrate proficiency through state testing (starting with graduation class of 2001) No specific course required, students must demonstrate proficiency through state testing (starting with graduation class of 2001) Computer proficiency as specified in IEP Health and Physical Education 1 Credit Health/Physical Education 1 Credit Health/Physical Education 1 Credit Health/Physical Education 1 Credit Health/Physical Education Career Technical 4 Credits in Career/Technical Select courses appropriate for career pathway to include a second level (advanced) course OR 4 Credits Select courses appropriate for career pathway to include a second level (advanced) course Not required 4 Credits Career/Technical Education electives Arts Education (Dance, Music, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts) 4 Credits in an Arts Discipline Select courses appropriate for an arts education pathway to include an advanced course Recommend at least one credit in an arts discipline and/or requirement by local decision Recommend at least one credit in an arts discipline and/or requirement by local decision Recommend at least one credit in an arts discipline and/or requirement by local decision Recommend at least one credit in an arts discipline and/or requirement by local decision (for students not taking an arts education pathway) Electives or other require-ments***** 2 Elective Credits and other credits designated by LEA 2 Elective Credits and other credits designated by LEA 3 Elective Credits and other credits designated by LEA Occupational Preparation: 6 Credits: Occupational Preparation I,II,III,IV**** Proficiency on Exit Exam (Effective for entering ninth graders 2001-2002) Proficiency on Exit Exam (Effective for entering ninth graders 2001-2002) Proficiency on Exit Exam (Effective for entering ninth graders 2001-2002) Elective credits/completion of IEP objectives/Career Portfolio-required/ No Exit Exam TOTAL 20 Credits plus any local requirements 20 Credits plus any local requirements 20 Credits plus any local requirements 22 Credits plus any local requirements *Effective for ninth graders entering for the first time in 2000-01. The additional mathematics credit in college/university prep is for entering ninth graders of 2002-03. **A student pursuing a college tech prep course of study may meet the requirements of a college/university course of study by completing 2 credits in the same second language and one additional unit in mathematics. ***This course of study shall be made available for certain students with disabilities who have an IEP, beginning in 2000-01. ****Completion of 300 hours of school-based training, 240 hours of community-based training, and 360 hours of paid employment. *****Examples of electives include JROTC and other courses that are of interest to the student. xix NORTH CAROLINA ACADEMIC SCHOLARS PROGRAM History In March, 1983, the State Board of Education approved the North Carolina Scholars Program to begin with the 1983-1984 school year. In March, 1990, the State Board of Education revised the program and re-designated it the North Carolina Academic Scholars Program. Again, the State Board of Education revised program requirements in August 2002 to make it more consistent with graduation requirements and promote rigorous academic study. The current plan will remain in effect for students who entered ninth grade for the first time in or before 2002-2003. The revised plan is effective for students who enter the ninth grade for the first time in or after 2003-2004. Students who complete the requirements for an academically challenging high school program will be named North Carolina Academic Scholars and receive special recognition. Recognition The students who qualify for this special recognition • will be designated by the State Board of Education as North Carolina Academic Scholars. • will receive a seal of recognition attached to their diplomas. • may receive special recognition at graduation exercises and other community events. • may be considered for scholarships from the local and state business/industrial community. • may use this special recognition in applying to post-secondary institutions. (Candidates are identified by the end of grade 11 and their candidacy can be included in application forms and/or transcripts sent to these institutions.) NORTH CAROLINA ACADEMIC SCHOLARS PROGRAM (Revised 8/8/02) This plan is in effect for students who entered the ninth grade for the first time in or before 2002-2003. The following revised plan is effective for students who enter the ninth grade for the first time in or after 2003-2004. CHANGES Students must: • begin planning for the program before entering grade 9 to ensure they obtain the most flexibility in their courses. • complete all the requirements of this North Carolina Academic Scholars Program. • have an overall four-year grade average of B or its equivalent as determined by the local board of education. Students must: • begin planning for the program before entering grade 9 to ensure they obtain the most flexibility in their courses. • complete all the requirements of this North Carolina Academic Scholars Program. • have an overall four-year unweighted grade point average of 3.5. • complete all requirements for a North Carolina high school diploma. Unweighted grade point average of 3.5 rather than a B Completion of all requirements for a high school diploma Credits The following designated number of credits per subject area listed below must be taken in grades 9-12. Credits The following designated number of credits per subject area listed below must be taken in grades 9-12. 4 English I,II,III,IV 4 English Language Arts I,II,III,IV none 3 Mathematics (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II or one unit of advanced mathematics for which Algebra II is a prerequisite) 4 Mathematics (Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and a higher level math course with Algebra II as prerequisite OR Integrated Mathematics I, II, III, and a higher level mathematics course with Integrated Mathematics III as prerequisite) One additional credit required, optional Integrated Math sequence 3 Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or one other advanced science in lieu of Physics) 3 Science (a Physics or Chemistry course, Biology, and an Earth/Environmental Science course) Physics OR Chemistry, an Earth/Environmental Science course specified 3 Social Studies (Government/Economics, U.S. History, and one world studies course) 3 Social Studies (World History, Civics/Economics, and U.S. History) World History specified 2 Foreign Languages (two levels of the same language) 2 Languages other than English ( two credits of the same language) none 1 Health/Physical Education 1 Healthful Living none 1 Career and Technical Education 2 Additional units selected from among English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies or Foreign Language courses 1 Arts Education (Dance, Music, Theatre Arts or Visual Arts) A new credit required in Career/Technical Education and in Arts Education 4 Electives 5 Elective credits to include at least two second-level or advanced courses (Examples of electives include JROTC and other courses that are of interest to the student.) Two second-level or advanced level courses required 22 Note: Adopted by the State Board of Education on March 8, 1990. The above is the single plan applicable to graduates effective with the class of 1994. 24 Note: Adopted by the State Board of Education in August 2002. The above is the single plan applicable to students who enter the ninth grade for the first time in or after 2003-2004. Two additional credits required 2004 English Language Arts TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ...................................................................................................................... ix Foreword............................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................. 4 Preface .................................................................................................................. 5 Outcomes .............................................................................................................. 6 Purpose.................................................................................................................. 7 Philosophy............................................................................................................. 8 Program Description.............................................................................................. 11 Grade Level Curriculum K-2 Grade-Level Goals and Objectives.................................................................. 14 3-5 Grade-Level Goals and Objectives................................................................... 31 6-8 Grade-Level Goals and Objectives................................................................... 57 9-12 Grade-Level Goals and Objectives................................................................. 83 Advanced Placement (AP) English Goals and Objectives ...................................... 122 Appendices A – Information on Beginning Reading Instruction................................................ 132 B – Grade Span Continuums K-2 ............................................................................................................ 160 3-5 ............................................................................................................. 161 6-8 ............................................................................................................. 162 9-12 ........................................................................................................... 163 C – Strand Continuums Written Language....................................................................................... 164 Oral Language ........................................................................................... 166 Other Media/Technology ........................................................................... 167 D – Content of a Reading and Literature Program K-12......................................... 168 E – Glossary .......................................................................................................... 176 2004 English Language Arts 2 2004 English Language Arts FOREWORD North Carolina has had a Standard Course of Study since 1898. Since that time, curricula have been revised periodically to reflect the changing needs of students and society. The most recent revision of the complete K-12 state English Language Arts curriculum occurred in 1992. That curriculum reflected the shift in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed by business, industry, and society to function in an information-driven world. Current revisions continue to build upon those efforts. The revised curriculum is based upon surveys of the effectiveness of the previous curriculum, current educational research, and input from public school teachers, administrators, college and university faculties, parents, and business and community leaders. In addition, the revised curriculum is based on national curriculum standards developed jointly by the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association and on language arts standards developed by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The North Carolina English Language Arts Standard Course of Study clearly defines a curriculum supporting the ABC’s school reform effort as well as the North Carolina Testing Program. These revisions maintain a forward focus by looking at what students will need to know and to be able to do as successful and contributing citizens in our state and nation in the years ahead. 3 2004 English Language Arts ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Department of Public Instruction gratefully acknowledges the cooperation and assistance received from individuals and groups throughout the State in this current revision process. Without such cooperation, the revisions and printing of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study would not have been possible. We wish to express a special thanks to: • the Office of Instructional Services for providing the leadership and vision that guided the development of this document; • the many local educators, parents, and businesspeople who participated in the current revision process by serving on committees and reacting to draft documents; • faculty from the institutions of higher education who advised the staff and assisted in the revision of the curriculum; • the members of the elementary, middle, and high school curriculum revision committees who gave their time and expertise; and • the Department of Public Instruction English Language Arts staff who carried the primary responsibility for revision and editing the curriculum. The 1999 revision process involved on some level the entire English Language Arts community resulting in a document that North Carolina educators find useful. The 2004 process involved minor clarifications of the goals and objectives to allow more understanding of the intent of the original document. We will regularly revise the curriculum in order to meet the needs of the students of North Carolina. 4 2004 English Language Arts PREFACE Intent The intent of the North Carolina English Language Arts Standard of Course of Study (SCS) is to establish competency goals and objectives SCS for the teaching and learning of English Language Arts in North Carolina. The document details the English Language Arts content that should be taught in all schools. Optional documents are available that support the SCS. These support documents offer suggestions for methodology and materials to implement the curriculum. The primary goal of English Language Arts instruction in North Carolina is to ensure that all students learn how to use language effectively in order to function as individuals and as contributing members of society. _______________________________________________________ Revisions The entire K-12 North Carolina English Language Arts Standard of SCS Course of Study was last revised in 1999. The beginning reading portion was revised in 1997 in response to legislative mandate to include more emphasis on early and systematic phonics instruction within a balanced reading program. The curriculum contains specific goals and objectives for each grade level. This 2004 curriculum includes clarifications and specificity designed to make the competency objectives more comprehensible and to support teachers’ implementation of the standards. 5 2004 English Language Arts OUTCOMES OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STUDY Outcomes The outcomes of a successful English Language Arts curriculum are that students can use language effectively. ______________________________________________________ Student Students who successfully complete a balanced and effective Language English Language Arts program will be able to perform the following Competencies activities: Use strategies and processes to improve their language use: • by planning, adjusting, evaluating, and refining the language they use for different purposes and audiences. Use language to acquire, interpret, and apply information: • by identifying, collecting, or selecting information and ideas; • by analyzing, synthesizing, and organizing information to discover related ideas, concepts, or generalizations; and • by applying, extending, and expanding on information and concepts. Use language to critically analyze and evaluate information: • by assessing the validity and accuracy of information and ideas determining the value of information and ideas; and • by developing criteria and evaluating the quality, relevance, and importance of information and ideas. Use language to express aesthetic and personal responses: • by responding to personal situations and events in selections and to personal situations and events; • by responding to the personal, social, cultural, and historical significance of selections or personal experiences; and • by responding critically and creatively to selections or personal experience. 6 2004 English Language Arts PURPOSE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STUDY Purpose The ultimate purpose of the English Language Arts curriculum is to teach students the language abilities they need to communicate effectively as individuals and as contributing members of society. ____________________________________________________________ Language Students will develop the language skills necessary to function in society Abilities as the following individuals: Self-directed learners who possess: • a desire to learn for a lifetime; • the competence to learn in real-life situations; • a knowledge of pragmatics in communication; • the motivation and ability to produce quality work and products; and • the disposition to make personal and aesthetic responses. Collaborative workers who possess: • the ability to function as both effective receivers and senders of information; • leadership and group skills to function effectively within interpersonal relationships; • sensitivity to social, historical, and cultural diversity; and • the desire to contribute to the improvement of society. Complex thinkers who possess: • awareness and ownership of their own learning; and • the ability to reason, make decisions, and solve complex problems in a variety of contexts. 7 2004 English Language Arts PHILOSOPHY Societal Futurists predict new challenges in preparing students for the demands of Needs an information age. These visionaries expect the need for an increasingly high level of literacy. While students continue to need mastery of enabling skills such as reading, writing, and computing, they must also prepare for the new basics, which include problem solving, critical and creative thinking, decision making, flexibility and adaptability, and the ability to work collaboratively. The intent of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for English Language Arts is to equip students with the level of literacy needed to participate as informed citizens in a democratic society, to function effectively in the world of work, and to realize personal fulfillment. Curriculum The first priority of an English Language Arts program is language Priority development. Use of oral and written language sets human beings apart from other forms of life and allows for the expression of the human spirit, the development of ethical responsibility, and the ability to interact with and influence others. Indeed, it is this use of language which challenges us to examine and clarify our thinking as we search for the best means to communicate our thoughts and ideas. Guiding An effective English Language Arts program must be concerned with Principles both process and content—with how students learn and what they learn. In such an environment, teachers and students are guided by the following principles: • Learning to communicate through written and oral language and media should be a rewarding experience. • Students learn to communicate by using language in natural and purposeful ways. • Language skills are interrelated processes utilized by the learner to comprehend and convey meaning: oral (listening and speaking), written (reading and writing), and media use. • Teachers provide many kinds of support including skills emphasis and meaning emphasis. • Teachers balance both direct and indirect instruction. • Students learn to value their own language when it is valued by others who hold high expectations for all students. • Learning is enhanced in an environment where students are encouraged to: think critically and creatively about ideas, relate the content of the message to personal experiences, understand and use the patterns and structures of language. 8 2004 English Language Arts • Learners employ three curing systems on an intuitive and conscious or metacognitive level. Cues used in communication are: –knowledge of sound-symbol relationships (graphophonic information), –personal knowledge of language/word order (syntactic information), –personal knowledge of the student (semantic information). • Growth in the ability to use language to communicate is an on going and life-long process. Assessment of a curriculum should be continuous and integrated with the instructional process. • Assessment procedures should be balanced to include multiple-choice testing, open-ended questions, portfolios, demonstrations, debates, reports, investigations, etc. Generally, assessment should be focused on improving instruction and should promote quality, depth, and extensions of student work. • Students should share the responsibility for their learning. They must develop an increasing awareness of their own thinking, including attitudes, habits, and dispositions. Student-initiated learning involving choice, collaboration, and active participation is more likely to produce a high level of interest and accomplishment than teacher-centered exposition. • Using oral and written language and media enable learners to clarify their thinking, to investigate, and to increase knowledge in all subject areas. Integrating the teaching of English Language Arts with other subjects enhances the learner’s ability to move from the known to the unknown, to see relationships, and to make generalizations. _________________________________________________________________ ELA Language and literature are the content of an integrated English Language Arts Content program. The study of these areas should include the structure of the English language, its social and historical perspective, and a respect and appreciation for the cultural diversity of those who speak English. Essential to this study is the systematic exploration of literature with a clear emphasis on the comprehension and response to the beauty and legacy of the English language. A balanced English Language Arts curriculum focuses on the student as an active participant in the learning process. Included in the study is the selective and strategic use of monitoring, self-questioning, and focusing strategies. In a similar manner, engaged learners explore options in presentation: films or videotapes in the study of literature and language; audiotapes in the study of oral language; and word processors and other media in composing, revising, and publishing compositions. ________________________________________________________________ Summary As local school systems begin the implementation of this curriculum, they will recognize much information that is familiar and some that is new. It is the belief of the English Language Arts Section that the information included in this curriculum reflects current research and best teaching practices. The document 9 2004 English Language Arts has been a collaborative effort among the Department of Public Instruction, local education agencies, and institutions of higher education. It is intended to assist educators as they create conditions that enable students to learn and that encourage their desire to learn. 10 2004 English Language Arts ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Spiraling The English Language Arts Curriculum is a spiraling curriculum Curriculum in the sense that many of the same skills develop over time. _____________________________________________________ Strands Students at any grade level continue to develop skills in the three language strands: • oral language, • written language, and • media/technology use. The specific expectations for what students study at different grade levels vary. First graders and tenth graders, for example, all read and write and use technology, but the expectations about what they read and write and how they use media are different. (See Strand Continuums, Appendix C.) ______________________________________________________ Common Likewise, at all grades students study some common content: Content • language of the discipline (plot, theme, setting, etc.); • language conventions (sentence structure, mechanics, spelling and punctuation, etc.); and • different genre (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama). This common content study, however, also involves age-appropriate materials and different grade level expectations. (See Grade Span Continuums, Appendix B.) ______________________________________________________ Common In order to provide continuity of language study and increasing K-5 language skill development across grade levels, grades K-5 have Goals common goals. These goals are: • The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. • The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 11 2004 English Language Arts • The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. • The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. • The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. Common In order to provide continuity of language study and increasing 6-12 language skill development across grade levels, grades 6-12 also Goals have common goals. These goals are: • The learner will use language to express individual perspectives drawn from personal or related experience. • The learner will analyze information from a variety of sources. • The learner will examine the foundations and use of argument. • The learner will refine critical thinking skills and create criteria to evaluate text and multimedia. • The learner will interpret and evaluate a wide range of literary texts. • The learner will develop an understanding of the application of grammar conventions and language usage. Different The differences in English Language Arts study at each grade Grade level are reflected in the objectives under each goal at Level different grade levels. These differences in objectives result in Objectives different emphases at grade level spans. Students at a specific grade will continue to show evidence of mastery of competencies developed at previous grade levels, particularly as they contribute to mastery of grade-level competencies. Grades K-2 Emphasis Students develop and refine oral language skills while learning basic written language skills and use of media. They develop understandings, knowledge, strategies, and skills which enable them to become independent readers and writers who can continue learning throughout the years to follow. Grades 3-5 Emphasis Students continue to develop basic language skills and develop the use of these skills to learn content in other disciplines such as science, social studies, and the arts. They use a variety of media to demonstrate their learning. Grades 6-8 Emphasis 12 2004 English Language Arts Students in the middle grades continue to refine previously learned skills in increasingly complex presentations, reading selections, and written products. They use language to communicate skillfully and effectively for a variety of purposes, for different audiences, and within diverse contexts. Grades 9-12 Emphasis Students continue to develop language use in different contexts and for different audiences and purposes. They engage in the formal study of literature, write more complex compositions, engage in research, and develop skill in evaluating professional authors’ as well as their own language use. They develop sophisticated media productions to showcase their learning. 13 2004 English Language Arts English Language Arts Curriculum Grades K-2 Purpose/ Overview Children enter school eager to learn and make sense of their world. This search for meaning and interest in becoming a literate member of a community should be used to facilitate present and future learning. In grades K-2 the curriculum provides a framework for planning learning activities that promote the acquisition of a variety of strategies and skills that become habitual and automatic. These children use their language, knowledge, skills, and personal experiences to comprehend literature and other texts. During these first years children need to be given many daily opportunities to connect what they know to new skills and information as they grow cognitively and socially. Young children are able to be self-directed learners, collaborative partners in a community of learners, and complex thinkers when provided experiences with written and oral language that are relevant and appropriate for them as individual learners. Wixson and Dutro (CIERA Report #3-001) recommend that the content of state standards and benchmarks that are a part of a state’s curriculum should "derive from information based on current research conducted among linguistically and culturally diverse children." The curriculum for young children in North Carolina schools is based on the research as presented in Appendix A. Research has shown that children learn the foundation skills that enable them to become independent readers through direct instruction of decoding and comprehension skills and through strategies appropriate for individual student’s strengths, patterns of development, rate of learning, and specific learning needs. In addition, research indicates that children improve their reading skills by reading self-selected texts daily (Adams, 1990; Allington and Pressley, 1999; Clay, 1991; and Snow, 1998). Competency Goals And Objectives The five competency goals and objectives selected to accomplish program aims are designed to foster the development of strategies and skills in oral and written language abilities while using media and technology to learn to communicate. In the early grades students need to learn to use enabling skills and strategies which help readers to read (decode) texts in order to understand the message written by another author. They learn how texts are constructed as they become authors who compose and convey messages, using the conventions of oral and written language. The dominant focus of the curriculum for students in grades K-2 is the acquisition and development of language abilities while learning how to learn. When students complete second grade, they need to be able to apply the enabling strategies and skills to read a new (unseen) text independently, using appropriate decoding strategies and skills that may be necessary. These students must also be competent comprehenders who are able to construct meaning by making connections and applying comprehension strategies. They can create complete oral, written, and 14 2004 English Language Arts acquisition and development of language abilities while learning how to learn. When students complete second grade, they need to be able to apply the enabling strategies and skills to read a new (unseen) text independently, using appropriate decoding strategies and skills that may be necessary. These students must also be competent comprehenders who are able to construct meaning by making connections and applying comprehension strategies. They can create complete oral, written, and visual texts which are understood by other listeners/readers because they use the oral and written language conventions that are appropriate for the intended purpose and audience. When students are led to use their own experiences to comprehend and convey messages, they anchor their learning in what they know and extend their learning to new behaviors and competencies. When texts which are read, heard, and/or viewed are used as models of language and children are led to understand the purposes of authors, how authors select and use words and language structures, and how authors and speakers use genres to convey ideas, information, and experiences, they are able to apply these models to their own efforts to create texts. As children encounter various models and develop a greater repertoire of strategies and skills, they also develop their understanding of how to learn. As they experiment with these understandings and experience the responses of other readers and writers to their creations, they extend their understanding of how language is used and learning is constructed. The goals which address the conventions of oral and written language development are designed to promote students’ understanding of standard forms and conventions as aids which allow them to tell and write their ideas, feelings, experiences, and new learnings in ways others can understand. Second graders must be able to apply these conventions in texts and/or products they create using oral and written texts and/or non-print media. Building the foundation skills for decoding and comprehending, connecting prior learning with new learning, and using conventions as aids to communication enable students to begin their academic careers with deep understandings, not surface behaviors, which facilitate further learning. Through school experiences which develop these goals, young students are provided opportunities to engage in the social and academic context of learning that facilitates competence in understanding and being understood while using oral and written language as well as print and non-print media and technology. Strands Experiences with written language used in different genres, oral language used by peers and other more competent language users, and media and technology use provide the learning contexts in which children can construct and practice strategies and skills used throughout their academic careers. The group environment that is provided for young children enables these learners to benefit from sharing their comprehension and responses to texts. Within the group children have opportunities to refine and extend their thinking, to listen to and 15 2004 English Language Arts technology use provide the learning contexts in which children can construct and practice strategies and skills used throughout their academic careers. The group environment that is provided for young children enables these learners to benefit from sharing their comprehension and responses to texts. Within the group children have opportunities to refine and extend their thinking, to listen to and appreciate the viewpoints of others, and to acquire different ways to communicate. As they experience success in learning and increase their level of competence, they are able to develop the metacognitive skills and strategies that enable them to articulate their thinking and discuss the problem-solving processes they use. These skills and strategies provide a solid foundation for extending their learning as they use written and oral language and media and technology to read, comprehend, interpret, evaluate, generate, and create various kinds of texts. Teaching children how to use written and oral language in conventional forms that are appropriate to accomplish purposes they establish and purposes assigned to them facilitates later opportunities that are not limited because of inadequate language usage. Using media and technology as tools for thinking and communicating is intended to enable children to experience learning and sharing ideas through different models adapted for different purposes and contexts. The curriculum provides learning opportunities for children to interact with various kinds of texts for various purposes. Children who learn to listen to and read fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry and who can engage in self-selected reading extend their understanding of the many forms of communication. These children can also learn about the world and the diversity of the people in the world. Discussions with peers and more knowledgeable readers and writers facilitate children’s understanding of vocabulary and the conventions of written and oral language. From these experiences children develop a store of words, literary forms, and rules which they can use to understand more sophisticated texts and to construct their own texts. Connections Emergent readers and writers learn the regularities and irregularities of the English language as they listen to, interact with, read, and write literary, informational, and practical texts at increasing levels of sophistication. These students also learn to use media and technology to experience texts (fiction, non-fiction, drama, poetry) and share ideas and information as they interact with and create texts. During these early experiences children link their previous life experiences and literacy experiences to their current understanding of how readers read and writers write. Meeting the competency goals in oral language, written language, and media and technology use will create a firm foundation for further learning that is not constrained by inept use of language and thinking skills. Rather, it is a foundation built on deep understanding that facilitates application of knowledge and skills, analysis of tasks, generation of strategies for problem solving, and motivation to persevere and succeed. 16 2004 English Language Arts further learning that is not constrained by inept use of language and thinking skills. Rather, it is a foundation built on deep understanding that facilitates application of knowledge and skills, analysis of tasks, generation of strategies for problem solving, and motivation to persevere and succeed. Students in grades K-2 will continue to show evidence of mastery of competencies developed at previous grade levels, particularly as they contribute to mastery of grade-level competencies. Adams, M. Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print. Cambridge, MAS: MIT Press, 1991. Allington, R. and M. Pressley. "The Nature of Effective First-Grade Literacy Instruction." National Research Center on English Learning and Achievement. Albany, NY: University of Albany, SUNY, 1991. Clay, Marie. Becoming Literate: The Construction of Inner Control. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1991. Wixson, K. and E. Dutro. "Standards for Primary-Grade Reading: An Analysis of State Frameworks." Center for the Improvement of Early Reading achievement. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, 1999. 17 2004 English Language Arts KINDERGARTEN During the kindergarten year, students need to experience the enjoyment of reading while they learn the foundational strategies and skills that will enable them to read independently. Students learn these enabling skills of phonemic awareness, letter names, sound-letter correspondences, decoding skills, high frequency vocabulary, and comprehension skills as they listen and respond to a variety of texts. They enjoy listening to stories, relating characters and events to their own life experiences, dramatizing stories, and responding to stories through art and writing activities. They can extend their oral language skills when given opportunities to express themselves, and they can learn how oral language is recorded to convey experiences and ideas as they observe their experiences and ideas being written. Kindergarten students will: • Engage in word play. • Listen and respond to children’s literature. • Build reading and writing concepts, skills, and strategies. Strands: Oral Language, Written Language, and Other Media/Technology Competency Goal 1 The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. 1.01 Develop book and print awareness: • identify the parts of books and function of each part. • demonstrate an understanding of directionality and voice-print match by following print word for word when listening to familiar text read aloud. • demonstrate an understanding of letters, words, sentence and story. • identify the title, name of the author and the name of the illustrator. 1.02 Develop phonemic awareness and knowledge of alphabetic principle: • demonstrate understanding that spoken language is a sequence of identifiable speech sounds. • demonstrate understanding that the sequence of letters in the written word represents the sequence of sounds in the spoken word. • demonstrate understanding of the sounds of letters and understanding that words begin and end alike (onsets and rimes). 1.03 Demonstrate decoding and word recognition strategies and skills: • recognize and name upper and lower case letters of the alphabet. • recognize some words by sight including a few common words, own name, and environmental print such as signs, labels, and trademarks. 18 2004 English Language Arts name, and environmental print such as signs, labels, and trademarks. • recognize most beginning consonant letter-sound associations in one-syllable words. 1.04 Read or begin to read: • read or attempt to read own dictated story. • attempt to read/reads simple patterned text, decodable text, and/or predictable texts using letter-sound knowledge and pictures to construct meaning. 1.05 Interact for at least 10 minutes daily with self-selected texts that are consistent with the student’s independent reading level. Competency Goal 2 The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 2.01 Demonstrate sense of story (e.g., beginning, middle, end, characters, details and setting). 2.02 Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of types of books and selections (e.g., picture books, caption books, short informational texts, nursery rhymes, word plays/finger plays, puppet plays, reenactments of familiar stories). 2.03 Use preparation strategies to activate prior knowledge and experience before and during the reading of a text. 2.04 Formulate questions that a text might answer before beginning to read (e.g., what will happen in this story, who might this be, where do you think this happens). 2.05 Predict possible events in texts before and during reading. 2.06 Understand and follow oral-graphic directions. 2.07 Demonstrate understanding of literary language; e.g., "once upon a time" and other vocabulary specific to a genre. 2.08 Distinguish fantasy from reality when reading text. 2.09 Identify the sequence of events in a story. Competency Goal 3 The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. 19 2004 English Language Arts 3.01 Connect information and events in text to experience. 3.02 Discuss concepts and information in a text to clarify and extend knowledge. 3.03 Associate target words with prior knowledge and explore an author’s choice of words. 3.04 Use speaking and listening skills and media to connect experiences and text: • listening to and re-visiting stories. • discussing, illustrating, and dramatizing stories. • discovering relationships. Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Use new vocabulary in own speech and writing. 4.02 Use words that name and words that tell action in a variety of simple texts (e.g., oral retelling, written stories, lists, journal entries of personal experiences). 4.03 Use words that describe color, size, and location in a variety of texts: e.g., oral retelling, written stories, lists, journal entries of personal experiences. 4.04 Maintain conversation and discussions: • attending to oral presentations. • taking turns expressing ideas and asking questions. 4.05 Use a variety of sentence patterns such as interrogative requests (Can you go with me?) and sentence fragments that convey emotion (Me, too!). • write from left to right and from top to bottom. • write most letters and some words when dictated. 4.06 Write and/or participate in writing behaviors by using authors’ models of language. Competency Goal 5 The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. 5.01 Develop spelling strategies and skills by: • representing spoken language with temporary and/or conventional spelling. 20 2004 English Language Arts spelling. • writing most letters of the alphabet. • analyzing sounds in a word and writing dominant consonant letters. 5.02 Use capital letters to write the word I and the first letter in own name. 5.03 Use legible manuscript handwriting. 21 2004 English Language Arts FIRST GRADE First grade students extend their understanding of the enabling skills of phonemic awareness and decoding and word recognition while they extend their comprehension and use of conventions for written language. They read a variety of texts, listen to literature, and respond to books, poetry, plays, age-appropriate expository texts, environmental print, and self-selected reading materials. They expand their oral language skills and their knowledge about recording oral language to express themselves clearly. As they participate in discussing texts and constructing texts, they expand their store of words. They begin to use new vocabulary and formats for their written products as a result of their examination of models of speaking and writing. First grade students will: • Read a variety of texts in different settings. • Respond to texts in different ways. • Use conversational and literary language to express themselves. • Begin to develop effective listening and speaking skills. Strands: Oral Language, Written Language, and Other Media/Technology Competency Goal 1 The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. 1.01 Develop phonemic awareness and demonstrate knowledge of alphabetic principle: • count syllables in a word. • blend the phonemes of one-syllable words. • segment the phonemes of one-syllable words. • change the beginning, middle, and ending sounds to produce new words. • create and state a series of rhyming words that may include consonant blends (e.g., flag, brag). 1.02 Demonstrate decoding and word recognition strategies and skills: • generate the sounds from all the letters and appropriate letter patterns which should include consonant blends and long and short vowel patterns. • use phonics knowledge of sound-letter relationships to decode regular one-syllable words when reading words and text. • recognize many high frequency and/or common irregularly spelled words in text (e.g., have said, where, two). 22 2004 English Language Arts words in text (e.g., have said, where, two). • read compound words and contractions. • read inflectional forms (e.g., -s, -ed, -ing) and root words (e.g., looks, looked, looking). • read appropriate word families. 1.03 Use pronunciation, sentence meaning, story meaning, and syntax to confirm accurate decoding or to self-correct errors. 1.04 Self-monitor decoding by using one or two decoding strategies (e.g., beginning letters, rimes, length of word, ending letters). 1.05 Increase vocabulary, concepts, and reading stamina by reading self-selected texts independently for 15 minutes daily. Self-selected texts should be consistent with the student’s independent reading level. Competency Goal 2 The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 2.01 Read aloud independently with fluency and comprehension any text that is appropriately designed for emergent readers. 2.02 Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of texts (storybooks, short chapter books, newspapers, telephone books, and everyday print such as signs and labels, poems, word plays using alliteration and rhyme, skits and short plays). 2.03 Read and comprehend both fiction and nonfiction text appropriate for grade one using: • prior knowledge. • summary. • questions. • graphic organizers. 2.04 Use preparation strategies to anticipate vocabulary of a text and to connect prior knowledge and experiences to a new text. 2.05 Predict and explain what will happen next in stories. 2.06 Self-monitor comprehension by using one or two strategies (questions, retelling, summarizing). 2.07 Respond and elaborate in answering what, when, where, and how questions. 23 2004 English Language Arts questions. 2.08 Discuss and explain response to how, why, and what if questions in sharing narrative and expository texts. 2.09 Read and understand simple written instructions. Competency Goal 3 The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. 3.01 Elaborate on how information and events connect to life experiences. 3.02 Recognize and relate similar vocabulary use and concepts across experiences with texts. 3.03 Discuss unfamiliar oral and/or written vocabulary after listening to or reading texts. 3.04 Share personal experiences and responses to experiences with text: • publishing non-print texts. • discussing interpretations. • recording personal responses. 3.05 Recognize how particular authors use vocabulary and language to develop an individual, recognizable voice. 3.06 Discuss authors’/speakers’ use of different kinds of sentences to interest a reader/listener and communicate a message. 3.07 Compare authors’ uses of conventions of language that aid readers including: • kinds of sentences. • capitalization of first word in a sentence and proper names. • punctuation to end a declarative and interrogative sentence. Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Select and use new vocabulary and language structures in both speech and writing contexts (e.g., oral retelling using exclamatory phrases to accent an idea or event). 4.02 Use words that describe, name characters and settings (who, where), and tell action and events (what happened, what did ___ do) in simple texts. 24 2004 English Language Arts 4.03 Use specific words to name and tell action in oral and written language (e.g., using words such as frog and toad when discussing a nonfiction text). 4.04 Extend skills in using oral and written language: • clarifying purposes for engaging in communication. • using clear and precise language to paraphrase messages. • engaging in more extended oral discussions. • producing written products • completing graphic organizers. 4.05 Write and/or participate in writing by using an author’s model of language and extending the model (e.g., writing different ending for a story, composing an innovation of a poem). 4.06 Compose a variety of products (e.g., stories, journal entries, letters, response logs, simple poems, oral retellings) using a writing process. Competency Goal 5 The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. 5.01 Use phonic knowledge and basic patterns (e.g., an, ee, ake) to spell correctly three-and four-letter words. 5.02 Apply phonics to write independently, using temporary and/or conventional spelling. 5.03 Write all upper and lower case letters of the alphabet, using correct letter formation. 5.04 Use complete sentences to write simple texts. 5.05 Use basic capitalization and punctuation: • first word in a sentence. • proper names. • period to end declarative sentence. • question mark to end interrogative sentence. 5.06 Self-monitor composition by using one or two strategies (e.g., rereading, peer conferences). 5.07 Use legible manuscript handwriting. 25 2004 English Language Arts 26 2004 English Language Arts SECOND GRADE Second grade students use the listening, speaking, and reading foundational skills they have developed to extend their understanding of written language and their skills in using written language. They need to read a wider variety of texts that require strategies and skills with more complex vocabulary and ideas. These students need to be able to write sentences to express multiple ideas about a topic. Second grade students will: • Use acquired concepts and metacognitive skills to read and write more independently. • Comprehend and respond to texts using multiple skills and strategies. • Extend vocabulary skills to use oral and written communication effectively. • Use reading and listening, speaking and writing, and media and technology resources to accomplish a purpose. Strands: Oral Language, Written Language, and Other Media/Technology Competency Goal 1 The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. 1.01 Use phonics knowledge and structural analysis (e.g., knowledge of syllables, suffixes, prefixes, root words) to decode regular multi-syllable words when reading text. 1.02 Read most high frequency and many irregularly spelled words accurately in text. 1.03 Self-monitor decoding by using letter-sound knowledge of all consonants and vowels. 1.04 Apply knowledge of all sources of information (meaning, language, graphophonics) to read a new text silently and independently. 1.05 Use a variety of strategies and skills to read self-selected texts independently for 20 minutes daily. Self-selected texts should be consistent with the student’s independent reading level. Competency Goal 2 The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 2.01 Read and comprehend text (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama) appropriate for grade two by: • determining purpose (reader’s and author’s). • making predictions. • asking questions. 27 2004 English Language Arts • locating information for specific reasons/purposes. • recognizing and appl text structure. • comprehending and examin author’s decisions and word choice. • determining fact and opinion. • recognizing and comprehend figurative language. • making inferences and draw conclusions. 2.02 Use text for a variety of functions, including literary, informational, and practical. 2.03 Read expository materials for answers to specific questions. 2.04 Pose possible how, why, and what if questions to understand and/or interpret text. 2.05 Self-monitor own difficulties in comprehending independently using several strategies. 2.06 Recall main idea, facts and details from a text. 2.07 Discuss similarities and differences in events, characters and concepts within and across texts. 2.08 Interpret information from diagrams, charts, and maps. Competency Goal 3 The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. 3.01 Use personal experiences and knowledge to interpret written and oral messages. 3.02 Connect and compare information within and across selections (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama) to experience and knowledge. 3.03 Explain and describe new concepts and information in own words (e.g., plot, setting, major events, characters, author’s message, connections, topic, key vocabulary, key concepts, text features). 3.04 Increase oral and written vocabulary by listening, discussing, and composing texts when responding to literature that is read and heard. (e.g., read aloud by teacher, literature circles, interest groups, book clubs). 3.05 Locate and discuss examples of an author’s use of: • kinds of sentences (declarative, interrogative, exclamatory). 28 2004 English Language Arts • capitalization (titles, dates and days, names of countries). • punctuation (exclamation marks, commas in dates, and to introduce dialogue and quotations). • use of paragraphs in texts and their effects on the reader. • genre(s) and specific word choice(s). 3.06 Discuss the effect of an author’s choices for nouns, verbs, modifiers and specific vocabulary which help the reader comprehend a narrative or expository text. Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Begin to use formal language and/or literary language in place of oral language patterns, as appropriate. 4.02 Use expanded vocabulary to generate synonyms for commonly over used words to increase clarity of written and oral communication. 4.03 Read aloud with fluency and expression any text appropriate for early independent readers. 4.04 Use oral communication to identify, organize, and analyze information. 4.05 Respond appropriately when participating in group discourse by adapting language and communication behaviors to the situation to accomplish a specific purpose. 4.06 Plan and make judgments about what to include in written products (e.g., narratives of personal experiences, creative stories, skits based on familiar stories and/or experiences). 4.07 Compose first drafts using an appropriate writing process: • planning and drafting. • rereading for meaning. • revising to clarify and refine writing with guided discussion. 4.08 Write structured, informative presentations and narratives when given help with organization. 4.09 Use media and technology to enhance the presentation of information to an audience for a specific purpose. 29 2004 English Language Arts Competency Goal 5 The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. 5.01 Spell correctly using: • previously studied words. • spelling patterns. • analysis of sounds to represent all the sounds in a word in one’s own writing. 5.02 Attend to spelling, mechanics, and format for final products in one’s own writing. 5.03 Use capitalization, punctuation, and paragraphs in own writing. 5.04 Use the following parts of the sentence: • subject. • predicate. • modifier. 5.05 Use editing to check and confirm correct use of conventions: • complete sentences. • correct word order in sentences. 5.06 Use correctly in written products: • letter formation, lines, and spaces to create readable documents. • plural forms of commonly used nouns. • common, age - appropriate contractions. 5.07 Use legible manuscript handwriting. 30 2004 English Language Arts ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS GRADES 3-5 Purpose/ Overview The English Language Arts curriculum for grades 3-5 is designed to sustain and expand growth of the foundational skills that students acquire in the primary grades as well as promote growth of strategies, skills, and conceptual understandings. The priority of the English Language Arts curriculum is oral and written language development and use. A primary focus is using language to obtain and communicate information, for literary response and expression, for reflection and self-evaluation, and for problem solving and application. In this way, students will be able to function effectively in their world of home, school, and community and realize personal learning and fulfillment. The expectation in our society today is for one hundred percent literacy. Literacy requires the ability to think and reason as a literate person with a focus on thinking critically and creatively using oral language, written language, and other media and technology as tools. The goal in grades 3-5 is to move students toward increasing independence in the use of communication skills and strategies. In this grade span, students become independent readers and writers and continue to expand their literacy proficiency. They learn to apply their foundational skills automatically and flexibly to reading and writing fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry. If students are not independent readers by the end of third grade, they tend not to become proficient enough in their reading and writing to graduate from high school (Snow, et al., 1998). However, it is a reasonable expectation that with appropriate instruction all students can become independent readers by the end of third grade (Stahl, June, 1999). It is desirable that students enter third grade reading simple chapter books and other texts with comfort and understanding. In third grade, students build their capacity to comprehend more difficult and varied texts and continue to develop proficiency as readers throughout their school careers. Therefore, it is imperative that lower level skills be automatic so that students’ attention is focused on the active processing of text. By fourth grade, students read sufficiently well to comprehend, analyze, criticize, abstract, respond, and reflect on text. By using literacy as a tool, students profit from the learning opportunities ahead (Snow, et al., 1998). Competency Goals And Objectives The English Language Arts competency goals and objectives are intended to capture the essentials of oral and written communication at these grade levels. They reflect what students should know and be able to do in order to communicate critically, creatively, and effectively. The competency goals and objectives reflect interrelated aspects of the dynamic process of communication. 31 2004 English Language Arts The competency goals and objectives reflect interrelated aspects of the dynamic process of communication. The curriculum identifies specific competency goals and objectives that are crucial for continued success in subsequent years of students’ public school careers and beyond. While the curriculum identifies specific goals and objectives, a major consideration also includes making connections between the school setting, personal experience, and real world application. The grade level competencies lay the groundwork for shaping a knowledgeable, literate, and responsible citizenry. Word Recognition Strategies and Skills and Vocabulary The word recognition strategies and skills goal refines and builds upon the foundational skills of decoding so that students are able to develop word recognition automatically. Readers extend their knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and root words and apply their phonics knowledge to manipulate increasingly larger parts of words to identify unfamiliar words quickly and efficiently. Students increase their repertoire of sight words through wide reading, involvement in writing process elements, discussion, vocabulary study, and the repeated use of high frequency words. Their vocabularies expand quickly as they read widely and engage in content area study, discussion and word study, and explore word origins related to a range of topics. Strategic Comprehension Strategic comprehension focuses on reading, listening, and viewing for a variety of purposes: for literary experience, to inform, and to perform a task. It deals with the acquisition, interpretation, and application of information and ideas. Readers develop an initial understanding by identifying, collecting, and selecting information and ideas. They develop a more complete understanding by organizing and using information and ideas. They learn to establish a critical stance to form opinions, make judgments, and evaluate the quality and usefulness of information and ideas. Readers stand apart from the selection(s), information, idea(s), or experience(s) and consider it/them objectively. This goal involves readers’ ability to assess validity and accuracy, determine value, and judge relevance and importance of information and ideas. Students learn the strategies proficient readers apply before, during, and after reading a text. They learn to use metacognitive strategies as they read. Metacognition involves the awareness of, manipulation of, and control over one’s thinking processes including perseverance, attitudes, and attention. Readers are aware of their own thinking, learn strategies, and apply the strategies in preparation, engagement, and response to text(s). 32 2004 English Language Arts attention. Readers are aware of their own thinking, learn strategies, and apply the strategies in preparation, engagement, and response to text(s). Making Connections The English language arts program for grades 3-5 is a spiraling program with strong connections among the goals, objectives, and strands. The interrelationships include: • the study and use of the functions of oral and written language. • the study of language and the conventions of grammar. • vocabulary development and word study. • reading broadly and deeply from a variety of genres. • writing for a variety of purposes and audiences in a variety of forms. • comprehending literally, critically, strategically, and creatively. • awareness of thinking and understanding through self-monitoring and reflection. • connections between personal experiences and text(s). • expanding literacy through research and inquiry. Teachers will want to note and build upon the connections and the overlapping areas of the curriculum asking students to note and find connections, revisit significant concepts, participate in meaningful dialogue and develop knowledge and skills within the context of appropriate use. In this way we will develop students who can read and compose. When students are successful and realize the usefulness of what they are doing they become competent and confident readers and writers and effective communicators. They use oral language, written language, and media and technology to communicate effectively and as tools for learning and personal fulfillment for a lifetime. Students learn to clarify meaning and respond critically and creatively to texts, situations, and events. Responding and making connections involves comprehending, formulating personal reactions, predicting, summarizing, supporting, justifying, assessing other points of view, and evaluating. Readers make connections by reflecting upon and reacting to selections, situations, and events. They respond and reflect from a personal perspective as they connect background knowledge and experiences. Effective Communication Effective oral and written communication requires keen awareness of the purpose, message, audience, and contexts for communication. Students learn to use language clearly, strategically, critically, and creatively. This goal focuses on using language for a variety of functions: 33 2004 English Language Arts creatively. This goal focuses on using language for a variety of functions: • instructional (to get what we want). • regulatory (to control others and the world around us). • interactional (to establish and maintain relationships with others). • personal (to develop and maintain one’s own unique identity). • informative (to represent the world to others and to impart what one knows). • heuristic (to speculate and predict what will happen). • aesthetic (to express imagination, to entertain, and to use language for its own sake). This goal teaches students to use writing, speaking, and viewing as thinking processes and as tools for learning. Students learn and develop proficiency with a number of variables: mode, tone, form, purpose, and audience. While writing, speaking, and viewing students select from and combine these variables as appropriate to the task. While writing to learn, students discover connections, describe processes, express emerging understandings, raise questions, and find answers. Thinking, speaking, and writing are recursive processes. Grammar and Language Conventions Grammar and language conventions focus on students’ increasing proficiency in the understanding of and control of their language. Language use includes vocabulary development, word choice, and syntax in both oral and written communication. Students learn how to use effective and increasingly sophisticated language: • standard English for clarity. • technical language for specificity. • informal usage for effect. Students continue to develop increasing control over grammatical conventions including sentence formation, conventional usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. Literature The study of literature is crucially important in grades 3-5. It offers countless opportunities for students to make connections between language and their own personal experiences. Literature describes the human experience and involves an interaction with and conversation between the reader and the text. Students need to develop some understanding of the distinguishing features and structures of texts and of the visual and linguistic systems out of which texts are created. Language learning involves the exploration and careful study of a wide array of texts, both print and non-print. Students need to hear and read literature from the classics to contemporary selections. When students read texts that reflect the diversity of our culture in terms of gender, 34 2004 English Language Arts understanding of the distinguishing features and structures of texts and of the visual and linguistic systems out of which texts are created. Language learning involves the exploration and careful study of a wide array of texts, both print and non-print. Students need to hear and read literature from the classics to contemporary selections. When students read texts that reflect the diversity of our culture in terms of gender, age, social class, religion, and ethnicity among individuals, they deepen their personal learning. They grow in their ability to understand our society, its history, and the contributions made by all people. Read-aloud settings provide a functional context for engaging students in and developing their listening comprehension, critical thinking, critical questioning, word choice, and authors’ craft. Reading aloud from a variety of books and genres as well as multiple readings of the same book promote the art of listening, alert students to the rhythms and patterns of language, enhance their experiences, stimulate their discussions, and provide models for oral reading. It is imperative that students regularly share what they think, know, and feel about literature through response logs, dialogue journals, book talks, conferences, role play, artistic extensions of literature, and other mediums. Equally important is the study of some texts in detail. Another major goal is for students to read broadly with the benefit of exposure to the defining features of a variety of genres. Literature study provides many benefits to readers: • knowledge of the world and human experiences. • awareness of self and others. • appreciation of diversity among peoples and cultures. • an understanding of societies and their histories. • the development of an ethical and moral sense. • understanding of what it means to be human. • development of an understanding of other perspectives. • connections to people in our time and other times and places. • perspective on one’s experience within the contexts of others’ experiences. • appreciation of the richness and complexity of human nature. • experience with different text structures and the defining features of various genres. Strands Oral language, written language, and media and technology permeate all communication. Oral language is the foundation on which all communication is based. It is now—and is even more likely to be—a primary means of acquiring and transmitting information in the future. Oral language proficiency continues to develop in grades three to five and can be improved upon with instruction and guidance. Students who experience positive feedback to their efforts to use language and have opportunities to hear language used in a variety of social contexts have a broader base for their reading and writing development. 35 2004 English Language Arts primary means of acquiring and transmitting information in the future. Oral language proficiency continues to develop in grades three to five and can be improved upon with instruction and guidance. Students who experience positive feedback to their efforts to use language and have opportunities to hear language used in a variety of social contexts have a broader base for their reading and writing development. Listening and speaking skills develop as students use them for meaningful purposes and with varied audiences. Opportunities to speak for different purposes to different audiences assist students in becoming more efficient in their application of oral language. They can use oral language to relate experiences; to explain processes; to support opinions; to describe experiences, information, and ideas; and to converse with others. Through discussion of texts and content area study, students build upon, expand, and refine their vocabularies and concept knowledge. Through group work opportunities students gain information, ideas, and in-depth understanding and share with others. Competent communicators are sensitive to the needs of different audiences and the ways in which the purpose of a communication shapes the kinds of ideas and information selected and the way in which they are presented. Depending on whether they are explaining something, arguing, persuading, or telling a story, good communicators have learned how to vary their organizational strategies. They adapt the level of detail they provide and the language they use according to the context of the communication. Throughout the school years, oral language is both a means whereby students learn about reading and a goal of reading. Listening and speaking aid reading comprehension whether the teacher is sharing a book aloud with students or students are discussing a text they have read. Discussions guide students to respond to the meanings and interpretations of texts they read. Students make predictions as they read and either confirm or adjust those predictions based on verbal interactions with others. Discussions can reveal differences in interpretation, support for or evidence against a particular interpretation, and lead to shared meaning and deeper understanding. Listening and speaking permit students to respond to text and make connections before, during, and after reading. To ensure that they can communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences, all students need to learn standard English. As students adapt and modify their language to suit different purposes, they become more proficient and efficient communicators. Oral language sophistication pays dividends as students develop in their reading and writing. Background knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, and listening comprehension are the cornerstones of written language development in third, fourth,3 a6nd fifth grades. 2004 English Language Arts reading and writing. Background knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, and listening comprehension are the cornerstones of written language development in third, fourth, and fifth grades. Students need an array of strategies for comprehending, interpreting, evaluating, and appreciating texts they read and texts they compose. Good readers and writers demonstrate: a sense of purpose, an ability to frame expectations of a task by drawing on prior reading and writing experiences, a knowledge of various approaches and how to apply them, and the capacity to reflect on written language processes. In order to learn these skills, students need frequent opportunities to read and write about different topics for varying audiences and purposes. Personal experiences, readings, and discussions provide the raw material for writing. Students need direct instruction, guidance, and practice to develop effective reading and writing skills. Also, students need to understand the varying demands of different kinds of reading and writing tasks and how to adjust their efforts accordingly. To become confident and effective readers and writers, students need to learn how to use various elements of writing and various reading strategies flexibly and adaptively. Students develop their knowledge of form and convention as they create their own texts and critique those of others. Students who can draw on a deep knowledge of language structure as they read and compose communicate more effectively. When students connect the study of grammar and language patterns to the wider purposes of communication and artistic development, they are more likely to incorporate the models they encounter into their spoken and written language. Oral and written language are valuable research tools. The ability to formulate questions, plan, predict, investigate, analyze, hypothesize, and speculate provides students a way to frame and address issues in their studies and everyday life. The application of oral and written language to problem solving and negotiation is pervasive and effective in the everyday life of students. These experiences provide the context for developing students’ research and inquiry skills. The ability to identify good topics, to gather information, and evaluate, assemble, and interpret findings from among many sources is a critical skill for students to learn. Media and technology offer many resources that students can use to access information. In order to take advantage of the resources that are available, students need to learn how to use an array of technologies. Media and technology resources such as databases, bibliographies, other data resources, and human resources give students information, ideas, and images for their exploration and incorporation into daily classroom and personal inquiry. Students need instruction in accessing these resources, gathering information, synthesizing, and evaluating the information and ideas. By using media and technology as a tool, students are able to create, enhance, critique, select, and modify products, information, and ideas. Therefore, critical analysis and evaluation is one of the most useful and necessary skills students in 37 2004 English Language Arts classroom and personal inquiry. Students need instruction in accessing these resources, gathering information, synthesizing, and evaluating the information and ideas. By using media and technology as a tool, students are able to create, enhance, critique, select, and modify products, information, and ideas. Therefore, critical analysis and evaluation is one of the most useful and necessary skills students in grades 3-5 can develop and apply. Students in grades 3-5 will continue to show evidence of mastery of competencies developed at previous grade levels, particularly as they contribute to mastery of grade-level competencies. International Reading Association. Standards for The English Language Arts. Newark, Delaware, 1996. National Center on Education and the Economy. Performance Standards: Elementary School. Vol. 1. New Standards Project, 1997. Snow, Catherine, et. al. (eds.). Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1998. Stahl, Steven. Four Questions about Assessment. K-2 Literacy Assessment Training. Greenville, North Carolina, June, 1999. 38 2004 English Language Arts THIRD GRADE Students in third grade apply the foundational skills learned earlier automatically and flexibly to decode and comprehend fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. They use critical thinking skills which they apply strategically across the disciplines to comprehend and clarify information and ideas. They compose fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama for a variety of purposes and audiences. Third graders become increasingly independent and flexible in their use of communication skills and strategies. The learner will: • Read with fluency and comprehension fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. • Apply strategies flexibly and strategically for recognizing words, learning new words, and constructing meaning from text(s). • Expand vocabulary through wide reading, word study, and discussion. • Write for a variety of audiences and purposes using appropriate formats. • Use active listening and effective oral communication. • Use media, a variety of information sources, and technological resources as tools for learning. • Apply grammar and language conventions to access and communicate information and ideas. • Reflect upon and make connections among language, texts, and personal experience. • Apply comprehension strategies and skills to a wide variety of genres. Strands: Oral Language, Written Language, and Other Media/Technology Competency Goal 1 The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. 1.01 Apply phonics and structural analysis to decode words (e.g., roots, suffixes, prefixes, less common vowel patterns, syllable breaks). 1.02 Apply meanings of common prefixes and suffixes to decode words in text to assist comprehension. 1.03 Integrate prior experiences and all sources of information in the text (graphophonic, syntactic, and semantic) when reading orally and silently. 1.04 Increase sight vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and writing vocabulary through: • wide reading. • word study. • listening. 39 2004 English Language Arts • discussion. • book talks. • book clubs. • seminars. • viewing. • role play. • studying author’s craft. 1.05 Use word reference materials (e.g., dictionary, glossary) to confirm decoding skills, verify spelling, and extend meanings of words. 1.06 Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with the student’s independent reading level) to: • increase fluency. • build background knowledge. • extend vocabulary. Competency Goal 2 The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies to comprehend text (e.g., reread, read ahead, ask for help, adjust reading speed, question, paraphrase, retell). 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, or viewing by: • setting a purpose. • previewing the text. • making predictions. • asking questions. • locating information for specific purposes. • making connections. • using story structure and text organization to comprehend. 2.03 Read a variety of texts, including: • fiction (short stories, novels, fantasies, fairy tales, fables). 40 2004 English Language Arts • nonfiction (biographies, letters, articles, procedures and instructions, charts, maps). • poetry (proverbs, riddles, limericks, simple poems). • drama (skits, plays). 2.04 Identify and interpret elements of fiction and nonfiction and support by referencing the text to determine the: • author’s purpose. • plot. • conflict. • sequence. • resolution. • lesson and/or message. • main idea and supporting details. • cause and effect. • fact and opinion. • point of view (author and character). • author’s use of figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, imagery). 2.05 Draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text. 2.06 Summarize main idea(s) from written or spoken texts using succinct language. 2.07 Explain choice of reading materials congruent with purposes (e.g., solving problems, making decisions). 2.08 Listen actively by: • facing the speaker. • making eye contact. • asking questions to clarify the message. • asking questions to gain additional information and ideas. Competency Goal 3 The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. 41 2004 English Language Arts Goal 3 written language, and media and technology. 3.01 Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by: • considering the differences among genres. • relating plot, setting, and characters to own experiences and ideas. • considering main character’s point of view. • participating in creative interpretations. • making inferences and drawing conclusions about characters and events. • reflecting on learning, gaining new insights, and identifying areas for further study. 3.02 Identify and discuss similarities and differences in events, characters, concepts and ideas within and across selections and support them by referencing the text. 3.03 Use text and own experiences to verify facts, concepts, and ideas. 3.04 Make informed judgments about television productions. 3.05 Analyze, compare and contrast printed and visual information (e.g., graphs, charts, maps). 3.06 Conduct research for assigned and self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks). Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Read aloud grade-appropriate text with fluency, comprehension, and expression. 4.02 Use oral and written language to: • present information in a sequenced, logical manner. • discuss. • sustain conversation on a topic. • share information and ideas. • recount or narrate. 42 2004 English Language Arts • answer open-ended questions. • report information on a topic. • explain own learning. 4.03 Share written and oral products in a variety of ways (e.g., author’s chair, book making, publications, discussions, presentations). 4.04 Use planning strategies (with assistance) to generate topics and to organize ideas (e.g., drawing, mapping, discussing, listing). 4.05 Identify (with assistance) the purpose, the audience, and the appropriate form for the oral or written task. 4.06 Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic by using preliminary plans. 4.07 Compose a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama selections using self-selected topics and forms (e.g., poems, simple narratives, short reports, learning logs, letters, notes, directions, instructions). 4.08 Focus reflection and revision (with assistance) on target elements by: • clarifying ideas. • adding descriptive words and phrases. • sequencing events and ideas. • combining short, related sentences. • strengthening word choice. 4.09 Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., personal narrative, short report, friendly letter, directions and instructions). 4.10 Explore technology as a tool to create a written product. Competency Goal 5 The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. 5.01 Use correct capitalization (e.g., geographical place names, holidays, special events, titles) and punctuation (e.g., commas in greetings, dates, city and state; underlining book titles; periods after initials and abbreviated titles; apostrophes in contractions). 5.02 Use correct subject/verb agreement. 5.03 Demonstrate understanding by using a variety of complete sentences (declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory) in writing and speaking. 43 2004 English Language Arts (declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory) in writing and speaking. 5.04 Compose two or more paragraphs with: • topic sentences. • supporting details. • appropriate, logical sequence. • sufficient elaboration. 5.05 Use a number of strategies for spelling (e.g., sound patterns, visual patterns, silent letters, less common letter groupings). 5.06 Proofread own writing for spelling and correct most misspellings independently with reference to resources (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, word walls). 5.07 Edit (with assistance) to use conventions of written language and format. 5.08 Create readable documents with legible handwriting (manuscript and cursive). 44 2004 English Language Arts FOURTH GRADE Students in fourth grade apply reading strategies and skills automatically, flexibly, and strategically to comprehend fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. They read for literary experience, to gain information, and to perform a task. They use a variety of strategies and writing process elements to compose fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. They become increasingly proficient in active listening, speaking, and using media and technology. They deepen and extend their understanding and use of English language conventions in oral presentations and written products. The learner will: • Explore a wide range of texts and their distinguishing features. • Expand vocabulary through wide reading, word study, exposure to content area words, and discussion. • Routinely spell high frequency words and use resources to check spelling. • Write for a variety of purposes and audiences and use writing as a tool for learning. • Communicate effectively with different audiences through spoken, written, and visual formats. • Use media and technological resources for research and as tools for learning. • Use increasingly sophisticated knowledge of grammar and language conventions in oral and written products and presentations. • Apply comprehension strategies critically, creatively, and strategically. Strands: Oral Language, Written Language, and Other Media/Technology Competency Goal 1 The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write. 1.01 Use word identification strategies appropriately and automatically when encountering unknown words (graphophonic, syntactic, semantic). 1.02 Infer word meanings from taught roots, prefixes, and suffixes to decode words in text to assist comprehension. 1.03 Identify key words and discover their meanings and relationships through a variety of strategies. 1.04 Increase reading and writing vocabulary through: • wide reading. • word study. • knowledge of homophones, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms. • knowledge of multiple meanings of words. 45 2004 English Language Arts • writing process elements. • writing as a tool for learning. • seminars. • book clubs. • discussions. • examining the author’s craft. 1.05 Use word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus) to identify and comprehend unknown words. 1.06 Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with the student’s independent reading level) to: • increase fluency. • build background knowledge. • expand vocabulary. Competency Goal 2 The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies to comprehend text and to clarify meaning of vocabulary (e.g., reread the text, consult other sources, ask for help, paraphrase, question). 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by: • setting a purpose using prior knowledge and text information. • making predictions. • formulating questions. • locating relevant information. • making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas. 2.03 Read a variety of texts, including: • fiction (legends, novels, folklore, science fiction). • nonfiction (autobiographies, informational books, diaries, journals). • poetry (concrete, haiku). 46 2004 English Language Arts • drama (skits, plays). 2.04 Identify and interpret elements of fiction and nonfiction and support by referencing the text to determine the: • plot. • theme. • main idea and supporting details. • author’s choice of words. • mood. • author’s use of figurative language. 2.05 Make inferences, draw conclusions, make generalizations, and support by referencing the text. 2.06 Summarize major points from fiction and nonfiction text(s) to clarify and retain information and ideas. 2.07 Determine usefulness of information and ideas consistent with purpose. 2.08 Verify the meaning or accuracy of the author’s statement(s) by referencing the text or other resources. 2.09 Listen actively by: • asking questions. • paraphrasing what was said. • interpreting speaker’s verbal and non-verbal messages. • interpreting speaker’s purposes and/or intent. Competency Goal 3 The learner will make connections with text through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology. 3.01 Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by: • analyzing the impact of authors’ word choice and context. • examining the reasons for characters’ actions. • identifying and examining characters’ motives. • considering a situation or problem from different characters’ points of view. 47 2004 English Language Arts • analyzing differences among genres. • making inferences and drawing conclusions about characters, events and themes. 3.02 Analyze characters, events, and plots within and between selections and cite supporting evidence. 3.03 Consider the ways language and visuals bring characters to life, enhance plot development, and produce a response. 3.04 Make informed judgments about television and film/video productions. 3.05 Analyze and integrate information from one or more sources to expand understanding of text including graphs, charts, and/or maps. 3.06 Conduct research for assigned projects or self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources through the use of technological and informal tools (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks). Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts. 4.01 Read aloud grade-appropriate text with fluency, comprehension, and expression demonstrating an awareness of volume and pace. 4.02 Use oral and written language to: • present information and ideas in a clear, concise manner. • discuss. • interview. • solve problems. • make decisions. 4.03 Make oral and written presentations using visual aids with an awareness of purpose and audience. 4.04 Share self-selected texts from a variety of genres (e.g., poetry, letters, narratives, essays, presentations). 4.05 Use planning strategies to generate topics and organize ideas (e.g., brainstorming, mapping, webbing, reading, discussion). 4.06 Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic with specific, relevant, supporting details by using preliminary plans. 48 2004 English Language Arts topic with specific, relevant, supporting details by using preliminary plans. 4.07 Compose fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using self-selected and assigned topics and forms (e.g., personal and imaginative narratives, research reports, diaries, journals, logs, rules, instructions). 4.08 Focus revision on a specific element such as: • word choice. • sequence of events and ideas. • transitional words. • sentence patterns. 4.09 Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., personal and imaginative narrative, research reports, learning logs, letters of request, letters of complaint). 4.10 Use technology as a tool to gather, organize, and present information. Competency Goal 5 The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively. 5.01 Use correct capitalization (e.g., names of languages, nationalities, musical compositions) and punctuation (e.g., commas in a series, commas in direct address, commas and quotation marks in dialogue, apostrophes in possessives). 5.02 Demonstrate understanding in speaking and writing by appropriate usage of: • pronouns. • subject/verb agreement. • verb tense consistency. • subject consistency. 5.03 Elaborate information and ideas in writing and speaking by using: • simple and compound sentences. • regular and irregular verbs. • adverbs. • prepositions. • coordinating conjunctions. 49 2004 English Language Arts 5.04 Compose multiple paragraphs with: • topic sentences. • specific, relevant details. • logical progression and movement of ideas. • coherence. • elaboration. • concluding statement related to the topic. 5.05 Use visual (orthography) and meaning-based strategies as primary sources for correct spelling. 5.06 Proofread and correct most misspellings independently with reference to resources (e.g., dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, computer spell-checks, and other classroom sources). 5.07 Use established criteria to edit for language conventions and format. 5.08 Demonstrate evidence of language cohesion by: • logical sequence of fiction and nonfiction retells. • time order sequence of events. • sustaining conversations on a topic. 5.09 Create readable documents through legible handwriting (cursive) and/or word processing. 50 2004 English Language Arts FIFTH GRADE Students in fifth grade expand and deepen concepts, skills, and strategies learned at earlier grades. They make new connections as they experience more sophisticated ideas and begin to study subjects in more formal ways. They read and write a variety of texts with greater breadth and depth, critically analyzing and evaluating information and ideas. Fifth graders revisit and refine concepts and their knowledge of English Language Arts conventions as they become more sophisticated, independent learners. |
OCLC number | 811246357 |
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