Standard 3: Language Arts Literacy

STANDARD 3.1 (READING) ALL STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND AND APPLY THE KNOWLEDGE OF SOUNDS, LETTERS, AND WORDS IN WRITTEN ENGLISH TO BECOME INDEPENDENT AND FLUENT READERS, AND WILL READ A VARIETY OF MATERIALS AND TEXTS WITH FLUENCY AND COMPREHENSION.

Descriptive Statement: A primary reading goal is for students of all grades to read independently with fluency and comprehension so that they become lifelong readers and learners. In order to achieve this goal, students benefit from "daily opportunities to read books they choose for themselves, for their own purposes, and their own pleasures" (Calkins, 2001). Students should read grade-level appropriate or more challenging classic and contemporary literature and informational readings, both self-selected and assigned. In order to grow as readers and deepen their understanding of texts, students need many opportunities to think about, talk about, and write about the texts they are reading. A diversity of reading material (including fiction and nonfiction) provides students with opportunities to grow intellectually, emotionally, and socially as they consider universal themes, diverse cultures and perspectives, and the common aspects of human existence.

In early reading instruction (preK-2), children need rich experiences with oral language and learning about sounds, letters and words, and their relationships. Phonemic awareness, knowledge of the relationships between sounds and letters, and an understanding of the features of written English texts are essential to beginning reading. Direct systematic phonics instruction enables many students to develop their knowledge of phonics, and provides a bridge to apply this knowledge in becoming independent and fluent readers. Systematic phonics instruction typically involves explicitly teaching students a pre-specified set of letter-sound relations and having students read text that provides practice using these relations to decode words (National Reading Panel, 2000). Additionally, direct instruction and time to practice these skills should be provided in comprehension, strategy, reading fluency, and vocabulary development at all grade levels. It is important to help students become fluent readers in the early years, and then help them expand their literacy abilities as they progress through the middle and high school grades.

The reading process requires readers to respond to texts, both personally and critically, and relate prior knowledge and personal experiences to written texts. Students apply literal, inferential, and critical comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading to examine, construct, and extend meaning. In becoming fluent readers, students must draw on the word meaning and sentence structure of text and sound/symbol relationships, and use these cueing systems interchangeably in order to comprehend and gain meaning. Students need to recognize that what they hear, speak, write, and view contributes to the content and quality of their reading experiences.

Cumulative Progress Indicators

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12, students will:

A.     Concepts About Print/Text

No additional indicators at this grade level

B.     Phonological Awareness (includes phonemic awareness)

No additional indicators at this grade level

C.     Decoding and Word Recognition

No additional indicators at this grade level

D.    Fluency

1.         Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level with accuracy and speed.

2.         Use appropriate rhythm, flow, meter, and pronunciation when reading.

3.         Read a variety of genres and types of text with fluency and comprehension.

E.     Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)

1.         Identify, assess, and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning from a variety of texts.

2.         Practice visualizing techniques before, during, and after reading to aid in comprehension.

3.         Judge the most effective graphic organizers to use with various text types for memory retention and monitoring comprehension.

F.      Vocabulary and Concept Development

1.         Use knowledge of word origins and word relationships, as well as historical and literary context clues, to determine the meanings of specialized vocabulary.

2.         Use knowledge of root words to understand new words.

3.         Apply reading vocabulary in different content areas.

G.    Comprehension Skills and Response to Text

1.         Identify, describe, evaluate, and synthesize the central ideas in informational texts.

2.         Understand the study of literature and theories of literary criticism.

3.         Understand that our literary heritage is marked by distinct literary movements and is part of a global literary tradition.

4.         Compare and evaluate the relationship between past literary traditions and contemporary writing.

5.         Analyze how works of a given period reflect historical and social events and conditions.

6.         Recognize literary concepts, such as rhetorical device, logical fallacy, and jargon, and their effect on meaning.

7.         Interpret how literary devices affect reading emotions and understanding.

8.         Analyze and evaluate the appropriateness of diction and figurative language (e.g., irony, paradox).

9.         Distinguish between essential and nonessential information, identifying the use of proper references and propaganda techniques where present.

10.     Differentiate between fact and opinion by using complete and accurate information, coherent arguments, and points of view.

11.     Analyze how an author’s use of words creates tone and mood, and how choice of words advances the theme or purpose of the work.

12.     Demonstrate familiarity with everyday texts such as job and college applications, W-2 forms, and contracts.

13.  Read, comprehend, and be able to follow information gained from technical and instructional manuals (e.g., how-to books, computer manuals, or instructional manuals).

H.    Inquiry and Research

1.         Select appropriate electronic media for research and evaluate the quality of the information received.

2.         Develop materials for a portfolio that reflect a specific career choice.

3.         Develop increased ability to critically select works to support a research topic.

4.         Read and critically analyze a variety of works, including books and other print materials (e.g., periodicals, journals, manuals), about one issue or topic, or books by a single author or in one genre, and produce evidence of reading.

5.        Apply information gained from several sources or books on a single topic or by a single author to foster an argument, draw conclusions, or advance a position.

6.         Critique the validity and logic of arguments advanced in public documents, their appeal to various audiences, and the extent to which they anticipate and address reader concerns.

STANDARD 3.2 (WRITING) ALL STUDENTS WILL WRITE IN CLEAR, CONCISE, ORGANIZED LANGUAGE THAT VARIES IN CONTENT AND FORM FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES AND PURPOSES.

Descriptive Statement: Writing is a complex process that begins with the recording of one’s thoughts. It is used for composition, communication, expression, learning, and engaging the reader. Proficient writers use a repertoire of strategies that enables them to vary form, style, and conventions in order to write for different purposes, audiences, and contexts. Students should have multiple opportunities to craft and practice writing, to generate ideas, and to refine, evaluate, and publish their writing. In a successful writing program, students develop and demonstrate fluency in all phases of the writing process, including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing of multiple drafts, and postwriting processes that include publishing, presenting, evaluating, and/or performing.

Students should be helped to understand the recursive nature and shifting perspectives of the writing process, in moving from the role of writer to the role of reader and back again. It is important for students to understand that writers write, then plan and revise, and then write again. They will learn to appreciate writing not only as a product, but also as a process and mode of thinking and communicating. "By the mysterious alchemy of the written word, we range over time and space, expanding our experiences, enriching our souls, and ultimately becoming more fully, more consciously human" (Keene, 1999). Students should recognize that what they hear, speak, read, and view contributes to the content and quality of their writing.

Cumulative Progress Indicators

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12, students will:

A.     Writing as a Process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, postwriting)

1.         Engage in the full writing process by writing daily and for sustained amounts of time.

2.         Use strategies such as graphic organizers and outlines to plan and write drafts according to the intended message, audience, and purpose for writing.

3.        Analyze and revise writing to improve style, focus and organization, coherence, clarity of thought, sophisticated word choice and sentence variety, and subtlety of meaning.

4.         Review and edit work for spelling, usage, clarity, and fluency.

5.         Use the computer and word-processing software to compose, revise, edit, and publish a piece.

6.         Use a scoring rubric to evaluate and improve own writing and the writing of others.

7.         Reflect on own writing and establish goals for growth and improvement.

B.     Writing as a Product (resulting in a formal product or publication)

1.         Analyzing characteristics, structures, tone, and features of language of selected genres and apply this knowledge to own writing.

2.         Critique published works for authenticity and credibility.

3.         Draft a thesis statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development.

4.        Write multi-paragraph, complex pieces across the curriculum using a variety of strategies to develop a central idea (e.g., cause-effect, problem/solution, hypothesis/results, rhetorical questions, parallelism).

5.         Write a range of essays and expository pieces across the curriculum, such as persuasive, analytic, critique, or position paper.

6.         Write a literary research paper that synthesizes and cites data using researched information and technology to support writing.

7.         Use primary and secondary sources to provide evidence, justification, or to extend a position, and cite sources, such as periodicals, interviews, discourse, and electronic media.

8.         Foresee readers’ needs and develop interest through strategies such as using precise language, specific details, definitions, descriptions, examples, anecdotes, analogies, and humor as well as anticipating and countering concerns and arguments and advancing a position.

9.         Provide compelling openings and strong closure to written pieces.

10.     Employ relevant graphics to support a central idea (e.g., charts, graphic organizers, pictures, computer-generated presentation).

11.     Use the responses of others to review content, organization, and usage for publication.

12.     Select pieces of writing from a literacy folder for a presentation portfolio that reflects performance in a variety of genres.

C.     Mechanics, Spelling, and Handwriting

1.         Use Standard English conventions in all writing, such as sentence structure, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

2.         Demonstrate a well-developed knowledge of English syntax to express ideas in a lively and effective personal style.

3.         Use subordination, coordination, apposition, and other devices effectively to indicate relationships between ideas.

4.         Use transition words to reinforce a logical progression of ideas.

5.         Exclude extraneous details, repetitious ideas, and inconsistencies to improve writing.

6.         Use knowledge of Standard English conventions to edit own writing and the writing of others for correctness.

7.         Use a variety of reference materials, such as a dictionary, grammar reference, and/or internet/software resources to edit written work.

8.         Write legibly in manuscript or cursive to meet district standards.

D.     Writing Forms, Audiences, and Purposes (exploring a variety of forms)

1.         Employ the most effective writing formats and strategies for the purpose and audience.

2.         Demonstrate command of a variety of writing genres, such as:

·        Persuasive essay

·           Personal narrative

·           Research report

·                Literary research paper

·           Descriptive essay

·               Critique

·               Response to literature

·           Parody of a particular narrative style (fable, myth, short story)

·           Poetry

3.         Evaluate the impact of an author’s decisions regarding tone, word choice, style, content, point of view, literary elements, and literary merit, and produce an interpretation of overall effectiveness.

4.         Apply all copyright laws to information used in written work.

5.       When writing, employ structures to support the reader, such as transition words, chronology, hierarchy or sequence, and forms, such as headings and subtitles.

6.         Compile and synthesize information for everyday and workplace purposes, such as job applications, resumes, business letters, and college applications.

7.         Demonstrate personal style and voice effectively to support the purpose and engage the audience of a piece of writing.

8.         Select pieces of writing from a literacy folder for a presentation portfolio that reflects performance in a variety of genres.

STANDARD 3.3 (SPEAKING) ALL STUDENTS WILL SPEAK IN CLEAR, CONCISE, ORGANIZED LANGUAGE THAT VARIES IN CONTENT AND FORM FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES AND PURPOSES.

Descriptive Statement: Oral language is a powerful tool for communicating, thinking, and learning. Through speaking and listening, students acquire the building blocks necessary to connect with others, develop vocabulary, and perceive the structure of the English language. An important goal in the language arts classroom is for students to speak confidently and fluently in a variety of situations.

Cumulative Progress Indicators

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12, students will:

A.     Discussion

 1.         Support a position integrating multiple perspectives.

 2.         Support, modify, or refute a position in small or large-group discussions.

 3.         Assume leadership roles in student-directed discussions, projects, and forums.

 4.         Summarize and evaluate tentative conclusions and take the initiative in moving discussions to the next stage.

B.     Questioning (Inquiry) and Contributing

 1.         Ask prepared and follow-up questions in interviews and other discussions.

 2.         Extend peer contributions by elaboration and illustration.

 3.         Analyze, evaluate, and modify group processes.

 4.         Select and discuss literary passages that reveal character, develop theme, and illustrate literary elements.

 5.         Question critically the position or viewpoint of an author.

 6.         Respond to audience questions by providing clarification, illustration, definition, and elaboration.

 7.         Participate actively in panel discussions, symposiums, and/or business meeting formats (e.g., explore a question and consider perspectives).

C.     Word Choice

 1.         Modulate tone and clarify thoughts through word choice.

 2.         Improve word choice by focusing on rhetorical devices (e.g., puns, parallelism, allusion, alliteration).

D.    Oral Presentation

 1.         Speak for a variety of purposes (e.g., persuasion, information, entertainment, literary interpretation, dramatization, personal expression).

 2.         Use a variety of organizational strategies (e.g., focusing idea, attention getters, clinchers, repetition, transition words).

 3.         Demonstrate effective delivery strategies (e.g., eye contact, body language, volume, intonation, articulation) when speaking.

 4.         Edit drafts of speeches independently and in peer discussions.

 5.         Modify oral communications through sensing audience confusion, and make impromptu revisions in oral presentation (e.g., summarizing, restating, adding illustrations/details).

 6.         Use a rubric to self-assess and improve oral presentations.

STANDARD 3.4 (LISTENING) ALL STUDENTS WILL LISTEN ACTIVELY TO INFORMATION FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES IN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS.

Descriptive Statement: Listening is the process of hearing, receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages. Through active listening, students gain understanding and appreciation of language and communication. Students call on different listening skills depending on their purpose for listening (e.g., listening to letter sounds to gain phonemic awareness, comprehending information, evaluating a message, appreciating a performance). Effective listeners are able to listen actively, restate, interpret, respond to, and evaluate increasingly complex messages. Students need to recognize that what they say, read, write, and view contributes to the content and quality of their listening experiences.

Cumulative Progress Indicators

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12, students will:

A.     Active Listening

 1.        Explore and reflect on ideas while hearing and focusing attentively.

 2.         Listen skillfully to distinguish emotive and persuasive rhetoric.

 3.        Demonstrate appropriate listener response to ideas in a persuasive speech, oral interpretation of a literary selection, or scientific or educational presentation.

B.     Listening Comprehension

 1.         Listen to summarize, make judgments, and evaluate.

 2.         Evaluate the credibility of a speaker.

 3.         Determine when propaganda and argument are used in oral forms.

 4.         Listen and respond appropriately to a debate.

STANDARD 3.5 (VIEWING AND MEDIA LITERACY) ALL STUDENTS WILL ACCESS, VIEW, EVALUATE, AND RESPOND TO PRINT, NONPRINT, AND ELECTRONIC TEXTS AND RESOURCES.

Descriptive Statement: Students learn how to view critically and thoughtfully in order to respond to visual messages and images in print, nonverbal interactions, the arts, and electronic media. Effective viewing is essential to comprehend and respond to personal interactions, live performances, visual arts that involve oral and/or written language, and both print media (graphs, charts, diagrams, illustrations, photographs, and graphic design in books, magazines, and newspapers) and electronic media (television, computers, and film). A media-literate person is able to evaluate media for credibility and understands how words, images, and sounds influence the way meanings are conveyed and understood in contemporary society. Students need to recognize that what they speak, hear, write, and read contributes to the content and quality of their viewing.

Cumulative Progress Indicators

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12, students will:

A.     Constructing Meaning from Media

 1.         Understand that messages are representations of social reality and vary by historic time periods and parts of the world.

 2.         Identify and evaluate how a media product expresses the values of the culture that produced it.

 3.         Identify and select media forms appropriate for the viewer’s purpose.

B.     Visual and Verbal Messages

 1.         Analyze media for stereotyping (e.g., gender, ethnicity).

 2.         Compare and contrast three or more media sources.

C.     Living with Media

 1.         Use print and electronic media texts to explore human relationships, new ideas, and aspects of culture (e.g., racial prejudice, dating, marriage, family, and social institutions).

 2.         Determine influences on news media based on existing political, historical, economical, and social contexts (e.g., importance of audience feedback).

 3.     Recognize that creators of media and performances use a number of forms, techniques, and technologies to convey their messages.

Link to Standard 3 Grade 8

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