Language Arts
PK-12 Curriculum

PK-12 Language Arts Philosophy

We believe language is the foundation for all other learning.We affirm that instruction in English must be a priority, and that the instruction our students receive must balance aesthetic values with practical applications. Instruction in Language Arts should build from basic skills to more advanced skills in a manner based on logical connections and developmental appropriateness. We believe that literacy is the integration of all forms of communication: reading, writing, speaking, listening, and critical thinking.

1. Our children will be readers and writers.
2. Our children will use language to understand themselves and others and to make sense of their world.
3. Our children will use language as a tool to accomplish goals.
4. Our children will leave our classrooms as individuals who know how to listen, speak, read, and write effectively.
5. Our children will recognize when language is being used to manipulate, persuade or control them.
6. 6.Our children will become language theorists.
7. 7.Our children will appreciate and respect the languages and cultures of others.

Standards for the English Language Arts

1. Demonstrates competence in listening and speaking as tools for learning
2. Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the reading process
3. Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of literary texts
4. Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of informational texts
5. Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process
6. Demonstrates competence in the stylistic and rhetorical techniques in writing
7. Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions
8. Gathers and uses information for research purposes