English Language Arts and Reading

The Region 10 Elementary Language Arts program is a comprehensive one designed to develop skills, strategies, and habits to foster life-long readers and writers.  Reading instruction focuses on the five pillars of literacy which include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  Phonemic awareness is about understanding and recognizing the sounds that make up words.  In phonics, students learn about how letters represent those sounds and how to use that knowledge to read and spell.  Fluency instruction helps students to read smoothly, accurately, and with expression. Vocabulary is another pillar, helping students to understand the meaning of words in reading, speaking, and writing.  Finally, comprehension instruction teaches students to understand what they read.  We do this by reading and discussing high quality texts.  Teachers participate in continuous professional development to ensure that our teaching practices align with current research.   Our literacy instruction is student-centered and fosters active participation and discussion. 

Kindergarten 

Here is a sample of what your child will be working on in kindergarten: 

• Naming upper- and lower-case letters, matching those letters with their sounds, and printing them 

• Comparing the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories, such as fairy tales and folktales 

• Retelling familiar stories and talking about stories read to them using details from the text 

• Using a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to describe an event, including his or her reaction to what happened 

• Stating an opinion or preference about a topic or book in writing (e.g., “My favorite book is . . .”) 

• Taking part in classroom conversations and following rules for discussions (e.g., learning to listen to others and taking turns when speaking) 

• Speaking clearly to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas, including descriptions of familiar people, places, things, and events 

• Asking and answering questions about key details in stories or other information read aloud 

• Understanding and using question words (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how) in discussions 

• Learning to recognize, spell, and properly use those little grammatical words that hold the language together (e.g., a, the, to, of, from, I, is, are) 

Grade 1  

Here is a sample of what your child will be working on in first grade: 

• Using phonics (matching letters and sounds) and word analysis skills to figure out unfamiliar words when reading and writing 

• Describing characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details 

• Getting facts and information from different writings 

• Writing about a topic, supplying some facts, and providing some sense of opening and closing 

• Participating in shared research and writing projects (e.g., exploring a number of “how-to” books and using them to write a sequence of instructions) 

• Taking part in conversations about topics and texts being studied by responding to the comments of others and asking questions to clear up any confusion 

• Describing people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly and with complete sentences 

• Producing and expanding complete simple and compound statements, questions, commands, and exclamations 

• Identifying the correct meaning for a word with multiple meanings, based on the sentence or paragraph in which the word is used (e.g., deciding whether the word bat means a flying mammal, or a club used in baseball) 

• Learning to think about finer distinctions in the meanings of near synonyms (e.g., marching, prancing, strutting, strolling, walking) 

Grade 2 

Here is a sample of what your child will be working on in second grade: 

• Paying close attention to details, including illustrations and graphics, in stories and books to answer who, what, where, when, why, and how questions 

• Determining the lesson or moral of stories, fables, and folktales 

• Using text features (e.g., captions, bold print, indexes) to locate key facts or information efficiently 

• Writing an opinion about a book he or she has read, using important details from the materials to support that opinion 

• Writing stories that include a short sequence of events and include a clear beginning, middle, and end 

• Participating in shared research projects (e.g., read books on a single topic to produce a report) 

• Taking part in conversations by linking his or her comments to the remarks of others and asking and answering questions to gather additional information or deepen understanding of the topic 

• Retelling key information or ideas from media or books read aloud 

• Producing, expanding, and rearranging sentences (e.g., “The boy watched the movie”; “The little boy watched the movie”; “The action movie was watched by the little boy”) 

• Determining the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix or suffix is added to a known word (happy/unhappy; pain/painful/painless)  

Grade 3 

Here is a sample of what your child will be working on in third grade:  

• Reading closely to find main ideas and supporting details in a story 

• Describing the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in stories (e.g., first, second, third; cause and effect) 

• Comparing the most important points and key details presented in two books on the same topic 

• Writing opinions or explanations that group related information and develop topics with facts and details 

• Writing stories that establish a situation and include details and clear sequences of events that describe the actions, thoughts, and feelings of characters 

• Independently conducting short research projects that build knowledge about various topics 

• Asking and answering questions about information he or she hears from a speaker or while participating in classroom discussions, offering appropriate elaboration and detail that build on what others have said 

• Reading stories and poems aloud fluently, without pausing to figure out what each word means 

• Distinguishing the literal and nonliteral meanings of words, such as something’s fishy and cold shoulder 

• Spelling correctly and consulting dictionaries to clarify meanings of words  

Grade 4 

Here is a sample of what your child will be working on in fourth grade: 

• Describing the basic elements of stories — such as characters, events, and settings — by drawing on specific details in the text 

• Paying close attention to key features of informational books and articles: these include understanding the main and supporting ideas; being able to compare and contrast information; and explaining how the author uses facts, details, and evidence to support particular points 

• Comparing ideas, characters, events, and settings in stories and myths from different cultures 
  Writing summaries or opinions about topics supported with a set of well-organized facts, details, and examples 

• Independently conducting short research projects on different aspects of a topic using evidence from books and the Internet 

• Paraphrasing and responding to information presented in discussions, such as comparing and contrasting ideas and analyzing evidence that speakers use to support particular points 

• Reporting orally on a topic or telling a story with enough facts and details 

• Writing complete sentences with correct capitalization and spelling 

• Relating words that are common in reading to words with similar meanings (synonyms) and to their opposites (antonyms) 

• Spelling correctly and consulting dictionaries to clarify meanings of words  

 

 

Parents’ Guides to Student Success - Family Resources | National PTA. (n.d.). Www.pta.org. https://www.pta.org/home/family-resources/Parents-Guides-to-Student-Success 

 

In grades 5 and 6, students have an English Language Arts block every day.  During instructional time, students receive direct, whole group instruction and support through small group instruction as well.  Time is also set aside to conference with both readers and writers, and for students to work independently. Students in grade 5 will continue to work on spelling, improve grammar skills, and word work/vocabulary building exercises. Students in both grade levels are expected to read for 30 minutes a night as part of their homework routine. In addition, students may receive supplemental weekly homework targeted at advancing student application of spelling, grammar, and/or word work/vocabulary. Of note, teachers in grades 5 and 6 are either teachers of Humanities (ELA & Social Studies) or teachers of STEM (Math & Science). Thus, where possible, ELA units of study align with social studies content and concepts.  

• The units of study in grade 5 focus on developing students’ skills in close reading; quoting accurately; determining theme; comparing text structures and features; comparing characters, settings, or events; determining meaning of words and phrases, including figurative language; and examining how parts of texts fit together to make the whole. Students in grades 5 are also expected to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.  

• The units of study in grade 6 focus on developing students’ skills in citing textual evidence, determining theme/main ideas; analyzing how a plot is developed over the course of text(s); determining the meanings of words and phrases, including figurative language; and Integrating information to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue. Starting in grade 6, the complexity of texts, both fiction and nonfiction, increase significantly from grade 5. Our 6th grade students are embarking on Year 1 of a 3-year journey as they learn to grapple with a range of texts and comprehension questions up to and including 8th Grade skills. The grade 6 Common Core standard for “Reading Complex Texts (RL/I 10) notes, “By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature and nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.”  In addition to continuing to develop students’ reading skills in the 6-8 band of text, students are also expected to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 

In grades 7 and 8, students have an English Language Arts block every day. Students in these grade levels learn in a hybrid workshop model where students continue to receive a daily mini lesson with a targeted goal for learning. During instructional time, students receive both whole group and small group instruction with time set aside to conference at pivotal moments in the learning progressions of units. In grades 7 and 8 students alternate unit focus on Reading or Writing; however, regardless of the unit’s focus, students remain engaged in both reading and writing throughout every unit of study. Students in these grade levels are expected to read for 30 minutes a night as part of their homework routine. In addition, students may be asked to complete assignments or assessments as part of their homework responsibilities.  

• The units of study in grade 7 begin students’ transition to exploring enduring understandings through literature. Students in grade 7 explore how readers and writers use the stories of others to reflect on who they are as individual and as members of society; How authors develop characters, settings and themes across multiple books in a series to explore multiple truths; How authors use historical events as backdrops to speak to larger ideas/concepts; and how effective communicators can persuade audiences to act.  As in grades 5 and 6, grade 7 is also anchored in Connecticut Core Standards. 

• The units of study in grade 8 ask students to reconnect with their prior knowledge from grades 5-7 as they begin the year reexamining story elements at an increased level of sophistication, evaluating how do the elements of a story (setting, character development, and plot progression) work in tandem to reveal universal truths about a society; How history can be examined in both fiction and nonfiction in order to come to deeper understandings of how these affect each other in literature and in history; How we define art and how it functions as an imitation of our lives; and how even the most dystopic of worlds has something to teach us about ours. As an extension to traditional units of study, Grade 8 culminates in a capstone project in which students get to explore a passion of theirs through guided research. Students present their capstone project to their peers in the spring of their 8th grade year.  

Reading Intervention is designed for students in grades 5-8 who may need a boost in reading comprehension, decoding, or general skill work. Students may receive support from an interventionist as part of their WIN (What I Need) time, or they may receive pull-out intervention. Both entering and exiting Reading intervention is based on school assessment data and classroom performance. During intervention, students work in small groups with peers who have similar needs.  

All students are required to take four years of English Language Arts (ELA) to meet graduation requirements. All ELA courses use the Connecticut Core Standards as their guide to prepare students to be college and career ready in literacy. Students will focus on various genres and develop skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening and language. Additionally, all ELA courses will contain vocabulary and grammar components. In grades 9-11, students will receive additional support for PSAT/SAT through test-taking strategies and opportunities to practice model test questions. Teacher recommendation for Honors or Advanced courses reflects students’ ability to submit assignments in a timely manner, adhering to deadlines set in ELA classes. 

• The focus of grade 9 (L1 & L2) curriculum is based around the idea of Understanding the world: How do the texts we read help us form connections and build community? In Grade 9 ELA students meet the state of Connecticut's Holocaust and Genocide Education and Awareness Act mandate. 
   

• The focus of grade 10 (L1 & L2) curriculum is a study of literature from around the world aiming to help students understand themselves in the world: How do the texts we read teach us about ourselves and the world around us? 

• The focus of grade 11 curriculum is American Literature. At this juncture, students are figuring out where they fit in the world. Therefore, our overarching idea is Understanding You in the world: How do the texts we read teach us about our individual and collective responsibility to society? Of note, American Literature (English 11) is not a leveled course. The two levels for junior year are American Literature or an Advanced Placement course. 

At Lewis Mills, students can begin taking elective courses in the ELA department beginning in freshman year if they elect to take the Theater course (I or II). Once a student reaches grade 11, Junior year, there is a more robust offering of electives/alternative courses, which fulfill graduation requirements. However, all grade 11 students must take either American Literature or an Advanced Placement course. Additionally, there is no yearlong Grade 12 ELA course, students must either take two electives or an Advanced Placement course to fulfil the required four years of English Language Arts.  

• Elective offerings: Advanced Placement English Language and Composition (Full Year); Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition (Full Year); College Composition; Complex Themes in Simple Literature; Creative Writing; Creativity and Social Change; Literary Perspectives; Media Studies I & II; UCONN ECE Cams 1103: Classical Mythology; Mythology; Philosophy and Ethics in Literature; Playwriting; Public Speaking; Theater Performance I & II. 

9th Grade	10th Grade	11th Grade	12th Grade
English 9  Level 1 (Honors)  Level 2  Theater I/II	English 10  Level 1 (Honors)  Level 2  Theater I/II	English 11 or  AP English Language  AP English Literature   +Electives if desired	Two Electives or  AP English Language or AP English Literature

 

Reading Intervention is designed for students in grades 9-12 who may need a boost in reading comprehension, decoding, or general skill work. Students who need reading support will be scheduled into a Literacy Workshop class or a Reading Skills class depending on the student’s data profile. Both entering and exiting Reading intervention is based on school assessment data and classroom performance. During intervention, students work in small groups with peers who have similar needs. Both Literacy Workshop and Reading Intervention are credited courses.  

To see additional information on course offerings at Lewis Mills, please click on the Program of Studies 

If you would like additional information, please navigate to the Atlas link to see unit overviews, essential questions, and student outcomes (Knows/Dos). You may also reach out to the    5 - 12 Language Arts Coordinator, Jillian Yantz, at yantzj@region10ct.org