ELA Content Standards

Standard 1- Students will use written and oral English appropriate for various purposes and audiences. Standard One recognizes that students communicate ideas primarily through writing and speaking. In order to meet the standard students should: • be aware of the factors which influence the effectiveness of their writing and speaking (e.g., audience, purpose, form). • develop their capacity for organizing and supporting their thinking for a specific audience. • develop a facility of language (e.g., word choice, style, sentence formation, conventions) which will allow them to communicate effectively. • transfer their written and oral language proficiency to authentic settings. As a result, teachers should develop real-world; authentic opportunities for learning that require students to demonstrate their communication proficiency, both written and oral. Standard 2- Students will construct, examine, and extend the meaning of literary, informative, and technical texts through listening, reading, and viewing. ELA Content Standard Two recognizes that effective listening, reading or viewing requires three processes: constructing, examining, and extending meaning from text. The teaching of reading as a process is on- going: as a text becomes more rigorous, it is imperative that teachers continue teaching reading strategies at all levels. In order to meet this standard, students should: • determine meaning by using word recognition skills, reading strategies, prior knowledge, and textual clues. • interpret text(s) through critical analysis, evaluation, and reasoning. • extend meaning by transferring information gained to authentic situations (e.g., make decisions, solve problems, complete tasks, create products, enjoy literary experiences). Designing their instruction with scientifically-based reading research, teachers should develop real-world, authentic opportunities for learning that enable students to become independent readers, listeners, and viewers. Standard 3- Students will access, organize, and evaluate information gained through listening, reading, and viewing. ELA Content Standard Three recognizes that in today’s information-rich and technology based world, students must be able to access, organize, and evaluate information in order to inform their thinking. In order to meet this standard, students should be able to: • identify the question/issue/topic • locate and verify reliable sources • select appropriate information from these sources • evaluate the information found • synthesize information to determine what has been learned As a result, teachers should design real-world, authentic opportunities for developing students’ • reading literacy (becoming an avid and capable reader). • technology literacy (becoming a skilled user of technology tools). • information literacy (becoming an organized investigator, a critical and creative thinker, an effective communicator, and a responsible information user).

Standard 4- Students will use literary knowledge accessed through print and visual media to connect self to society and culture. ELA Content Standard Four recognizes that print and visual media can provide rich and timeless insights into key themes, dilemmas, and challenges faced in life. In order to meet this standard, students should respond to print and visual media by: • making inferences and drawing conclusions. • making connections to self, to other texts, and to the world. • seeking a variety of other literary texts and media as a result of literary experiences. • using texts as resources for understanding social, cultural, and political issues. As a result, teachers should provide students exposure to a broad range of literature from various cultures, genres, and time periods; enabling them to find personal relevance in their reading, to use literature as a resource for shaping decisions, and to recognize literary merit.

Complete ELA Clarifications document can be found at: http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/staff/ci/content_areas/files/ela/ELA %20Clarifications.pdf ELA 2nd Grade Learning Focused Strategies (2008) Theme Selection Comprehension Theme Enduring Understandings Theme Essential Question(s) Skill/Strategy One—Silly Stories  Good readers may use many strategies that work,  What do good readers do? What do A. Dragon Gets By A. Summarize; Story Structure and they quickly try another one when the one they do when they do not they are using doesn’t work. They not only know understand? How do texts differ? B. Julius B. Monitor/Clarify; many different strategies, but they never get stuck How should I read different types of C. Mrs. Brown Went to Town Fantasy/Realism in persisting with one that isn’t working. text? D. Connecting and C. Predict/Infer; Predicting  The impact of a text on a reader is influenced by  How does literature reveal us to Comparing: The Surprise Outcomes the reader’s experience. ourselves? from George and Martha; D. Predict/Infer;  The reader’s interaction with text changes with time and experience. Hippos Fantasy/Realism; Story  Good readers employ strategies to help them E. Focus on Genre: Poetry Structure understand text. E. Monitor/Clarify; Understanding Poetry

Two—Nature Walk  Sometimes the author makes his/her meaning  What’s new and what’s old here? A. Henry and Mudge A. Questioning; Compare & plain; often however, a reader must dig beneath Have we run across this idea before? the “surface” of the text to find the meaning. So what? Does it matter? B. Ranger Dockett Contrast  Good readers may use many strategies that work,  What lies beneath the surface of this C. Around the Pond B. Evaluate; Fact & Opinion and they quickly try another one when the one text? (In fiction: symbol and theme; D. Connecting and C. Monitor/Clarify; they are using doesn’t work. They not only know in nonfiction texts: assumptions, Comparing: Owl Moon and Categorize/Clarify many different strategies, but they never get stuck biases, preconceptions) How much Owls D. Monitory/Clarify; in persisting with one that isn’t working. does this matter? How can I  Different types of texts (e.g. narrative, mystery, uncover it? E. Focus on Genre: Fables Compare/Contrast; biography, expository, persuasive) have different Categorize/Classify; Fact & structures. Understanding a text’s structure helps Opinion a reader better understand its meaning. E. Predict/Infer; Understanding  Good readers employ strategies to help them Fables understand text Three—Around Town  Different readers may respond to the same text in  What do good readers do? What do A. Chinatown A. Summarize; Making different ways. The better readers are those that they do when they do not provide greater insight into the text and or the understand? How do texts differ? B. A Trip to the Firehouse Judgments issues raised. How should I read different types of C. Big Bushy Mustache B. Question; Topic, Main idea,  Everyone is entitled to an opinion about what a text? D. Jamaica Louise James supporting details text means, but the text supports some  What is the author saying? How do I E. Connecting and C. Predict/Infer; Problem interpretations more than others. know? What is the gist? What is the Comparing: Grandpa’s Solving  Different types of texts (e.g. narrative, mystery, main idea? How do I read between biography, expository, persuasive) have different the lines? How do I know I am Corner Store, Bario: Jose’s D. Evaluate; Making Inferences structures. Understanding a text’s structure helps getting the point and not merely Neighborhood E. Summarize; Problem Solving; a reader better understand its meaning. imposing my views and experience? Making Judgments; Topic,  Good readers employ strategies to help them Main idea, supporting details understand text. Four—Amazing Animals  Sometimes the author makes his/her meaning  What do good readers do? What do A. Officer Buckle and Gloria A. Monitor/Clarify; Drawing plain; often however, a reader must dig beneath they do when they do not the “surface” of the text to. understand? How do texts differ? B. Ant Conclusions  Good readers may use many strategies that work, How should I read different types of C. The Great Ball Game B. Question; Text Organization and they quickly try another one when the one texts? D. Connecting and C. Summarize; Cause & Effect they are using doesn’t work. They not only know  What lies beneath the surface of this Comparing: Little Grunt; D. Question; Drawing many different strategies, but they never get stuck text? (In fiction: symbol and theme; Egg; Mighty Dinosaurs Conclusions; Cause & Effect; in persisting with one that isn’t working. in nonfiction texts: assumptions,  The impact of a text on a reader is influenced by biases, preconceptions) How much E. Focus on Genre: Biography Problem Solving; Text the reader’s experience does this matter? How can I Organization  A good story has a pattern or plan. uncover it? E. Evaluation; Understanding Biography Five –Family Time  Great literature provides rich and timeless insights  What is a story? How are stories A. Brothers and Sisters A. Evaluate; Making into the key themes, dilemmas and challenges that from other places and times about we face. They present complex stories in which me? Must a story have a moral? B. Jalapeno Bagels Generalizations the inner and outer lives of human beings are Must a story have heroes and C. Carousel B. Question; Following revealed villains? Should a story or fairy tale D. Thundercake Directions  Reading for meaning often requires imagining teach you something? E. Connecting and C. Predict/Infer; Making conversation with and questioning of the author.  How can a reader recognize truth in Comparing: A Curve in the Judgments You must consider and respond-very different text? from passively accepting or instantly liking or River; Slippery Siblings D. Monitor/Clarify; Sequence of disliking. F. Focus on Genre: Chapter Events Books E. Monitor/Clarify; Making Judgments; Compare & Contrast; Making Generalizations F. Summarize; Understanding Chapter Books Six—Talent Show  Great literature provides rich and timeless insights  What is a story? How are stories A. The Art Lesson A. Evaluate; Author’s Viewpoint into the key themes, dilemmas and challenges that from other places and times about we face. They present complex stories in which me? Must a story have a moral? B. Moses Goes to a Concert B. Summarize; Noting Details the inner and outer lives of human beings are Must a story have heroes and C. The School Mural C. Question; Problem Solving revealed villains? Should a story or fairy tale D. Connecting and D. Evaluate; Noting Details;  Reading for meaning often requires imagining teach you something? Comparing: Join the Problem Solving; Author’s conversation and questioning of the author. You  How can a reader recognize truth in Circus; Raymond’s Best Viewpoint must consider and respond-very different from text? passively accepting or instantly liking or disliking. Summer