My Understanding of ELA Instruction

The CCSS for ELA has five major parts and they are as follows: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language and Media and Technology.

The Reading is portion is to be viewed like a “staircase.” With each increasing grade level the content should be more complex therefore challenging the students more. It is also designed to increase the comprehension level of the students from one grade level to the next. The CCSS for ELA is not a curriculum but it can be incorporated in to any school’s existing curriculum. The CCSS for ELA encourages students to read various types of literature and text that can help broaden the student’s knowledge. Each state and school district has control over what the curriculum is to be. The standards solely list the types of literature a student should be familiar with in each grade level. The choice of instructional method is left at the discretion of the teacher and the school.

The Writing standards indicate that students be able to write a variety of compositions such as narrative, argumentative, informational or explanatory and research projects. The writing standards should be incorporated from a very early stage in elementary. These foundations will later serve as the baseline for the students in the upper grades.

The Speaking and Listening standards focus on the academic discussions of students in peer groups or a whole class setting. Formal presentations are also recommended to be a part of the curriculum to allow students to practice and enhance their public speaking skills.

The Language standards focus on building the students’ vocabulary through various means such as reading, instruction and discussions. Students should be able to express themselves well in formal and informal situations.

Media and technology should be used throughout the CCSS in all subjects. Students should be involved in creating different types of media. Technology should be used in multiple ways to better equip the students with the latest academic trends.