English Language Arts Curriculum Guide

Grades K-12

 

Grades K-12

 

Forward from the Superintendent

 

It is with pleasure that I present to you the Wachusett Regional School District English/Language Arts Curriculum Guide. This document, a direct result of the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993, is the product of years of work by many of the District staff.

 

Following the release of the Massachusetts World Languages Curriculum Framework in 1995, an English/Language Arts Task Force began work on the Wachusett Regional School District English/Language Arts Curriculum Framework, which was approved by the School Committee on April 8, 1996.

 

The English/Language Arts Curriculum Guide is based on the four principles identified in the national and Massachusetts standards: Critical Thinking, Effective Communicating, Lifelong Connections, and Global Understanding. These principles are demonstrated through the development of proficiency in Language, Composition, Literature, and Media.

 

The skills included in English/Language Arts are basic to success in the other disciplines. Therefore, this document, which has been developed to support the implementation of the English/Language Arts Curriculum Framework, should be considered an additional resource for teachers of other content areas, i.e., strategies used in English/Language Arts classrooms are applicable across the disciplines.

 

The Portfolio Position Statement provides an example of the ways that English/Language Arts strategies can unilaterally facilitate learning. The diversity of types of portfolios suggests a multitude of applications from a variety of perspectives. In addition, portfolios offer the opportunity to integrate performance assessment.

 

Wachusett Regional School District is grateful for the hours of effort contributed by many teachers and administrators in producing this document. It has been described best as a document that is teacher friendly, developed by teachers for teachers.

 

A curriculum is never finished but rather is a living document, meant to be constantly revised and improved by those who use it. The distribution of this document initiates the review process as teachers use it and make improvements in their schools and classrooms. The English/Language Arts Task Force will continue to meet to share and record those improvements for future editions. Teachers should send contributions to the English/ Language Arts Task Force member in their individual schools.

 

Again, the District thanks all who have contributed to this effort, which sets a standard for English/Language Arts instruction in Wachusett Regional School District.

 

Alfred D. Tutela Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

 

 

Mission Statement

The English/Language Arts Curriculum Guide of Wachusett Regional School District promotes critical thinking and reasoning within the context of purposeful language that is used to comprehend, construct, and convey meaning.

 

Goals

1. Students will develop the ability to express thinking and reasoning through language.

2. Students will develop facility with oral language through early literacy.

3. Students will understand their own and other cultures through the study of the genres and time periods of a global literacy heritage.

4. Students will recognize writing as an essential tool to communicate ideas in persuasive, expository, literary, and expressive discourse.

5. Students will develop the ability to use media critically as a means of information and expression.

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Go to English/Language Arts Curriculum Frameworks