Introduction:
The English Language Arts consist of several fundamental, important areas of study: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language Instruction. Language instruction is based on the standards of the 2017 Massachusetts ELA/Literacy Framework. These standards form the essential foundation for learning in the other academic disciplines. Developing effective communication skills in youngsters enables them to become collaborative and communicative in adulthood. The Haverhill Public Schools is committed to providing students with an effective English Language Arts curriculum from the day they begin school until graduation. Our goal is to help each student acquire and sustain the literacy skills necessary to become a successful, independent, and productive citizen.
Contact Information:
Helene Levine
Supervisor of English Language arts
helene.levine@haverhill-ps.org
978-420-1928
Instruction:
Units of Study Writing: K-12 – Students must be given ample opportunities to write in a variety of genres and to develop a love of writing. Effective writing instruction emphasizes the product and the process of writing. Students should write for authentic purposes to real audiences. Students should be given ample opportunities to organize thoughts, develop ideas and revise for clarity. An effective writing experience engages students in such processes as problem solving, reflecting, analyzing, and imagining so that they can think critically about what they have read or experienced. Click here for Writing Standards in Action.
Purpose: build writing independence and fluency; provide a ladder of exemplar texts that model writing progressions across grades K–8; develop and refine strategies for writing across the curriculum; include strategic performance assessments to help monitor mastery and differentiate instruction.
Letterland is a unique, phonics-based approach to teach reading, writing and spelling to our youngest learners. The Letterland characters transform plain black letter shapes into child-friendly pictograms and they all live in an imaginary place called Letterland. Simple stories about the Letterland characters explain the full range of dry phonics facts so that students are motivated to listen, to think and to learn.
The Lesley Literacy Collaborative is a comprehensive literacy model based on research, data, and best practices. Literacy Coaches at the elementary schools receive extensive training at Lesley University and then train their peers over a three-year period. Teachers trained in this model provide a high level of instruction in reading, writing, and language skills to their elementary students.
The 6 + 1 Writing Traits Program is an effective, research-based program that provides a solid foundation for teaching writing. Students learn the key aspects (6 traits) of writing: Ideas, Organization, Voice, Sentence Fluency, Word Choice, and Conventions. ELA teachers use this program in their classes to improve student writing. District-wide writing rubrics are based on the 6 + 1 Writing Traits Program.
Writing with Colors is a highly visual approach that helps answer the question: “What does good writing look like?” While students are often advised to “show don’t tell” in their writing, this strategy allows them to truly “see” good writing. Students learn how to identify and include the following in their own writing: topic/focus, transitional words/phrases, explanation/analysis, supporting details, and language/style.
Summer Reading should be a key part of every child’s summer vacation. It is important to maintain the literacy skills that students work hard to develop during the school year. The School District provides age-appropriate lists of book titles to help guide families with their selections. There is research-based documentation on “summer slide” which emphasizes the loss of skills students acquire when they do not read every day during the summer. Please read with your child or have him/her spend at least 20 minutes reading every day. This will be so beneficial to your child when re-entering school in the fall.