English Language Arts Program of Studies Summary

Ideas and Philosophies: Language is the base of all human communication; we need it to live on this
earth with each other. The English Language Arts program aims to teach children how to use language
effectively to communicate ideas and to learn how to collaborate with others. Through the program
students will learn to use multiple literacies effectively, and interpret the literacies of others with the same
efficiency The ability to use language effectively enhances student opportunities to experience personal
satisfaction and to become responsible, contributing citizens and lifelong learners. (Program of Studies
pg1)
General Outcome One: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts,
ideas, feelings and experiences.
According to page seven of the program of studies, students will learn to give meaning to experiences and
learn to share thoughts, feelings, and emotions through the exploration of language. Exploratory language
will help learners discover their own identities through conversation, writing, reading, listening, and
viewing while forming relationships and classroom community. Students will advance through the grades
through the application of prior knowledge and experiences to forms of literacy in order to gain deeper
understandings and manage information obtained.
1.1 Discover and Explore (pg. 8-10): Progressing in complexity, depth of experimentation, and increase in
collaborative components from kindergarten to grade six, outcome 1.1 encompasses the expression of
ideas and development of understandings through experimentation with language and forms, setting
personal goals, and expression and use of preferred language modes.
1.2 Clarify and extend (pg. 12-14): Developing sharing skills, experimenting in collaborative settings, and
uncovering new ways of questioning and understanding, outcome 1.2 progresses from kindergarten to
grade six through the expansion of personal understandings and building on individual knowledge
through a developing questioning and sharing process with peers.
General Outcome Two: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and
respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts.
Students will experience a variety of diverse modalities of texts (oral, print, and other media texts) and
will be expected to respond to them personally and critically using a variety of strategies and cues.
Students will develop and strengthen their skills by responding to texts, making interpretations, evaluating
ideas and techniques, participating in exploratory talks, and writing. It is through these tasks and activities
that students will explore and form values and beliefs.
2.1 Use Strategies and Cues (pg. 18-29): Starting off with the creation of knowledge and slowing
developing, 2.1 progresses from kindergarten to grade six through the development and expansion of the
use of prior knowledge to evaluate and assess new texts, the use of comprehension strategies and textual
cues to quickly navigate texts, the use of phonics and structural analysis to tackle new and unfamiliar
words, and the use of references to organize words and effectively use different resources.
2.2 Respond to Texts (pg. 30-37): Throughout kindergarten to grade six, 2.2 deals with responding to
texts. Starting at a more basic level and then developing into more personal and concrete responses, it is
accomplished through the experience of various texts and the construction of meaning from them
(personally or critically) as they read and the appreciation of the artistry of texts around vocabulary,
rhyme, rhythm, and repetition.

2.4 Create Original Text (pg. 42-45): Progressing in complexity from kindergarten to grade six, student
will be expected to create their own original text. 2.4 demonstrates and facilitates this through the
generation of ideas, the elaboration on the expression of ideas, and the structure of texts.
General Outcome Three: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and
information.
Page forty-seven of the program of studies describes that through various modalities students will
concentrate on the importance of managing information both in and out of the classroom. Students will
focus on appropriate representation and communication of information. Importance is placed on defining
why information is needed and how to appropriately evaluate said information. Students enhance their
abilities to manage information and to use and interpret it collaboratively.
3.2 Select and Process (pg. 52-54) Students focus on finding resource materials in a variety of formats
such as photographs, other people, and picture books. Through the progression of grade levels students
will continually add new resources and learn how to integrate them into research.
3.4 Share and Review (pg. 60-62) Students collaborate through sharing of information on various topics
of interest. Students then expand on this information and communicate it appropriately through the use of
presentation tools.
General Outcome Four: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the
clarity and artistry of communication.
In school and in daily life, students are required to communicate ideas and information using wellorganized, clear and precise language. applying the conventions of grammar, language usage, spelling,
punctuation and capitalization students work has more artistry and clarity (pg. 65).
4.1 Enhance and Improve (pg. 66-73): work to improve writing and typing skills in legibility and clarity.
Use peer and self review to edit and improve writing skills in grammar and spelling.
4.2 Attend to conventions (pg.74-81): Progress from basic sentence writing to understanding complex
sentence structures. Learn basic sounds of letters and words progressing to phonetic understanding as well
as correct spelling to exemptions of conventional spelling patterns.

General Outcome 5: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to respect, support and
collaborate with others.
Summary: Students will experience diverse cultural literacies, and will also come to understand the
importance of language in enriching and preserving culture. Students will explore current global events to
gain cultural understandings. Finally, students will learn how to work in groups and be active participants.
5.1 Respect others and strengthen community (88-90): Progresses from a basic understanding of self and
community and progresses to understanding and comparing social contexts related to other cultures and
cultural texts. Includes an understanding of the use of appropriate language throughout.
5.2 Work within a group (92-94): Progresses from basic concepts about being an active participation to
understanding your role as a group member and taking on the responsibilities associated with that,
including research and problem solving. Each grade has a requirement for respect of others ideas.