English Language Arts, K-5

Reading and writing well are skills we learn, not abilities that come automatically. Teaching literacy deeply requires much purposeful effort. The purpose of our curriculum is to provide a standard guide for all teachers in their journey of implementing a balanced and structured literacy program within the context of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. Balanced literacy is a framework that provides components of instruction that will develop students’ abilities to read, write, listen, and speak effectively with expectations outlined in the state standards. Within our daily English Language Arts block, we embed purposeful Science of Reading components such as our Heggerty Phonemic Awareness instruction and HMH Structured Literacy program. Effective teaching results from skillful weaving of curriculum, implementation of best instructional practices, and effective responses to students’ reading and writing activities. 

According to the National Reading Panel's Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and its Implication for Reading Instruction, literacy growth is based on the five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. Writing is an equal partner to reading. Writing is the vehicle through which reading work and assessment occur. The writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) provides the foundation for teaching the three types of writing (narrative, informational/explanatory, opinion/argumentative). Through the use of complex texts combined with research-based strategy instruction using a gradual release of responsibility model from the teacher to the student, students will be able to attain high levels of literacy achievement. 

Our curriculum provides opportunities for students to engage in multiple genres of reading and writing. Providing students with a choice will allow us to find ways for them to connect with texts they can read and motivate them to want to read and write more. Most importantly, our students will learn to love and use their reading and writing skills to enable them to be successful literate citizens at both college and career levels. 

All K-12 English courses align with the revised 2023 New Jersey Learning Standards for English Language Arts.

K-5 English Language Arts Components:

During the Structured Literacy block, Heggerty Phonemic Awareness instruction is delivered 10 minutes daily within the kindergarten and first-grade classrooms. Phonemic awareness is the understanding that spoken words comprise individual sounds (phonemes). A child with phoneme proficiency can isolate sounds, blend sounds into words, segment a word into sounds, and manipulate sounds in words. Phonemic awareness instruction provides the foundation on which phonics instruction is built.

Structured Literacy phonics instruction is delivered 30 minutes daily in all kindergarten through second-grade classrooms to teach students early literacy foundational skills.  This includes teaching reading, fluency, spelling, and handwriting through a multisensory, systematic approach. Through Structured Literacy, students learn how to read and write irregular words. These words are typically part of the phonic code but are tricky. This might be because they have unusual spellings, contain new sounds and graphemes, or may not follow ordinary phonemic rules. These words are “tricky words” to be decoded, not words to be memorized.    

Word study instruction is woven into the ELA instructional block in third- and fifth-grade classrooms. Word Study is a conceptual way of thinking about reading, understanding, and spelling words. It is a rich and rigorous way of thinking about words and how we use them. It also demonstrates how exploration of orthographic knowledge can lead to strengthening reading, oral language, vocabulary, and writing. Morphology is the knowledge of how word parts, including prefixes, suffixes, root, and base words, work together. 

Reader’s and Writer’s Workshops are taught daily in kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms. The workshop is designed to teach students skills and strategies while reading and composing using authentic texts. These experiences provide students opportunities to observe teacher modeling, practice through guided practice, and transfer skills through application. During this model, the teacher will teach an explicit lesson to the class based on state standards. While students independently practice the skill or strategy, the teacher works with small groups of students in guided reading groups, strategy groups, or individualized conferences. This time allows the teacher to provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of each student, whether they are below, on, or above grade level. 

During small group instruction, students are instructed using decodable and leveled texts depending on the skills being taught and the student's needs. The purpose of decodable readers is to develop phonological decoding skills, which is the focus of the text construction. Leveled texts combine specific phonetic patterns, sentence fluency, and vocabulary in a particular text. One of the primary purposes of leveled readers is to help target reading skills at different levels. Teachers can use leveled readers to provide targeted instruction for students learning at different reading levels.

In addition to the above literacy components, instruction also includes the following shared learning experiences weaved throughout the curricular units:

Interactive Read Aloud
Shared Reading
Shared Writing
Interactive Writing

English Language Arts, 6-12

The West Orange Public Schools, 6-12 English Language Arts Department strives to advance the discipline of language and literature by fostering and sustaining a community of unique thinkers. Together, we define, engage, enrich, and transform how and why we read, speak, and write.  

Students are immersed in a diverse curriculum that encourages them to venture creatively and collaboratively while developing an appreciation of literature. The secondary English Language Arts program strives to challenge students to think critically and analytically when reading and writing. Students practice comprehension strategies and text analysis by engaging in close, careful reading of literary and informational material. Students engage in whole class reads, book clubs, and independent reading. They apply critical reading strategies to comprehend complex text, develop content knowledge, and explore topics and ideas of interest. Throughout the year, students write routinely by examining the author's craft and engaging in all stages of the writing process to develop written work patterned after real-world narrative, informative/explanatory, and argumentative writing. Oral presentations and classroom debates require students to prepare and present logical, well-developed arguments while practicing grade-level speaking and listening skills. Unit performance tasks challenge students to demonstrate analytical thinking in reading and writing as well as a strong command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage.

Overall, the English Language Arts Program is designed to meet the needs of students at all ability levels and prepare them for college and career readiness. Advanced and honor-level courses are available to students possessing above-grade-level skills. High expectations are maintained for all students at every ability level. 

As a diverse community of practitioners and learners, we are confident and committed to our students' continued success. Our goal has always been to stay current with best educational practices and continue to support the families of the West Orange School District.