Language Arts Belief Statements

• Literacy is essential to lifelong learning.
• Early intervention and timely instruction are essential to build foundations for future literacy success.
• An effective language arts program addresses strategies for learning and skill components within reading, writing, listening, speaking and viewing.
• An effective language arts program addresses aesthetic components including but not limited to:
  • Appreciation of literature;
  • Creativity, and
  • Cultural awareness
• Language arts instructional practices meet the differing needs of the learner.
• Language arts instructional practices should be respectful of the diverse backgrounds and experiences students bring to the classroom.
• Language arts should be integrated throughout the entire curriculum and connected to real world applications.
• Effective language arts assessment is aligned with the curriculum frameworks and informs and guides instruction.
• A quality language arts program requires support for:
  • Instructional resources aligned with the curriculum,
  • Ongoing professional development, and
  • District-wide communication.
• Family support and community involvement is essential to student learning in language arts.

STATE REQUIREMENTS ARE (4) CREDITS IN LANGUAGE ARTS AND DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS ARE (4) YEARS INCLUDING ONE COURSE IN LITERATURE, SPEECH AND COMPOSITION.