State Standards in Language Arts

Kindergarten through Grade Six

In order to meet this standard, students will

• use comprehension skills such as previewing, predicting, inferring, comparing and contrasting, re-reading and self-monitoring, summarizing, identifying the author's purpose, determining the main idea, and applying knowledge of foreshadowing, metaphor, simile, symbolism, and other figures of speech;
• use word recognition skills and resources such as phonics, context clues, picture clues, word origins, and word order clues; reference guides; roots, prefixes, and suffixes of words for comprehension; and

GRADES K-4

• using a full range of strategies to comprehend materials such as directions, nonfiction material, rhymes and poems, and stories.

GRADES 5-6

• using a full range of strategies to comprehend technical writing, newspapers, magazines, poetry, short stories, plays, and novels in addition to the types of reading material mentioned above. Students extend their thinking and understanding as they read stories about people from similar and different backgrounds.

In order to meet this standard, students will

• write and speak for a variety of purposes such as telling stories, presenting analytical responses to literature, conveying technical information, explaining concepts and procedures, and persuading;

GRADES K-4

• generating topics and developing ideas for a variety of writing and speaking purposes (for example, telling a story, publishing a class newsletter, writing a letter to an adult, writing or orally presenting a book report, creating and producing a play, introducing a speaker or an event, narrating a presentation);
• organizing their speaking and writing;

GRADES 5-6

• applying skills in analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and explanation to their writing and speaking;
• recognizing stylistic elements such as voice, tone, and style.

In order to meet this standard, students will

• apply correct usage in speaking and writing;

GRADES 5-6

• identifying the parts of speech such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections;

In order to meet this standard, students will

• make predictions, analyze, draw conclusions, and discriminate between fact and opinion in writing, reading, speaking, listening, and viewing;
• use reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing to define and solve problems;
• recognize, express, and defend points of view orally and in writing;
• identify the purpose, perspective, and historical and cultural influences of a speaker, author, or director; and
• evaluate the reliability, accuracy, and relevancy of information.

GRADES K-4

• recognizing an author's point of view;
• predicting and drawing conclusions about stories;
• differentiating between fact and opinion in written and spoken forms;
• using reading, writing, speaking, and listening to define and solve problems;
• responding to written and oral presentations as a reader, listener, and articulate speaker;
• formulating questions about what they read, write, hear, and view; and

GRADES 5-6

• recognizing an author's or speaker's point of view and purpose, separating fact from opinion;
• using reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing skills to solve problems and answer questions;
• making predictions, drawing conclusions, and analyzing what they read, hear, and view;
• determining literary quality based on elements such as the author's use of vocabulary, character development, plot development, description of setting, and realism of dialogue.

In order to meet this standard, students will

• read literature to investigate common issues and interests;
• read literature to understand places, people, events, and vocabulary, both familiar and unfamiliar;
• read literature that reflects the uniqueness and integrity of the American experience;
• read classic and contemporary literature, representing various cultural and ethnic traditions from throughout the world; and
• read classic and contemporary literature of the United States about the experiences and traditions of diverse ethnic groups.

GRADES K-4

• reading, responding to, and discussing a variety of literature such as folk tales, legends, myths, fiction, rhymes and poems, non-fiction, and content-area reading;
• reading, responding to, and discussing literature as a way to explore the similarities and differences among stories and the ways in which those stories reflect the ethnic background of the author and the culture in which they were written;
• recognizing the concept of classic or enduring literature, and reading and listening to classic works;
• using literary terminology such as setting, plot, character, problem, and solution; and

GRADES 5-6

• reading, responding to, and discussing a variety of novels, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, content-area and technical material, and plays;
• reading, responding to, and discussing literature that represents points of view from places, people, and events that are familiar and unfamiliar;
• distinguishing the elements that characterize and define a literary "classic";
• comparing the diverse voices of our national experience as they read a variety of United States literature;