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INTRODUCTION
St. Philomena School Model Content
Standards for Reading and Language Arts
The ability to communicate clearly
— to read, write, speak, and listen —
forms the core of human culture. Reading, writing,
speaking, and listening skills are essential
tools for learning, for success in the workplace,
for enriching and expanding our lives, and for
responsible citizenship.
Language skills are particularly
critical in the area of education. Through language
abilities, students understand the academic
content areas. Success in learning is grounded
in students acquiring solid knowledge and skills
in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
The St. Philomena Model Content Standards set
high expectations in these areas for all students.
Reading and writing also have the
power to bridge time and place. We remain in
contact with people who lived before us through
literature and other written records of human
experience. We reach toward our future by knowing
how to locate, read, and make use of an ever-increasing
amount of information.
These standards express what each
student in St. Philomena School should know
and be able to do in order to
- Become fluent readers, writers, and speakers;
- Be able to communicate effectively, concisely,
coherently, and imaginatively;
- Recognize the power of language and use
that power ethically and creatively; and
- Be at ease communicating in an increasingly
technological world.
For the benefit of St. Philomena
School, students, educators, parents, and communities
can now focus their attention and energy on
creating the conditions under which all students
can meet these expectations. Therefore, it is
the responsibility of the education community
to intervene at the earliest point in the child's
formal educational experience where, through
careful observation, it becomes apparent that
a child is not progressing in a manner which
will lead to the meeting of these standards.
Model Content Standards
Reading and Writing
1. Students read and understand
a variety of materials
2. Students write and speak
for a variety of purposes and audiences
3. Students write and speak
using conventional grammar, usage, sentence
structure, punctuation, capitalization, and
spelling.
4. Students apply thinking
skills to their reading, writing, speaking,
listening, and viewing.
5. Students read to locate,
select, and make use of relevant information
from a variety of media, reference, and technological
sources.
6. Students read and recognize
literature as a record of human experience.
STANDARD
1:
Students read and understand a variety of
materials.
In order to meet this standard, a student 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;
- Make connections between their reading
and what they already know, and identify what
they need to know about a topic before reading
about it;
- Adjust reading strategies for different
purposes such as reading carefully, idea by
idea; skimming and scanning; fitting materials
into an organizational pattern, such as reading
a novel chronologically; finding information
to support particular ideas; and finding the
sequence of steps in a technical publication;
- 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
- Use information from their reading to increase
vocabulary and enhance language usage.
RATIONALE:
The goal for students at all levels is
that they know and can use strategies —
various ways of unlocking the meaning of words
and larger blocks of text — to become successful
readers. The strategies are applied in increasingly
difficult reading material at each grade level.
At all levels, students should be challenged
to read literature and other materials that
stimulate their interests and intellectual abilities.
Reading from a wide variety of texts, both assigned
and student selected, provides experience in
gaining information and pleasure from diverse
forms and perspectives.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able
to do includes
- Using a full range of strategies to comprehend
materials such as direction, nonfiction material,
rhymes and poems, and stories; and
- Use word recognition skills and resources
such as phonics, context clues, picture clues,
word origins, and word order clues increase
vocabulary and enhance language usage.
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge,
what they know and are able to do includes
- 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.
STANDARD
2:
Students write and speak for a variety of
purposes and audiences.
In order to meet this standard, a student 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;
- Write and speak for audiences such as peers,
teachers, and the community;
- Plan, draft, revise, proofread, and edit
written communications;
- Use a variety of devices such as figurative
language, symbolism, dialect, and precise
vocabulary to convey meaning;
- Organize written and oral presentations
using strategies such as lists, outlining,
cause-effect relationships, comparison/contrast,
problem/solution, and narration; and
- Use handwriting and at the most appropriate
time, word processing to produce a product
that is legible.
RATIONALE:
Writing and speaking are essential tools
for learning, for success in the workplace,
and for responsible citizenship. Developing
a range of writing and speaking abilities requires
extensive study, practice, and thinking. Students
need frequent opportunities to write and speak
for different audiences and purposes, and they
need to be able to communicate expressively,
informatively, and analytically. Growth in writing
and speaking abilities occurs by applying skills
to increasingly challenging communication tasks.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able
to do includes
- 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,
reading at Mass);
- Organizing their speaking and writing;
- Choosing vocabulary that communicates their
messages clearly and precisely;
- Revising and editing speech and writing;
and
- Creating readable documents with legible
handwriting or word processing at the appropriate
time.
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge,
what they know and are able to do includes
- Writing stories, letters, and reports with
greater detail and supporting material;
- Choosing vocabulary and figures of speech
that communicate clearly;
- Drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading
for a legible final copy;
- Applying skills in analysis, synthesis,
evaluation, and explanation to their writing
and speaking;
- Incorporating source materials into their
speaking and writing (for example, interviews,
news articles, encyclopedia information);
- Writing and speaking in the content areas
(for example, science, geography, history,
literature), using the technical vocabulary
of the subject accurately; and
- Recognizing stylistic elements such as
voice, tone, and style.
STANDARD
3:
Students write and speak using conventional
grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling.
In order to meet this standard, a student will
- Know and use correct grammar in speaking
and writing;
- Apply correct usage in speaking and writing;
- Use correct sentence structure in writing;
and
- Demonstrate correct punctuation, capitalization,
and spelling.
RATIONALE:
Students need to know and be able to use
standard English. Proficiency in the standard
plays an important role in how the writer or
speaker is understood and perceived. All skills
in this standard are reinforced and practiced
at all grade levels and should be monitored
by both the teacher and students to develop
lifelong learning skills.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able
to do includes
- Knowing and using subject/verb agreement;
- Knowing and using correct modifiers;
- Knowing and using correct capitalization,
punctuation, and abbreviations;
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge,
what they know and are able to do includes
- Identifying the parts of speech such as
nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives,
conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections;
- Using correct pronoun case, regular and
irregular noun and verb forms, and subject-verb
agreement involving comparisons in writing
and speaking;
- Using modifiers, homonyms, and homophones
in writing and speaking;
- Using simple, compound, complex, and compound/complex
sentences in writing and speaking;
- Punctuating and capitalizing titles and
direct quotations, using possessives, and
correct paragraphing in writing;
- Using prefixes, root words, and suffixes
correctly in writing and speaking;
- Expanding spelling skills to include more
complex words;
- Demonstrating use of conventional spelling
in their published works; and
- Using resources such as spell checkers,
dictionaries, and charts to monitor their
spelling accuracy.
STANDARD
4:
Students apply thinking skills to their
reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.
In order to meet this standard, a student 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.
RATIONALE:
Students use reading, writing, speaking,
listening, and viewing to think and learn. By
moving beyond a literal interpretation of text
to an analysis of an author's, speaker's, or
director's purpose and perspectives, students
practice and improve their higher-level thinking
skills. Students need to recognize and evaluate
different points of view and to follow a line
of reasoning to its logical conclusion. Students
need to think about their writing and reading
skills and work toward improvement.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able
to do includes
- 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
- Using listening skills to understand directions.
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge,
what they know and are able to do includes
- 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;
- Recognizing, expressing, and defending a
point of view orally in an articulate manner
and in writing; and
- 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.
STANDARD
5:
Students read to locate, select, and make
use of relevant information from a variety of
media, reference, and technological sources.
In order meet this standard, a student will
- Select relevant material for reading, writing,
and speaking purposes;
- Understand the structure, organization,
and use of various media, reference, and technological
sources as they select information for their
reading and writing;
- Paraphrase, summarize, organize, and synthesize
information;
- Give credit for others' ideas, images,
or information; and
- Use information to produce a quality product.
RATIONALE:
In this age of information and technology,
people need reading and information-retrieval
skills that will enable them to access facts,
images, and text from many sources. The sheer
volume of data makes it necessary for information
seekers to be able to wade through a maze of
facts, figures, and images, and to identify
what is useful and relevant.
Knowing how to locate, evaluate, and make
use of an ever-increasing amount of information
demands a broader repertoire of reading strategies.
This implies an expanded definition of literacy
that includes reading for information in a technological
age. Students need to become discerning consumers
of information.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able
to do includes
- Using organizational features of printed
text (for example, page numbering, alphabetizing,
glossaries, chapter heading, tables of contents,
indexes, captions);
- Recognizing organizational features of
electronic information (for example, pull-down
menus, icons, key word searches);
- Using organizational features to locate
media or electronic information (for example,
passwords, entry menu features, pull-down
menus, icons, key word searches);
- Taking notes, outlining, and identifying
main ideas in resource materials;
- Sorting information as it relates to a
specific topic or purpose;
- Giving credit for borrowed information
by telling or listing sources; and
- Using library skills in researching.
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge,
what they know and are able to do includes
- Using organizational features of printed
texts such as prefaces, afterwords, and appendices;
- Using organizational features of electronic
information (for example, microfiche headings
and numbering, headings for accessing nested
information in hypertext media, electronic
media CD-ROM, DVD), and library and interlibrary
catalog databases;
- Locating and selecting relevant information;
- Using available technology to research
and produce an end-product that is accurately
documented; and
- Giving credit for borrowed information
in a bibliography.
STANDARD
6:
Students read and recognize literature as
a record of human experience.
In order to meet this standard, a student will
- Know and use literary terminology;
- 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.
RATIONALE:
Literature records human expression in such
forms as speeches, poems, novels, stories, nonfiction,
essays, plays, films, biographies, and autobiographies
by male and female speakers and writers. The
study of literary traditions offers a perspective
on enduring questions, a glimpse into human
motives and conflicts, and a sense of the beauty
and power of spoken and written language. In
addition, literature transmits and transforms
culture; it also enables students to think,
communicate, and participate in society. The
study of literature and writers of the United
States honors the heritage and cultures of all
people who live or have lived in America, and
it thus helps students develop an understanding
of our national experience. A comprehensive
literature program fosters habits of reading
that carry over into adult life.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able
to do includes
- 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
- Using new vocabulary from literature in
other context.
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge,
what they know and are able to do includes
- 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;
- Using literary terminology accurately,
including setting, character, conflict, plot,
resolution, theme, foreshadowing, and figurative
language; and
- Using new vocabulary from literature in
other context.
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