Language Arts Overview

Language Arts

• Six main language arts: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Viewing, and Visually Representing

Oral Language

• Three components of oral language: Phonological, Semantic, and Syntactic
  • Phonological: Rules for combining sounds, focusing on sounds.
  • Semantic: Rules for combining morphemes to create words and sentences, focusing on meaning.
  • Syntactic: Rules for arranging morphemes in a sequence, focusing on structure.

Reading

• Interactive Reading: Students actively engage with the text by asking and answering questions and making predictions.
• Dialogic Reading: Uses the PEER sequence: Prompt, Evaluate, Expand, Repeat.
• Reading aloud helps students learn how to use language to understand the world, improves information processing, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Teachers who read aloud motivate students to read.

Handwriting

• Manuscript handwriting is taught before cursive because it resembles the print found in books.

Word Learning Strategies

• Dictionary Use: Looking up a word's definition in a dictionary.
• Morphemic Analysis: Analyzing word parts (morphemes) to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• Cognate Awareness (ELL): Recognizing words in two languages that share a similar meaning, spelling, and pronunciation.
• Contextual Analysis: Using clues or hints within the text to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

Vocabulary Tiers

• Tier 1 Words: Everyday words used regularly.
• Tier 2 Words: Versatile words with multiple meanings and applications.
• Tier 3 Words: Highly specialized words, often subject-specific.

Literary Devices

• Alliteration: Repetition of the same beginning sound in a phrase. (Example: Silly Snake)
• Hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration. (Example: Her hair is a mile long)
• Simile: Comparison using "like" or "as". (He's as fast as a cheetah)
• Metaphor: Direct comparison. (They are glued together)
• Personification: Giving human characteristics to nonhuman things. (The haunted house watched me as I walked past)
• Onomatopoeia: A word representing a sound. (BANG)

Parts of Speech

• Noun: Person, place, concept, or object. (Example: The park)
• Pronoun: Specific noun. (Example: Bisset Park)
• Adjective: Describes a noun. (Example: Yellow)
• Verb: Specific actions. (Example: Running)
• Adverb: Describes a verb. (Example: Quickly)
• Conjunction: Links ideas together. (Example: And, But, Yet)
• Preposition: Shows relationships between words. (Example: I left my bike AGAINST the wall)
• Article: Used to discuss a noun. (Example: The, a, this)

Grammar

• Grammar is taught in all grades in Virginia.

Literary Elements in Elementary School

• Plot, Setting, Characters, Theme

Literary Genres

• Fairy Tale: Features fairies or magical creatures.
• Folk Tale: Originally passed down through storytelling, pure fiction for entertainment.
• Myth: Explains an event or phenomenon but is not true.
• Legend: A type of folktale based on real people or events, exaggerated.
• Fable: Teaches a lesson with talking animals.
• Tall Tale: An unbelievable story told as if it were true, with wild exaggeration.

Literature Circles vs Book Groups

• Literature Circle: Teacher assigns roles and provides instruction. Students use their role and gathered information to discuss the book.
• Book Group: Student-led, with no assigned roles. Students gather questions and observations for discussion. The teacher observes and provides feedback.

Novel Study

• The book read for the novel study was "Out of My Mind".
• The favorite character was Mrs. V because she believed in Melody.

WIDA

• Website provides resources for teaching English Language Learners.

Explore the six main components of language arts, including reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing. This quiz delves into oral language components and different reading strategies that enhance comprehension and engagement. Understand the importance of handwriting in educational settings.