CORE LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS FOR ALL TEACHERS

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All teachers, regardless of certification type or discipline, need to be effective classroom communicators.

Illinois Learning Standards for elementary and secondary students include specific expectations for the use of reading, writing, speaking and listening in each of the seven learning areas. In addition, the introductory section within each learning area, discusses five essential cross-disciplinary abilities, including communicating.

The State Board of Education has adopted a reading policy which states, in part:

All teachers, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, need the knowledge and skills necessary to support students in meeting the state reading standards.

Content-area teachers in the upper-elementary grades and in high school need to be able to use reading improvement strategies to enhance student learning in their own disciplines.

The core language arts standards that follow have been recommended to be required of all classroom teachers.

Standard 1

All teachers must know a broad range of literacy techniques and strategies for every aspect of communication and must be able to develop each student’s ability to read, write, speak and listen to his or her potential within the demands of the discipline.

Knowledge: The competent teacher understands

1A. And can articulate the needs for literacy development in general and in his/her specific disciplines or at their specific grade levels.

1B. Effective literacy techniques to activate prior student knowledge and build schema to enhance comprehension of “text"

1C. Strategies and techniques for communication skills and abilities for those students whose first language is not English.

Performance: The competent teacher

1D. Practices effectively the language processes of reading, writing, and oral communication in the daily classroom exchange between student and teacher, between student and student, between teacher and “text” and between student and ”text".

1E. Practices effective literacy techniques to make reading purposeful and meaningful.

1F. Practices effective questioning and discussion techniques to extend content knowledge acquired from “text”

1G. Uses a variety of “” research resources with students in his/her attempts to enhance student learning from reading, learning from writing, and learning from oral communication.

Standard 2

All teachers should model effective reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills during their direct and in-direct instructional activities. The most important communicator in the classroom is the teacher who should be a model of English language arts skills.

Knowledge: The competent teacher knows and understands

2A. The rules of English grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and syntax for both writing and oral contexts.

2B. How to communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.

Performance: The competent teacher

2C. Models the rules of English grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and syntax for both writing and oral contexts.

2D. Reads, understands, and clearly conveys ideas from texts or other supplementary materials.

2E. Composes well-organized and coherent writing and speaking that adapts to the individual needs of his/her readers/listeners.

2F. Clearly expresses his/her own ideas orally with explanation, examples, and support in a clear, succinct style.

2G. Helps students understand any written material that represents a variety of modes (persuasive, descriptive, informative, and narrative).

2H. Listens well.

Standard 3

All teachers should give constructive instruction and feedback to students in both written and oral contexts while being aware of diverse learner needs. Teachers should effectively provide a variety of instructional strategies, constructive feedback, criticism, and improvement strategies.

Knowledge: The competent teacher understands

3A. Has an awareness of, and is adaptive to, the multicultural communication needs of his/her constituencies which include students and their families, other faculty and administration, and the community and business in general.

3B. How to analyze his/her audience to determine culturally appropriate communication strategies to share his/her ideas effectively in both written and oral formats.

3C. How to use diverse instructional strategies and assessments that include an appropriate balance of lecture, discussion, activity, written and oral work.

Performance: The competent teacher

3D. Analyzes his/her content materials to determine appropriate strategies and techniques for successful learning through reading, writing, speaking and listening.

3E. Assists students whose communication skills may be impeded by learning, language, and/or cultural differences – especially those who may not have English as their first language.

3F. Conducts effective classroom discussions by managing groups, asking questions, eliciting and probing responses, and summarizing for comprehension.

3G. Uses a variety of media to enhance and supplement instruction.

3H. Uses multi-disciplinary approaches in his/her instruction.