Reflection1

Literacy is the key component to teaching English Language Arts. It is

integrated into my teaching daily because students are always either reading or
writing. Sometimes we read texts as a whole class, in which case more kids are able to
grasp the material and understanding can be checked through verbal discussion.
Other times, students read independently. In this case, understanding is checked
through comprehension questions that slowly get more complex as Blooms Taxonomy
recommends. To build literacy skills in reading, students are provided with reading
tools such as predicting, using context clues, and noticing setting details. These tools
are specifically taught during individual lessons so that students can intentionally
practice using one at a time. Literacy in writing is very often connected to reading
because students read model works, identify techniques in those models, and then try
those techniques in their own writing. Students also gain practice with written literacy
through direct grammar instruction. Concepts such as compound sentences are
taught explicitly, students practice, and the skill is reviewed regularly. Literacy is
essential to English Language Arts because reading and writing are the core of this
subject; however, literacy is also essential in life. Literacy is necessary for students to
learn and communicate ideas in any subject area. Students will additionally continue
to use literacy skills in the workforce. As citizens of a democratic republic, being able
to read ideas and spread ideas is vital for full, effective participation in the voting and
election processes that shape everyones world.

While letters and words appear to be the opposite of numbers and equations,
English Language Arts and numeracy are connected. Numeracy is incorporated in my
classroom most often through the calculating of percentages. Students have calculated
the percentage of their class that reached a particular target before and after revision
to see growth in action. They have also calculated percentages based on information in
a story to gain a better perspective of the situation. I believe that including these small
numeracy lessons in English Language Arts demonstrates the applicability of
mathematics in the real world. This also shows the interconnectedness between
multiple subject areas.

Finally, involving other content areas in the English Language Arts classroom
enhances student learning. For instance, students saw the power of effective written
communication when sharing scientific ideas through their Ecosystem Project. This
demonstrates that writing skills can be applied beyond stories and essays.
Additionally, including historical texts and studies in the English Language Arts
classroom can better help students relate to the past and see the value of storytelling.
Our current unit of study on The Little Rock Nine is a perfect example of this.
Students have brought in their history knowledge of things like the Bus Boycott and
Brown vs. Board of Education to fill in the gaps of our text and widen their
understanding of what that experience must have been like.