English Language Arts (ELA)
Here at Monroe County Schools, the English Language Arts (ELA) program is dedicated to developing students' abilities in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, integral skills that are essential across all areas of study and stages of life. Our curriculum is designed to engage students with a rich variety of texts and writing assignments, fostering a deep appreciation for literature while honing critical thinking and communication skills.
Our Curriculum
Our ELA curriculum spans from elementary to high school, with each level building on the previous one. We explore classic and contemporary literature, non-fiction, poetry, and multimedia to allow students to experience a wide range of perspectives and styles.
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Elementary School: Focuses on phonics, fluency, and building reading comprehension. Writing is introduced through structured exercises that encourage personal expression.
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Middle School: Emphasizes analytical reading and critical thinking. Students learn to support their ideas with textual evidence and develop more sophisticated writing skills.
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High School: Prepares students for college-level reading and writing. Assignments become more complex, requiring thorough analysis and thoughtful synthesis of information from multiple sources.
Learning Outcomes
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Reading: Students will develop the ability to decode text, comprehend narratives and expository texts, and critically analyze the intent and bias of various media.
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Writing: From narrative to expository to persuasive writing, students will learn to articulate ideas clearly and effectively.
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Speaking and Listening: Activities aimed at enhancing oral communication skills, including presentations, debates, and group discussions, are integral parts of our program.
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Language: Mastery of language conventions—grammar, vocabulary, syntax—is emphasized to aid clear and precise communication.
Extracurricular Activities
We encourage students to engage with ELA beyond the classroom through various clubs and activities:
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Literature Clubs: Dive deeper into genres and themes that interest you, from fantasy to non-fiction.
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Writing Workshops: Join peer groups to improve writing skills through feedback and revisions.
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Debate Team: Develop argumentative skills in a competitive format.
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Theater Productions: Participate in or support school plays to understand narrative and character development through drama.
Our commitment is to not only foster a love for language arts but also to equip students with the critical skills necessary to succeed in college and beyond. Explore our resources, join our programs, and embark on your journey through the enriching world of English Language Arts today!
ELA Textbooks
ELA Resources & Links
Literature Resources - Books
(Click titles to access.)
American Literature: This site houses classic novels, short stories, fables, fairy tales (the original versions), poems, etc. It’s all free. You can print it, or students can use mobile devices to read it.
American Rhetoric: American Rhetoric houses a speech bank of over 5,000 speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews, and more. If it was a history-making event or speech, chances are you can find it here. Go to the website and click “Speech Bank” on the left-hand margin. This will take you to the Speech Bank page. Then search the speeches alphabetically (hint: Speeches are usually organized by first name. Debates like the Lincoln-Douglass debate will fall under “L”.) After the speech, the symbols [T]- text, [A]- audio, and/or [V]-video will appear. There are often multiple audio files to choose from.
Epic Books - This site is currently free for teachers and gives you access to thousands of popular books ranging from A Bad Case of Stripes to Hugo Cabret.
The Tennessee Electronic Library: The Tennessee Electronic Library offers literature and a number of other resources.
- Storyline Online is a free site that has renowned actors reading award-winning books.
Magazines and Articles
(Click titles to access.)
NewsELA: This free site provides access to current events that can be accessed at five different Lexile reading levels. As a teacher with a free account, you can “Quick Assign” articles to your class as you browse. There are also annotating suggestions in the right-hand margin that you can hide or share with your class during reading assignments. There are also Teacher Resources that can be used as teaching activities with most articles.
Learning Games and Websites: There are quality learning games to help your child practice reading skills.
Login procedures:
- Use Google Chrome web browser (preferred)
- Log-in with permanent ID as both user name and password
- Starfall Education (a nonprofit that focuses on free and low-cost learning resources for children) has created an engaging group of games and activities that range from the ABCs to fables. The stories and poems can be read by the narrator or by your child, with or without assistance. Your child can read the text on the screen and click on a word they need help with. Many of these activities are free. Some of the activities require a home membership. https://www.starfall.com/h/
ELA Strategies & Tips
We know how important reading to a child is, so what can we do to help at home? Just like any skill (playing an instrument or sport), reading needs to be practiced. The links below can equip you to help your child become the best reader he/she can be.