Section 26.120  Curriculum:  English Language Arts

The competent early childhood teacher demonstrates proficiency in the use of oral and written English; understands and communicates ideas, information, and perspectives in reading, writing, speaking, and listening; and promotes the abilities of children from birth through grade three as they apply language and thinking skills to many different genres, concepts, and situations.

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

1)         understands vocabulary and word analysis skills that promote comprehension of meaning in a variety of contexts.

2)         understands various language components in literacy development:  phonemes (sounds of the language); morphemes (words and meaningful parts of words); semantics (meaning); and syntax (sentence structure and parts of speech); as well as the pragmatic aspect of language (how language works in social contexts).

3)         demonstrates knowledge of a variety of materials for promoting literacy, including various genres and authors of children's literature, trade books (fiction and nonfiction), books designed for beginning readers, "big books", anthologies, newspapers, and magazines.

4)         understands a variety of age-appropriate strategies that promote reading and listening comprehension and foster development within and among the four language arts (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), including shared, guided, and interactive reading and writing.

5)         understands the relationships among oral language, written language, and the basic concepts of print.

6)         understands the appropriate use of the conventions involved in various forms of writing, such as stories, letters, journals, and poetry.

7)         understands skills and strategies that promote listening and speaking for various purposes, discussion and comprehension, the ability to ask and respond to questions, and the ability to understand different literary and social contexts.

8)         understands how to locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems, and communicate ideas.

9)         understands children's abilities to communicate ideas through technology.

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

1)         uses vocabulary and word analysis skills that promote comprehension of meaning in a variety of contexts.

2)         promotes integration of various language components in literacy development.

3)         identifies, evaluates, and uses a variety of materials for promoting literacy, including various genres and authors of children's literature, trade books (fiction and nonfiction), books designed for beginning readers, "big books", anthologies, newspapers, and magazines.

4)         applies a variety of age-appropriate strategies that promote reading and listening comprehension and foster development within and among the four language arts, including shared, guided, and interactive reading and writing.

5)         assists students in developing basic concepts of print using activities based on oral and written language.

6)         provides opportunities for students to use writing conventions involved in various forms of writing, such as stories, letters, journals, and poetry.

7)         facilitates skills and strategies that promote listening and speaking for various purposes, discussion and comprehension, the ability to ask and respond to questions, and the ability to understand different literary and social contexts.

8)         provides opportunities for children to locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems, and communicate ideas.

9)         promotes children's abilities to communicate ideas through technology.