Course Description
A course that helps students learn how to use the English language in a more effective way. The purpose of the grammar in this course is to build skills in writing correct, interesting sentences. The purpose of the punctuation, capitalization, and spelling rules in this course is to make writing more effective and more easily understood. Each Unit uses a variety of literature such as stories, articles and biographies to introduce and practice the grammar topics to assist in understanding and applying the grammar principles. Also included is a glossary that provides basic terms for beginning English learners and is used as a tool to build English proficiency. All Units are accompanied by a CD that provides assistance with the correct pronunciation of the words contained within each literature selection.
Credits: 5
Course Content
English Language Development Standards for California Public Schools:
All levels of the English Language Development Standards (ELD) for California Public Schools are addressed in the content of this course. Substrands of the English Language Arts Content Standards are also addressed in each of the five units. The various skills at each level are introduced through the content of literature selections and then applied through various activities. The following present a summary of the ELD Standards for each domain (listening and speaking, reading, and writing). The summary is designed to give an overview of what students must know and be able to do as they move toward full fluency in English. The levels through which English learners progress are identified as beginning, intermediate, and advanced. For each ELD Standard, the summary indicates the English Language Arts substrand associated with it.
The ELD standards must be applied appropriately for students in each grade level from kindergarten through grade twelve.
A. Listening and Speaking - Strategies and Applications
Beginning ELD level
English-language arts - Comprehension
- Answer simple questions with one- to two-word responses.
- Respond to simple directions and questions by using physical actions and other means of nonverbal communication (e.g., matching objects, pointing to an answer, drawing pictures).
- Begin to speak with a few words or sentences by using a few standard English grammatical forms and sounds (e.g., single words or phrases).
- Use common social greetings and simple repetitive phrases independently (e.g., “Thank you,” “You’re welcome”).
- Ask and answer questions by using phrases or simple sentences.
- Retell stories by using appropriate gestures, expressions, and illustrative objects.
English-language arts - Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication
- Begin to be understood when speaking, but usage of standard English grammatical forms and sounds (e.g., plurals, simple past tense, pronouns [he or she]) may be inconsistent.
- Orally communicate basic personal needs and desires (e.g., “May I go to the bathroom?”).
Reading - Word Analysis, Fluency, Systematic Vocabulary Development
Beginning ELD level
English-language arts - Phonemic Awareness and Decoding and Word Recognition
- Recognize and produce the English phonemes that are like the phonemes students hear and produce in their primary language.
- Recognize and produce English phonemes that are unlike the phonemes students hear and produce in their primary language.
English-language arts - Phonemic Awareness, Decoding and Word Recognition, Concepts About Print
- Produce most English phonemes while beginning to read aloud.
English-language arts - Vocabulary and Concept Development
- Produce simple vocabulary (e.g., single words or very short phrases) to communicate basic needs in social and academic settings (e.g., locations, greetings, classroom objects)).
- Demonstrate comprehension of simple vocabulary with an appropriate action.
- Retell stories by using simple words, phrases, and sentences.
- Recognize simple affixes (e.g., educate, education), prefixes (e.g., dislike, preheat), synonyms (e.g., big, large), and antonyms (e.g., hot, cold).
- Begin to use knowledge of simple affixes, prefixes, synonyms, and antonyms to interpret the meaning of unknown words.
- Recognize the difference between the use of the first- and third-person points of view in phrases or simple sentences.
Intermediate ELD level
English-language arts - Phonemic Awareness, Decoding and Word Recognition, Concepts About Print
- Produce English phonemes while reading aloud.
- Recognize sound/symbol relationships and basic word-formation rules in written text (e.g., basic syllabication rules and phonics).
- Apply knowledge of English phonemes in oral and silent reading to derive meaning from literature and texts in content areas.
English-language arts - Vocabulary and Concept Development
- Use more complex vocabulary and sentences to communicate needs and express ideas in a wider variety of social and academic settings.
- Recognize simple antonyms and synonyms (e.g., good, bad, blend, mix) in written text. Expand recognition of them and begin to use appropriately.
- Apply knowledge of vocabulary to discussions related to reading tasks.
- Read simple vocabulary, phrases, and sentences independently.
- Read narrative and expository texts aloud with the correct pacing, intonation, and expression.
- Use expanded vocabulary and descriptive words in oral and written responses to written texts.
- Recognize and understand simple idioms, analogies, and figures of speech in written text.
- Recognize that some words have multiple meanings and apply this knowledge to written text.
- Recognize the function of connectors in written text (e.g., first, then, after that, finally).
Advanced ELD level
English-language arts - Phonemic Awareness, Decoding and Word Recognition, Concepts About Print
- Apply knowledge of sound/symbol relationships and basic word-formation rules to derive meaning from written text (e.g., basic syllabication rules, regular and irregular plurals, and basic phonics).
English-language arts - Vocabulary and Concept Development
- Apply knowledge of academic and social vocabulary while reading independently.
- Be able to use a standard dictionary to find the meanings of unfamiliar words.
- Interpret the meaning of unknown words by using knowledge gained from previously read text.
- Understand idioms, analogies, and metaphors in conversation and written text.
C. Reading - Reading Comprehension
Beginning ELD level
English-language arts - Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level Appropriate Text
- Respond orally to stories read aloud and use physical actions and other means of nonverbal communication (e.g., matching objects, Level Appropriate Text pointing to an answer, drawing pictures).
- Respond orally to stories read aloud, giving one- to two-word responses in answer to factual comprehension questions (who, what, when, where, and how).
- Understand and follow simple one-step directions for classroom-related activities.
English-language arts - Structural Features of Informational Materials
- Identify the basic sequence of events in stories read aloud, using important words or visual representations, such as pictures and story frames.
- Respond orally to stories read aloud, using phrases or simple sen¬tences to answer factual comprehension questions.
Intermediate ELD level
English-language arts - Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level Appropriate Text
- Understand and follow simple written directions for classroom-related activities.
- Read text and orally identify the main ideas and draw inferences about the text by using detailed sentences.
- Read and identify basic text features, such as the title, table of con-tents, and chapter headings.
- Respond to comprehension questions about text by using detailed sentences (e.g., “The brown bear lives with his family in the forest”).
English-language arts - Structural Features of Informational Materials
- Identify, using key words or phrases, the basic sequence of events in stories read.
Advanced ELD level
English-language arts - Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level Appropriate Text
- Read and orally respond to familiar stories and other texts by answer¬ing factual comprehension questions about cause-and-effect relation-ships.
- Read and orally respond to stories and texts from content areas by restating facts and details to clarify ideas.
- Explain how understanding of text is affected by patterns of organiza¬tion, repetition of main ideas, syntax, and word choice.
- Write a brief summary (two or three paragraphs) of a story.
D. Writing - Strategies and Applications
Beginning ELD level
English-language arts - Penmanship
- Copy the alphabet legibly.
- Copy words posted and commonly used in the classroom (e.g., labels, number names, days of the week).
English-language arts - Organization and Focus
- Write simple sentences by using key words commonly used in the classroom (e.g., labels, number names, days of the week, and months).
- Write phrases and simple sentences that follow English syntactical order.
Intermediate ELD level
English-language arts - Organization and Focus
- Follow a model given by the teacher to independently write a short paragraph of at least four sentences.
English-language arts - Organization and Focus, Penmanship
- Write legible, simple sentences that respond to topics in language arts and other content areas (e.g., math, science, history–social science).
English-language arts - Organization and Focus
- Create cohesive paragraphs that develop a central idea and consistently use standard English grammatical forms even though some rules may not be followed.
- Write simple sentences about an event or a character from a written text.
- Produce independent writing that is understood when read but may include inconsistent use of standard grammatical forms.
Advanced ELD level
English-language arts - Organization and Focus
- Develop a clear thesis and support it by using analogies, quotations, and facts appropriately.
- Write a multi-paragraph essay with consistent use of standard grammatical forms.
E. Writing - English-Language Conventions
Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced ELD level
English-language arts - Capitalization
- Use capitalization when writing one’s own name.
- Use capitalization at the beginning of a sentence and for proper nouns.
English-language arts - Punctuation
- Use a period at the end of a sentence and a question mark at the end of a question.
English-language arts - Capitalization, Punctuation, and Spelling
- Produce independent writing that includes partial consistency in the use of capitalization and periods and correct spelling.
- Produce independent writing with consistent use of capitalization, punctuation, and correct spelling.
Unit 1 - Grammar Basics, Part One
Unit 1 begins with the basics of grammar and sentence structure—nouns, pronouns, verbs, simple sentences, articles, capitalization, and spelling. The remainder of the Units in Grammar Through Literature A build on this foundation.
Unit 2 - Grammar Basics, Part Two
Unit 2 continues with the basics of grammar and sentence structure—adverbs, adjectives, simple verb tenses, complete subject and predicate, capitalization, and spelling. The remainder of the Units in Grammar Through Literature A build on this foundation.
Unit 3 - Grammar Basics, Part Three
Unit 3 continues with the basics of grammar and sentence structure—prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, compound subject and predicate, and building simple paragraphs. It also focuses on the mechanics of writing using commas, semi-colons, colons, and apostrophes. The remainder of the Units in Grammar Through Literature A build on this foundation.
Unit 4 - Grammar Basics, Part Four
Unit 4 continues with the basics of grammar and sentence structure—phrases, clauses—and writing dialogue and expository (nonfiction) paragraphs. It also focuses on mechanics of writing: using quotations marks and spelling of plurals and possessives.
Unit 5 - Grammar Basics, Part Five
Successful completion of the activities in this Unit will require demonstrating knowledge of the basic grammar in the first four Units. The focus of Unit 5, Grammar Basics, Part Five, is on writing and research: writing complete sentences, composing a basic three-four paragraph essay, completing a simple research project, writing a résumé, and completing a job application.
