English Language Arts

The NHA English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum provides students with the skills, strategies and knowledge necessary for success in reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing. Indeed, a student’s mastery in all areas of ELA is a key component for learning in every content area. Through interaction with a wide variety of texts, students develop their ability to think critically, communicate effectively and make connections with the world around them. Early reading instruction focuses on the building blocks of reading - phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. These building blocks set the foundation for the intellectual processes necessary for students to remember, understand, analyze, evaluate and apply the ideas they encounter while reading. In all grade levels, students read and view a variety of high-quality classic and contemporary texts, informational texts and media (print and non-print). Students engage in the writing process to demonstrate their thinking and individual voice, producing works that include narrative, persuasive, expository and expressive texts. Through writing and explicit instruction, students learn proper English language conventions and use including spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and penmanship. The ELA curriculum also provides students with speaking, listening and viewing instruction and practice to help foster the critical communication skills necessary in today’s world.