ELA Resources

Literacy Design Collaborative – The Literacy Design Collaborative is a national community of educators providing a framework, online tools, and resources for creating literacy-rich assignments and courses across several content areas (social studies, science, language arts, etc.). Most LDC units reflect national and state standards, as well as Backward Design. LDC units are designed to help teachers build students’ literacy skills in important content areas (at all grade levels) through meaningful reading and writing assignments. Here are some samples of LDC units. (Note: The LDC is a constantly growing resource. Exemplary items across all disciplines are added regularly. Teachers are encouraged to visit the site often.)

CK-12 – CK-12 is a non-profit foundation dedicated to increasing access to high-quality educational materials for K-12 students across the world. The foundation provides free standards-aligned, concept-based learning for multiple grade levels in multiple subjects. CK-12 English includes everything from basic arithmetic to trigonometry and calculus. (Note: New materials are added each month, so if you don’t find something you like today, be sure to check back later.)

EngageNY – ELA Curriculum – EngageNY was created in cooperation with the New York State Education Department, but is available for free use in all 50 states. EngageNY’s PK-12th ELA program includes multiple domains covering all the Common Core Standards (which correlated closely with the Arkansas Curriculum Standards). There’s also a detailed Curriculum Map with suggestions on what to teach when for every grade. The program also includes downloadable anthologies, flip books, image cards, and much more. (Note: Some have expressed concerns about the pacing of this program and low DOK levels. See “Curriculum Maps” for more.)

Range, Quality, Complexity (K-12) – Range, Quality, and Complexity is about how teachers can systematically build knowledge within and across grade levels. It likens the process to a puzzle that will eventually form one big picture. Understanding this concept can help teachers lay the necessary foundation for students’ reading and understanding of increasingly complex texts on their own in subsequent grades.

Reading Resources

Scientific Reading Instruction – In April, 2018, ACT 1063 was passed in an attempt to ensure that Arkansas teachers would have “proficient knowledge and skills to teach reading consistent with the best practices of scientific reading instruction.” Although the terminology can vary somewhat (science of reading, science-based reading, scientifically-based reading, etc.), most variations of this approach include some of the “best practices” on findings from the National Reading Panel (2000). For a more in-depth look at this topic, including some cautions about implementation, click here. Also, be sure to read the post on The Science of Reading.

Word Walls vs. Sound Walls – As part of the Science of Reading, many K-2 classrooms have been making a shift from “Word Walls” to “Sound Walls.” That’s because traditional Word Walls (a.k.a. Vocabulary Walls) have more to do with spelling than how the English language actually works. This can sometimes confuse young students and impede the essential skill of mastering phonemes. There’s a lot of interest in this change across the state, so many Educational Coops have been offering workshops on Sound Walls. (Check the EscWorks site for to see what’s available near in your area.) And if you’d like to view a video on this topic, the Pennsylvania Department of Education offers this Quick Pick.

Vocabulary – Research has shown that the number of word meanings students master is directly related to how well students understand text and how well they can clearly communicate through writing (Long, 2002, Stahl 2006, Blachowicz 2009, etc.).  With proper instruction, these “power words” not only have a significant impact on test scores, but also provide a strong foundation in preparing students for college and career readiness. For a more in-depth look at this topic, click on the links below:

OVERVIEW (read this first!)
Marzano’s “Six Step Process” for teaching Vocabulary
Kindergarten Power Words
First Grade Power Words
Second Grade Power Words
Third Grade Power Words
Fourth Grade Power Words
Fifth Grade Power Words
Sixth Grade Power Words
Seventh Grade Power Words
Eighth Grade Power Words
Ninth-Twelfth Grade Power Words

Leveling Correlation Chart (K-3) – One key finding of the National Reading Panel was that “guided oral reading” is a very effective strategy, especially in the lower grades. While Guided Reading seems to have fallen into disfavor with some Science of Reading advocates, adding an oral (read aloud) component to this structured reading approach allows students to get immediate guidance and feedback from the teacher or other skilled readers. This combination of practice and feedback has been shown to enhance reading fluency.

One challenge with Guided Reading is that there are several different systems for “leveling” books. To make that easier, this chart provides a correlation between Fountas & Pinnell’s leveling system and most other common systems (such as DRA, Lexile, Reading Recovery, etc.).

Readworks – Readworks offers the largest collection of free non-fiction and literacy articles available on the Internet. It also offers question sets, vocabulary, paired texts, and much, much more.

Storyline Online – Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills, logical thinking and concentration, and general academic aptitude, as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading. Storyline Online® streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Viola Davis, Terry Crews, Connie Britton, John Lithgow, Jennifer Garner, Betty White and dozens more.

Writing Resources

OWL – The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University is one of the best writing resources available. Teachers, students, and parents can find a wealth of information to assist with all kinds of writing projects. In addition, teachers and trainers may use the material free of charge for both in-class and out-of-class instruction.

6+1 Writing Rubric – An easy-to-use Rubric can be very helpful in helping students evaluate both their own writing and the writing of peers. This 6+1 Writing Rubric reflects “Trait Writing,” a highly-effective form of writing instruction that fits well with the Arkansas State Standards. Lower Elementary teachers can use the 6+1 Writing Rubric as an aide in grading. Upper Elementary and High School teachers will find that it’s also a useful tool for peer grading. The more your students use this Writing Rubric, the more the 6+1 elements will become part of their writing vocabulary.

CK-12 – CK-12 is a non-profit foundation dedicated to increasing access to high-quality educational materials for K-12 students across the world. They provide free standards-aligned, concept-based learning for multiple grade levels in multiple subjects. While CK-12 is primarily focused on STEM, they’ve recently been adding interesting digital texts for writing. (Note: New materials are added each month, so if you don’t find something you like today, be sure to check back later.)

ASPIRE Writing – The ACT Aspire is what Arkansas uses for standardized testing in grades 3 -10. Here are three important points that could help you improve your students’ writing skills, increase your students’ writing scores, and minimize your planning time.

First, ASPIRE focuses on three types of writing: Reflective/Narrative, Analytical/Expository, and Persuasive/Argumentative.

Second, ASPIRE assesses specific types of writing at different grade levels …     3rd Grade = Reflective/Narrative
     4th Grade = Analytical/Expository
     5th Grade = Persuasive/Argumentative
     6th Grade = Reflective/Narrative
     7th Grade = Analytical/Expository
     8th Grade = Persuasive/Argumentative
     9th & 10th Grade = Analytical/Expository

Third, ASPIRE provides a Writing Exemplars Guide for every grade. This document (click on the English tab) also includes Scoring Rubics and Sample Tests. And it describes the different types of writing and the specific things students must do for each to receive maximum credit.

ACT / ASPIRE Grammar – There are several schools of thought regarding “correct” grammar … just ask any group of English teachers about the Oxford comma! However, both the ACT Aspire (mentioned above) and the ACT Test (usually taken in 11th grade) use a specific set of grammar rules … and they test these over and over again. Thus, in order to identify and fix grammar errors in the ACT and ASPIRE tests, students need to know these specific grammar rules. Here are two resources to help your students master this testing skill: The Complete Guide to ACT Grammar Rules and Ten Grammar Rules to Beat the ACT English

ADE Writing Resource – In March of 2017, the ADE released a new Writing LiveBinder created by literacy specialists from across the state. In addition to Ideas, Organization, Language Usage, and Writer’s Workshop Procedures, it also includes Lesson Plans designed to help students develop specific skills. An Explanatory Video provides an overview of the format, allowing you to more effectively use this new tool. 

Grammer Bytes! – Described as “grammar with attitude,” Grammer Bytes includes detailed terms, fun-filled interactive exercises, handouts, digital presentations, and much more.

Oxford Comma – This one is for my grammatically-inclined friends …
Appellate Court rules Oxford Comma necessary. Enjoy!  

More resources coming soon …