What do you expect English Language Arts to look like/sound like/be like in the Elementary School classroom?

(Grades 4-5)

I expect English Language Arts in a grade 4 to 5 classroom setting will encompass some key themes: building on previous knowledge, critical literacy, expanding and exploring communication, and addressing relevant themes.

I expect that building on previous knowledge would be an integral part of any lesson regardless of age group, but perhaps more so with these students purely because they are older and would have more experiences to share. Students at this stage should be encouraged to explore and experiment in articulating the wealth of personal experiences, feelings, thoughts, and opinions they have to draw from. While including technical aspects like essay composition and grammar, I would hope that the emphasis would be placed on experimenting with various elements of language, such as different writing styles and mediums of communication.

Critical literacy will be especially important for this age group as they may be increasingly seeking out their own sources of information and entertainment without guidance or censorship. Online communication alone opens up a huge window of information, opportunities, and dangers that children of this age may already be exploring independently. Information and misinformation will also be pouring in from many sources- peers, television, and advertising to name a few. By exploring current themes relevant to the students, such as peer pressure, drugs, or climate change, a Language Arts classroom will be an environment where students are challenged to critically evaluate messages and ideas.

Strengthening the sense of classroom community, as well as creating avenues of dialogue between students and their larger community, could empower and encourage students to share their knowledge and opinions with a wider audience, get involved in their community and realize their potential and ability to affect change.