ELA Must-Haves
Must-Have #1
Mapping Content and Language Development
High-quality materials align content knowledge and disciplinary language, spiraling language functions and features across the program so students build the language they need to access texts and complete tasks.
Essential question to ask when evaluating instructional materials:
How does disciplinary language develop across the unit, in support of understanding of core texts and key ideas?
Must-Have #2
Monitoring Content and Language Development
Curricula must empower teachers to assess both literacy development and language development, and to provide targeted feedback.
Essential question to ask when evaluating instructional materials:
How do formative and summative assessments support both language and literacy development and next steps to adjust instruction?
Must-Have #3
Making Connections through Student Collaboration and Conversation
Oral language and literacy routines allow students to build ideas and refine language by clarifying, elaborating, and borrowing language and ideas from their peers as they read, write, and discuss texts.
Essential question to ask when evaluating instructional materials:
How do materials structure opportunities for students to build on, question, and refine each other’s ideas and language use around core texts and tasks?
Resources
No matter where district leaders are in the ELA curriculum adoption process, ELSF has designed practical resources and trainings that can evaluate curricula based on the ELA Must-Haves:
