TEACHING

ENGLISH IN THE
ELEMENTARY
GRADES
(LANGUAGE ARTS)
MC 11

MODULE
TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES (LANGUAGE ARTS)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Cebu Eastern College
Leon Kilat St, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter I: Nature of Language
Content and Structure of K to 12 Language Curriculum
General Principle of Language Teaching
Structure of the Language Curriculum
Learning Strategies and Assessment Techniques
as Applied to Language Teaching

Chapter II: Selecting and Designing

Instructional Materials for Teaching Language
Learning and the Language Arts
The Reading and Writing processes
Emerging into Literacy

Chapter III: History of the English Language

Techniques in presenting the meaning of new
items to young learners
Personal Writing
Reading and writing stories

Chapter IV: Reading and Writing Poetry

Learning to Spell Conventional
Learning about Grammar and Usage
Developing Legible Handwriting
Chapter II: Selecting and Designing Instructional
Materials for Teaching Language

Instructional materials are essential tools to help students engage in teaching and learning
processes.

Selection of Materials for Language Teaching

There are five (5) important components of language instruction:

The Learner
The Teacher
Teaching Strategies, Materials, and Assessment

In the past, the instructional materials might have been simply textbooks and workbooks.
Today, however, the range has broadened considerably, including young adult and
graphic novels, informational text, websites, and ever-changing technology.

Types of Instructional Materials and Their Uses for Language Learning

The use of appropriate materials allows students to interact with words, images, and ideas
in ways that help them develop their abilities in multiple literacies such as listening,
speaking, reading, writing, viewing, thinking, and technology.

MATERIALS USE

This material is used to improve the student’s listening

comprehension and vocabulary. Student’s listening skill
Audio book
would improve if they can read printed version of the book
at the same time.

Dictionaries come in different formats including bilingual,

monolingual, illustrated, electronic, and online. Bilingual
dictionaries are perhaps the most ones for beginners and
Dictionaries
intermediate learners, while monolingual dictionaries,
which are designed for native speakers, are also useful for
advanced learners.
 Pocket dictionaries are good for quick reference and easy
to carry around. Larger dictionaries are better if you
want more definitions, examples of usage, and
information about pronunciation, grammar, and
possibly etymology. Electronic dictionaries are usually
available as software, or as handled units. Software
dictionaries offer many of the same functions and can be
used on computers and mobile phones. Handheld ones
are portable, easy, and quick to search. They often
provide other functions, such as text-to-speech, voice
recognition, and speech synthesis organizers, and address
books.

Video as a listening tool can enhance the listening

experience for our students. We can add a whole new
dimension to aural practice in the classroom by using
Video tapes video. The setting, action, emotions, gestures, etc., that
our students can observe in a video clip provide an
important visual stimulus for language production and
practice.

These tools can be used to record conversations, radio

programmers, songs, classes and lectures. The recording
can help students improve their listening comprehension.
Recording devices e.g. Students can also make recordings in speaking their
tape recorders, video second language. Analysis of which can improve their
cameras pronunciation and intonation. The tools come in the
form of the tape recorders, mini-disc recorders, mp
players with voice recording facilities, and dictation
machines.

This tool includes interactive computer program

designed to accelerate language acquisition. It is
Computer software
supplement to the core language program being used in
the classroom.
 This can be used in learning sounds, words, and
Chart
connected speech.

These are pictures of objects, people, animals, plants, etc.

Pictures that help the teaching and learning processes and can
improve the students understanding of language.

Newspaper offers a special attraction. It brings to our

student’s real life situation and can be used to enhance
skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
Newspaper
Newspaper-based activities engage students in interesting
and enjoyable activities and they also encourage them to
further reading.

Role of Technology in Language Learning

Technology continues to grow in importance as a tool to assist teachers in facilitating

and mediating language learning for their students.
It plays an important role in supporting and enhancing language teaching and
learning, the effectiveness of any technological tool depends on the knowledge and
expertise of the language teacher who manages and facilities the language learning
environment.

Guidelines in the Selection of Materials for Language Teaching

A good teacher recognizes the importance of selecting appropriate instructional

materials for effective language learning. Selection of materials requires in-depth teacher
knowledge in terms of:
Educational objectives
Students’ background, learning experiences, abilities, and interests
Quality and relevance of the materials and their uses.

Learning and the Language Arts

The Six Language Arts – according to the International Reading Association and the
National Council for Teachers of English, the language arts include reading, writing
listening, speaking, viewing, and visual representation, all of which are highly related to
one another.

How Children Learn

Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget (1886-1980) radically changed our understanding of how
children learn with his constructivist framework (Piaget & Inhelder, 2000). He described
learning as the modification of children’s cognitive structures as they interact with and
adapt to their environment. He believed that children construct their own knowledge
from their experiences. Related to Piaget’s theory is the information-processing theory
(Flavell, Miller, & Miller, 2001), which focuses on how learners use cognitive processes
to think about what and how they’re learning.

Children’s knowledge is not just a collection of isolated bits of information; it’s

organized in the brain, and this organization becomes increasingly integrated as their
knowledge grows (Tracey & Morrow, 2006). The organization of knowledge is the
cognitive structure, and knowledge is arranged in category systems called schemata. (A
single category is a schema.) Within the schemata are three components: categories of
knowledge, features or rules for determining what constitutes a category and what’s
included in each category, and a network of interrelationships among the categories.

These schemata can be likened to a conceptual filing system in which people organize
and store the information derived from their past experiences. Taking this analogy
further, information is filed in the brain in “file folders”. As children learn, they add new
file folders to their filing system, and as they study a topic, its file folder becomes thicker.
Children enlarge existing schemata or construct new ones using two cognitive processes –
assimilation and accommodation (Piaget & Inhelder, 2000). Assimilation takes place
when information is integrated into existing schemata, and accommodation occurs when
schemata are created. Through assimilation, children add new information to their
picture of the world; through accommodation, they change that picture to reflect new
information.

Learning occurs through the process of equilibration. When children encounter

something they don’t understand, disequilibrium, or cognitive conflict, results. This
disequilibrium typically produces confusion and agitation, feelings that impel children to
seek equilibrium and a comfortable balance with the environment. In other words, when
confronted with new or discrepant information, children are intrinsically motivated to
try to make sense of it. If their schemata can assimilate or accommodate the new
information, then the disequilibrium caused by the new experience will motivate them to
learn. Equilibrium is then regained at a higher developmental level. Here’s the three-step
process:
1. Equilibrium is disrupted by the introduction of new or discrepant information.
2. Disequilibrium occurs, and the dual processes of assimilation and accommodation
function.
3. Equilibrium is attained at a higher developmental level.

The process of equilibration happens again and again during the course of a day. In fact,
it’s occurring right now as you’re reading this chapter. Learning doesn’t always occur
when we’re presented with new information, however: If the new information is too
difficult and we can’t relate it to what we already know, we don’t learn. The new
information must be puzzling, challenging, or, in Piaget’s words, “moderately novel”.

Implications for Learning Language Arts

Students are active participants in learning.
Students learn by relating new information to prior knowledge.
Students organize their knowledge in schemata.
Students apply strategies consciously as they learn.
Students learn through social interactions with classmates and the teacher.
Teachers provide scaffolds for students.

The Four Language Systems

Language is organized using four systems, sometimes called cueing systems, which
together make communication possible:
The phonological, or sound, system of language
The syntactic, or structural, system of language
The semantic, or meaning, system of language
The pragmatic, or social and cultural use, a system of language

Implications for Learning Language Arts

Language and culture have important implications for how students learn language arts
in school:
Students use the four language systems simultaneously as they communicate.
 Students need to understand and use academic language.
Students from each cultural group bring their unique backgrounds of experience to
the process of learning.
Students’ cultural and linguistic diversity provides an opportunity to enhance and
enrich the learning of all students.
Students use language arts to reflect on cultural, social, and political injustices and
work to change the world.

The Reading and Writing Processes

What is reading?

Reading is a complex interaction between the text, the reader, and the purposes for
reading, which are shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge and experiences, the reader’s
knowledge about reading and writing language, and the reader’s language community
which is culturally and socially situated.

Five Components of Reading Instruction

Phonological Awareness – manipulating and identifying parts of spoken language (i.e.

words, syllables, onsets and rimes, and phonemes).
Enhancing Effectiveness
a. Focus first on the auditory features of words.
b. Move from explicit, natural segments of language to the more implicit and
complex.
c. Use of phonological properties and dimensions of words to enhance
performance.
d. Scaffold, blending, and segmenting through explicit modeling. Integrate letter-
sound correspondence once learners are proficient with auditory tasks.
Phonics – Introduce print (letters and words) paired with corresponding sounds
(teaches students the alphabetic principle)

Alphabetic Principle

Letter – Sound Correspondence – use consistent and brief wording.

Sounding out words – start by having students sound letters/words out in their heads,
then as a class produce the word orally.
 Fluency – The ability to read quickly and accurately. Covered in phonemic
awareness, letter naming, sound-letter associations, sight words, and oral reading of
connected text (letter recognition à letter sounds à word recognition à improved
comprehension)
Vocabulary – words that a person has learned and uses to communicate effectively.
Most words are learned indirectly, but some need to be taught directly (i.e. difficult
words that represent complex concepts)
Comprehension – the ability to understand what is being read’
A transactive process – involves complex negotiations between text and reader which
is shaped by reader’s
1. Knowledge of topic
2. Purpose of reading
3. Language cultural expectations based on experiences
Aesthetic Reading – Reading for enjoyment
Efferent Reading – To gain information

There are 5 stages in the reading process:

Step 1: Pre-Reading
Active/build background knowledge
Set purposes for reading
Preview the text
Step 2: Reading
Read independently, with a buddy, using shared reading, guided reading, or
listening to the text read aloud.
Read the entire text from beginning to end or read one or more sections to learn
specific information.
Apply strategies and skills
Read the illustrations, charts, and diagrams.
Step 3: Responding
Respond to reading logs
Discuss the text with classmates and the teacher
Step 4: Exploring
Reread and think more deeply about the text
Examine the author’s craft
Learn vocabulary words
Participate in mini-lessons
Step 5: Applying
Create a project
Connect with related books
Value the reading experience

The Writing Processes

Writing is a process through which people communicate thoughts and ideas. It is a highly
complex, cognitive, self-directed activity, driven by the goals writers set for what they
want to do and say and the audience(s) for whom they are writing. To meet these goals,
writers must skillfully and flexibly coordinate their writing process from conception to
the completion of a text.

Components of the writing process include:

1. Prewriting- is the stage in which you explore possible topics, choose a topic, and then
gather details you can include in your writing.
Free writing – students write for a specified period of time without taking their from the
page (usually three minutes for a first attempt and then typically for about five to eight
minutes)
Brainstorming – a group exercise in which all students in the class are encouraged to
participate by sharing their collective knowledge about a particular subject.
Listing – the student is encouraged to produce as lengthy a list as possible of all the main
ideas and subcategories that come to mind as he or she thinks of the topic at hand.
Clustering – begins with a keyword or central idea placed in the center of the page (or on
the blackboard) around with the student (or the teacher, using student-generated
suggestions) and quickly jots down all free associations triggered by the subject matter,
using words or short phrases.
2. Drafting – involves putting ideas down on paper in a rough format.
1. Shaping your writing focus on the form – each form of writing has its own set of
objectives. Attract your reader’s attention with a strong lead.
2. Providing Elaboration – as you develop each of the paragraphs in the body of your
paper, focus on elaborating, or developing your key points by providing a thorough
set of facts, examples, and details.
3. Revising – this is the stage in which you rework your rough draft to improve both its
form and its content
4. Editing and proofreading – are the stages in which you polish your writing, fixing
errors, spelling, and mechanics.
Proofreading – this is a process whereby the text is scanned for grammar, syntax, and
spelling errors.
Editing – this process concentrates less on the form and more on the terminology.

Recommendation for Writing Practice:

Recommendation 1: Provide daily time for students to write.

Recommendation 2: Teach students to use the writing process for a variety of purposes.
Teach students the writing process 2a:
a. Teach students strategies for the various components of the writing process.
b. Gradually release writing responsibility from the teacher to the student.
c. Guide students to select and use appropriate writing strategies.
d. Encourage students to be flexible in their use of the components of the writing
process.
Recommendation 2b:
Teach students to write for a variety of purposes.
a. Help students understand the different purposes of writing.
b. Expand students’ concept of audience.
c. Teach students to emulate the features of good writing.
d. Teach students techniques for writing effectively for different purposes.
Recommendation 3 – teach students to become fluent in handwriting, spelling, sentence
construction, typing, and word processing.
1. Teach very young writers how to hold a pencil correctly and form letters fluently and
efficiently.
2. Teach students to spell words correctly.
3. Teach students to construct sentences for fluency, meaning, and style.
4. Teach students to type fluently and to use a word processor to compose.
Recommendation 4 – Create an engaged community of writers.
1. Teachers should participate as members of the community by writing and sharing
their writing.
2. Give students writing choices.
3. Encourage students to collaborate as writers.
4. Provide students with opportunities to give and receive feedback throughout the
writing process.
5. Publish students’ writing, and extend the community beyond the classroom.
Emerging into Literacy

What is Emergent Literacy?

Exposure to reading and writing
Language and literacy skills begin at birth

What are the important components of emergent literacy?

According to the National Early Panel (NELP, 2009), the important skills in early
literacy are the following:
a. Alphabet knowledge
b. Phonological awareness and memory
c. Rapid automatized naming of letters and objects
d. Writing letters

What should parents do to encourage their children’s emergent literacy skills?

Talk to their child and name objects, people, and events in the everyday
environment.
Repeat their child’s string of sounds (e.e. “dadadada”, “bababa”) and add to them.
Talk to their child during daily routine activities such as bath or mealtime and
respond to his/her questions.

What should parents do to encourage their children’s emergent literacy skills?

Reread their child’s favorite books.
Focus their child’s attention on books by pointing to words and pictures as they
read.
Provide a variety of materials to encourage drawing and scribbling. Encourage the
child to describe or tell the story about his/her drawing and write down the word.