English Language Arts (ELA) Standards Support
Inspired by the National Council of Teachers of English1, the reference points that are bolded below can enhance your ELA instruction.
Engage and deepen understanding of informational text.
Walk students through Lewis' activism and leadership during the civil rights movement using resources that support March: Book One, March: Book Two, and March: Book Three by authors John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell.
Guide readers through an informational text like The Girl Who Drew Butterflies with this lesson plan.
Explore a variety of resources for informational texts using the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal.
Scaffold reading comprehension with vocabulary lists like this one for I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World.
Provide models of both written and spoken language that develop skills to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
Consider Helen Frost's use of two voices to narrate Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War with this Meet-the-Author Recording.
Support fluency with reader’s theater scripts.
Listen to this Meet-the-Author Recording from All American Boys with Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely as a tool to facilitate conversation.
Compare classics with graphic novel adaptations like The Odyssey or Monster to scaffold instruction and provide context for elements like setting and characterization.
Comprehend, interpret, and appreciate texts from a variety of genre and cultural areas.
Contemplate the shifts in focus and perspective required of Francisco X. Stork in his work on Marcelo in the Real World as described in his Meet-the-Author Recording.
Spark discussion and promote self-reflection as demonstrated in this educator guide for Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You.
Foster empathy for the immigrant experience by listening to the Meet-the-Author Recording for Front Desk with Kelly Yang.
Hear the connection between fry bread and the diversity of First Nations in America with this Meet-the-Author Recording for Fry Bread with Kevin Noble Maillard.
Explore diverse literature from print and non-print resources to construct meaning of oneself and others, acquire new information, and build an appreciation for different types of texts.
Consider author Nic Stone’s inspiration for Dear Martin in this Meet-the-Author Recording and her realization that “there’s gonna come a point when my little [black] boys are seen as threats before they are seen as children.”
Listen to this audiobook excerpt from Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan to initiate conversations about celebrating differences and accepting who you are and where you come from.
Enrich the reading of Sharuko by learning the backstory and inspiration with this Meet-the-Author Recording by Monica Brown.
Join the journey of Kiyoshi and his grandfather as they discover that poetry is all around us in this Meet-the-Author Recording of Kiyoshi’s Walk by Mark Karlins.
1. Referenced from "NCTE / IRA Standards for the English Language Arts." National Council of Teachers of English, http://www.ncte.org/standards/ncte-ira.
