english language arts content standards1997- curriculum（英语语言艺术standards1997——课程内容）.doc

English-Language Arts Content Standards for CA Public Schools Page 1 of 64 English-Language Arts Content Standards A Message from the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. With the adoption of these English-language arts content standards in 1997, California set forth for the first time a uniform and specific vision of what students should know and be able to do in this subject area. Reflecting a strong consensus among educators, these standards establish high expectations for all students. They embody our collective hope that all students become effective language users so that they can succeed academically, pursue higher education, find challenging and rewarding work, participate in our democracy as informed citizens, appreciate and contribute to our culture, and pursue their own goals and interests throughout their lives. Standards create a vision of a comprehensive language arts program. Before the creation of content standards, school reform efforts were guided by the desire to improve student achievement without agreement as to the content of that achievement. These standards set forth the content that students need to acquire by grade level. At every grade level the standards cover reading, writing, written and oral English language conventions, and listening and speaking. Grade by grade, the standards create a vision of a balanced and comprehensive language arts program. Knowledge acquisition is a part of literacy development. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking are related processes, which should be nurtured within a rich core curriculum. Literacy competencies are the gateways to knowledge across the disciplines. Prior knowledge is the strongest predictor of a students ability to make inferences about text, and writing about content helps students acquire knowledge. Thus, literacy and the acquisition of knowledge are inextricably connected. Educators should take every opportunity to link reading and writing to