Traditionally been defined in elementary teaching as listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Language arts also include language conventions. Spelling Punctuation Grammar usage Handwriting Newer skills; word processing and building websites

Important goal of teaching language arts is achieving literacy for all children. The meaning of literacy may include arrange of abilities, from biliteracy to computer and media literacy. The six language arts: reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and visually representing. These standard defined texts more broadly, adding spoken language, graphical and technological communications to print. The IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts represents what students should know and be able to do in English Language Arts.

Reading

Visually representing

Writing

Language Arts

Viewing

Listening

Speaking

Student centered
Involves a community of learners

Active, hands on learning

Summary of Avril's Beliefs and Knowledge about Teaching LGA

Collaborative

Centered on family and culture

literature based integrated

Focused on meaning

Social interactive process Transactional Process

Constructive Process

of Reader Response

Constructivism
Constructivist theory views understanding and composing language as a building process. Children continually build new meaning on the foundation of prior knowledge they bring to communication process. John Dewey (1938) learning by doing Piaget explains all learning is an active process in which learner continually constructs meaning. Piaget believed that children are able to construct a view of reality thats based on what they learn and experience as they mature. Assimilation classifying an object into an already existing mental category or operation. Accommodation adjusting a mental category or operation to include new objects and experiences in the environment. Equilibration the self regulatory process by which a balance is achieved between assimilation and accommodation. Schemata the concepts that are constructed during ongoing processes of assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration.

Readers actively build meaning as they read.

Reading and writing are similar constructive process

Constructivism applies to language learning

The readers brings information to the text.

A single text can have multiple meaning

to make connections between what they already know and what they will learn

to discuss their response

Applies to teaching of LGA

to use strategies for reading

to think about their own reading and writing process

Social Interaction
The learning theory of Lev Vygotsky (1986) proposes that children acquire new knowledge through meaningful interactions with other people. Emphasizes the social, contextual nature of learning, which is

sociohistorical approach.
The emphasis is to discover how children actually use language as a psychological tool to communicate or share cultural meaning as well as how this set of cultural signs, or language, influences childrens active learning and cognitive development. The zone of proximal development is a key idea. He defines it as the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers What the children can do in cooperation today he can do alone tomorrow. Scaffolding is a term by cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner (1986). The support adults give children as they help them to build new knowledge. It is only temporary. Also take into account the unique cultural aspect of each classroom as well as the role of the family and the cultural and linguistic background of each child.

The main function of language is social communication

Then becomes an internalized part of cognitive structure.

Characteristics of language learning

Learning is social

Knowledge developed first through social interaction

Requires interaction with other people.

To provide support

To vary the amount of support

The goal in teaching LGA

To be flexible

To mediate learning coopertaively with support

Reader Response
Transactional model of reading which was developed by Louise Roseblatt (1938/1995). Focuses on the active role of the teacher of the reader in creating meaning from the text. The reader and the text/author construct meaning together. Making meaning while reading is a complex, to-and-fro, selfcorrecting transaction between reader and verbal signs. Give young readers more choice and control and an opportunity to use their voices in response to literature.

Readers and writers play active roles.

Multiple possible interaction of a text

Characteristics of language learning

Meaning is created during reading and writing in a twoway interaction

Draw on their own experiences to bring texts to life

Students make choices

Instructional planning

Teaching LGA

Teacher asks open questions and provide options for response

Students's voices and prior experinces are honored