The national curriculum for English is about to be rewritten again, having only been looked at four years ago. According to the chair of the expert group on the new national curriculum this is because the curricula of the past had become too baggy. Although he was not specifically looking at the English curriculum this too is being examined. This…

A fundamental challenge facing students who are English Learners is the interplay of oral language development--being able to speak and understand a language--and literacy development--learning to read and write the language. This interplay is especially challenging because each developmental process--oral language development and literacy…

Published research shows that English speakers gain literacy skills up to the 7-year level more effectively when taught using a language experience approach rather than a word reading approach (reading common words plus phonic reading). It is suggested that this is because of the almost unique nature of English phonology, that is the strengthening…

This primer lists the 44 sounds in the English language and then gives steps for teaching those 44 sounds and their most common spelling patterns. In addition to learning sounds and spellings, each day the student must read lists of phonetically related words and spell these words from dictation. Phonics instruction must be reinforced by having…

The effect of irregular English orthography (spelling) on foundation literacy, and in particular on alphabetic decoding, is discussed within the context of the orthographic depth hypothesis. A method for circumventing the retarding effects of traditional English orthography, based on the support provided for Chinese pupils learning their…

The English Language Arts Standard Course of Study establishes competency goals and objectives for the teaching and learning of English Language Arts in North Carolina. This document details the English Language Arts content that should be taught in all schools. The entire K-12 North Carolina English Language Arts Standard Course of Study was last…

This guide is designed for Alberta (Canada) parents of French immersion students beginning formal English language instruction for the first time. In question-and-answer format, it discusses issues commonly of concern to these parents. Issues addressed include the following: why English instruction is introduced in the second or third year of…