EL Education Grades K-8

Dear Families of LaFayette Central School District Students, 

 

The LaFayette Central School District is excited to announce that in September of this school year a new ELA curriculum will be implemented in grades K-8.   This change will have positive results for our student's academic success and promote continued engagement with reading and writing. Below you will find highlights of information about the curriculum your child(ren) will be introduced to this fall:

 

Introducing the EL Education K-8 Language Arts Curriculum 

• Our children’s learning must prepare them for a future of resilience, problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation in skilled careers that may not even exist yet. The award-winning EL Education K-8 Language Arts Curriculum uniquely prepares children for a future of high achievement in more ways than one. The EL Education Language Arts Curriculum can prepare students to:

• Prove mastery of complex knowledge and skills on a variety of assessments, 

• Produce high quality work, and

• Develop positive, ethical character.

 

Inside the classroom students will learn to:

• Take Risks - Students stretch and grow their abilities by working with difficult texts and opening up to feedback from others by sharing their thinking.

• Love Books - Students get hooked on what they’re reading and ask for more. The content is interesting, relevant, and fun. There are no textbooks or anthologies, only original texts. 

• Work Together - The curriculum makes room for students to collaborate in pairs, small groups, or as an entire class. Students with different skill levels and abilities have opportunities to work together on the same content and learn from one another.

• Own Standards - Students take ownership of their learning and can tell you their learning targets for each module. They know their jobs as learners and have plans to meet their goals. 

• Use Expert Vocabulary - Students can use expert-level academic and subject-specific vocabulary in discussions and writing about compelling topics. 

• Cite Evidence - Students refer to specific examples from the texts they’re reading to make a strong case for their positions in writing and discussion. 

• Thinking Critically - Students conduct research and investigate rich academic topics. They develop habits of inquiry, analysis, critical thinking, and craftsmanship. 

• Presenting  - Students proudly present high-quality learning products to peers, teachers, and others beyond the classroom, knowing that their school work can have a positive impact on the world. 

 

We invite all families to:

• Discuss at Home - Encourage and support conversations at home about topics students experience in class. Help them connect learning to current events and real world experiences.

• Read at Home - Provide books and support reading that aligns with the curriculum at home. Visit https://eleducation.org/resources/library for recommended books that support standards for each grade.

• Acknowledge Student Learning - Students have many chances to test their knowledge and improve their skills. Talk to your child’s teacher, attend events, and help students by giving feedback or acknowledging the impact of their work.

• Explore the Curriculum - Visit https://eleducation.org/ to see what students are working on throughout the year.

• Communication - Be on the lookout for communication from your child’s teacher about how to help support his/her reading and writing skills at home. There will also be a monthly tips and tricks section in the Green Sheet for parents/caregivers to explore. 

 

We look forward to your support of our efforts at home; we are a community of learners, and we are in this together. Four schools, three buildings, two nations, one goal: excellence!

 

Sincerely,

Jeremy Belfield

Superintendent of Schools

LaFayette Central School District

jbelfield@lafayetteschools.org 

315-529-9550 (cell)