English & Reading
Includes:
- Curriculum Frameworks
- Enhanced Scope & Sequence Sample Lesson Plans
- Test Blueprints
- Released Tests
- Writing Practice Tool
- Performance Expectations
The goals of the English Standards of Learning are to teach students to read and to prepare students to participate in society as literate citizens, equipped with the ability to communicate effectively in their communities, in the work place, and in postsecondary education. As students progress through the school years, they become active and involved listeners and develop a full command of the English language, evidenced by their use of standard English and their rich speaking and writing vocabularies.
Professional Development Resources
English Standards of Learning (SOL) Institutes
VDOE has provided targeted professional development through English Language Arts Standards of Learning Institutes.
- 2013 English Standards of Learning (SOL) Institutes
- 2012 English Standards of Learning (SOL) Institutes
Virginia Association of Teachers of English (VATE) 2013 Presentation – Rising to the Rigor of the English Standards of Learning (PPT) – This keynote presentation focuses on rigor in English instruction and assessment and provides tips for infusing nonfiction into the English classroom.
Literacy
The goal of Literacy Instruction in Virginia is to ensure that all children have the necessary skills to become successful as they progress and transition through the stages of their lives. This section includes the State Literacy Plan and other resources to support students in literacy from birth through graduation.
English & Reading Resources
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
In kindergarten through third grade, the primary goal is to teach all students to read fluently and to comprehend a variety of fiction and nonfiction selections that relate to all areas of the curriculum. As they progress through the elementary grades, students continue to acquire and refine strategies for comprehending and analyzing selections that encompass all literary types, exemplify universal themes, and relate to all subjects. K-3 standards are organized in three strands: Oral Language, Reading and Writing. Beginning at grade 4 the strands become Communication: Speaking, Listening, Media Literacy, Reading, Writing, and Research.
In addition to the standards, curriculum frameworks, enhanced scope and sequence guides, test blueprints and released test items, other elementary instructional resources include:
- Elementary Reading Early Literacy Instructional Videos – demonstrations by Virginia teachers of early literacy instructional strategies and activities
- Virginia Reads (PDF) – parent brochure highlighting preschool Foundation Blocks for Early Learning and the K-5 English SOL with suggestions for assisting children in achieving these school-readiness and reading standards
- Online Writing Resources – teaching strategies and lesson plans, video links, SOL progression charts, graphic organizers, and resource links to assist teachers at all grade levels in the instruction of the writing process. Beginning with the 2013 spring administration of grades 5, 8, and end-of-course Standards of Learning (SOL) writing assessments, Virginia students will complete all direct writing tests online.
- Vocabulary Resources – teaching strategies, lesson plans, graphic organizers, and resource links to assist teachers at all grade levels in the instruction of vocabulary.
- Sample Text-Dependent Questions – provide a fiction sample text from public domain and offer a series of text-dependent questions, companion nonfiction texts, and writing assignments.
K-3 Specific Instructional Resources
- K-3 English Achievement Record Sample – Schools maintain a record of achievement in English for each K-3 student to monitor progress and to promote achievement on third-grade SOL tests. This record accompanies a student who transfers to a new school.
- Early Intervention Reading Initiative (EIRI) – provides intervention services to students who demonstrate reading deficiencies on the Phonological and Literacy Screening (PALS) assessment
- Virginia Animals and their Habitats – a model comprehensive, cross-curricular second-grade unit that addresses 40 grade-two Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) in science, mathematics, English, and history and social science.
PK-Specific Instructional Resources
- Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning: Comprehensive Standards for Four-Year-Olds (PDF) – describes specific indicators for PK children in the content areas of reading, mathematics, science, and social science
Miscellaneous
- Thinkfinity – collection of websites covering core-curricular areas with standards-based lesson plans, student interactives and other resources
- Writing Practice Items and Guides
Additional English & Reading Resources
- Instructional and assessment, resources, professional development & organizations
- Instructional Interventions That Have Proven to Be Successful with Low-Achieving Students (PDF)
- Florida Center for Reading Research Principal Reading Walk Through Checklists
- Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read (PDF)
- Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS)
The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) is the state-provided screening tool for Virginia's Early Intervention Reading Initiative. PALS consists of two screening instruments, PALS-K (for students in kindergarten) and PALS 1-3 (for students in grades one through three), which measure young children's knowledge of important literacy fundamentals, including phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, knowledge of letter sounds, spelling, concept of word, word recognition in isolation, and oral passage reading. - For Virginia Reading Assessment Contact Information, see Professional Teacher’s Assessment Requirements (PDF)
- Reading Resources from the Center on Instruction
- Understand Scoring uses actual Virginia student anchor papers to provide examples of SOL scoring in each domain of writing
- 26 Instructional Strategies That Facilitate Learning Across Content Areas (PDF)
In middle school, standards continue to be organized in the three related strands: Oral Language, Reading and Writing. Students continue to acquire and refine strategies for comprehending and analyzing the written word.
In addition to the standards, curriculum frameworks, enhanced scope and sequence guides, test blueprints and released tests, other middle school instructional resources include:
- Wordsalive Vocabulary Acquisition Model for Virginia – research-based graphic organizer designed to enable students to learn content vocabulary
- Interactive Reading – combines a graphic organizer with researched-based reading comprehension strategies providing a framework that supports students prior to reading, during reading and after reading across the curriculum
- Vocabulary Videos – ten three-minute videos demonstrating a vocabulary lesson or teaching strategy
- Online Writing Resources – teaching strategies and lesson plans, video links, SOL progression charts, graphic organizers, and resource links to assist teachers at all grade levels in the instruction of the writing process. Beginning with the 2013 spring administration of grades 5, 8, and end-of-course Standards of Learning (SOL) writing assessments, Virginia students will complete all direct writing tests online.
- Vocabulary Resources – teaching strategies, lesson plans, graphic organizers, and resource links to assist teachers at all grade levels in the instruction of vocabulary.
- Sample Text-Dependent Questions – provide a fiction sample text from public domain and offer a series of text-dependent questions, companion nonfiction texts, and writing assignments.
Miscellaneous
- Thinkfinity – collection of websites covering core-curricular areas with standards-based lesson plans, student interactives and other resources
- The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) collects, coordinates and conveys a broad range of research and resources in support of an inclusive approach to high quality education for English language learners (ELLs)
- Writing Practice Items and Guides
Additional English & Reading Resources
Standards for ninth through twelfth grades are organized in four related strands: Oral Language, Reading Analysis, Writing, and Research. Students in high school become familiar with exemplary authors and classic literary works.
In addition to the standards, curriculum frameworks, enhanced scope and sequence guides, test blueprints and released tests, other high school instructional resources include:
- Online Writing Resources – teaching strategies and lesson plans, video links, SOL progression charts, graphic organizers, and resource links to assist teachers at all grade levels in the instruction of the writing process. Beginning with the 2013 spring administration of grades 5, 8, and end-of-course Standards of Learning (SOL) writing assessments, Virginia students will complete all direct writing tests online.
- Writing Practice Items and Guides
- Vocabulary Resources – teaching strategies, lesson plans, graphic organizers, and resource links to assist teachers at all grade levels in the instruction of vocabulary.
- Sample Text-Dependent Questions – provide a fiction sample text from public domain and offer a series of text-dependent questions, companion nonfiction texts, and writing assignments.
Specific Course Information and Resources
- English Capstone Course Information – Guidance documents and links to instructional resources
Miscellaneous
- Thinkfinity – collection of websites covering core-curricular areas with standards-based lesson plans, student interactives and other resources
Additional English & Reading Resources
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