California Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects contain several overarching ideas, often called “key shifts,” that define changes in teaching and learning that the California Standards require. Although different sources define these ideas in varying ways, SMMUSD defines them as follows:

Balance of Fiction and Nonfiction Texts

Students need to read a balance of fiction and nonfiction texts; teachers can achieve this balance through reading in English language arts and in the content areas. The standards emphasize both fiction and non-fiction texts.

Disciplinary Literacy

Students need to develop competency with literacy within the disciplines; teachers in grades 6-12 need to teach the literacy skills associated with their subject areas.

Text Complexity

Students need to develop competency with literacy within the disciplines; teachers in grades 6-12 need to teach the literacy skills associated with their subject areas.

Writing to Sources

Students need to develop the ability to analyze texts and to use evidence from texts to construct arguments.

Text-Based Answers

Students need to engage in text-based conversations that develop their abilities to construct arguments.

Academic Vocabulary

Students need explicit instruction in academic vocabulary that spans disciplines and is characteristic of mature language users. Teachers can support this by providing explicit vocabulary instruction in specific words as well as instruction in word learning behaviors.

Resources

Essential ELA Components >

Close Reading >

K-2 Literacy Block Examples >

K-2 ELA Block Examples >

3-5 Literacy Block Examples >

3-5 ELA Block Examples >

Text Dependent Questions >

Response to Instruction & Intervention (RT12) >