About the course
Language development is central to students’ intellectual, social, and emotional growth, and should be seen as a key element of the curriculum. The language curriculum is based on the belief that literacy is critical to responsible and productive citizenship. The curriculum is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve this goal.
When students learn to use language in the elementary grades, they do more than master the basic skills. They learn to value the power of language and to use it responsibly. They learn to express feelings and opinions and as they mature, to support their opinions with sound arguments and research. They become aware of the many purposes for which language is used and the diverse forms it can take. Language is the basis for thinking, communicating, and learning. Students need language skills in order to comprehend ideas and information and to interact socially as this will help students to thrive in the world beyond the classroom.
The Primary Language program is focused on the basic knowledge and skills that students need in order to establish a strong basis for language development. These include students’ oral language, prior knowledge and experience, understanding of concepts about print, phonemic awareness, understanding of letter-sound relationships, vocabulary knowledge, semantic and syntactic awareness, higher-order thinking skills, and capacity for metacognition.
Language program is divided into four strands; Oral Communication, Reading, Writing, and Media Literacy. In all four strands, teachers explicitly teach and model the use of the knowledge, skills, and strategies most relevant to the particular strand. Explicit teaching and modelling help primary students to identify the skills and strategies they need in order to become proficient language users and move towards achievement of the expectations. Initially, students engage in rehearsal through shared and guided practice; eventually, they demonstrate independently their achievement of the learning expectations through multiple, diverse learning opportunities and activities.
Grade 1 - Language
Course length
10 Months
Course Price
CAD $ 1000.00
Course Developer
My Learning Oasis
Course Code
Department
Instructor Name
Language 1
Primary
TBD
Curriculum Policy Document
Language, Grades 1 – 8, 2006 Revised
Language 1
Grade 1 students will have access to oral, print, and media texts with familiar topics and structures. Oral texts such as songs, poems, teacher read-alouds or simple readers theatre, large- and small-group discussions, and one-on-one conversations; print texts such as environmental print, simple fiction and non-fiction, picture books, and books in their first language; and media texts such as a soundtrack for a story, posters or signs,photographs or collages, cartoons, movies, and television shows provide a variety of sources to motivate and engage diverse groups of students. To facilitate the development of early reading and writing behaviours and concepts, print texts for guided instruction and independent reading will initially need to have many high-frequency words, illustra-tions that provide direct support for meaning and word solving, and language structures that are simple and natural. Eventually, Grade 1 students will encounter texts of greater length with somewhat more challenging ideas and vocabulary, somewhat more literary language, and low to moderate support from the illustrations.
Expectations:
Teachers at My Learning Oasis have developed instructional strategies to help our learners to achieve the Ontario Curriculum expectations. Teachers use Constructivism methods for assessing and evaluating student learning. They bring enthusiasm and varied teaching and assessment approaches to the classroom, addressing individual students’ needs and ensuring sound learning opportunities for every student. The expectations in the language curriculum are organized into four strands: Oral Communication, Reading, Writing, and Media Literacy. The Language program is designed to develop a range of essential skills in these four interrelated areas, built on a solid foundation of knowledge of the conventions of standard English and incorporating the use of analytical, critical, and metacognitive thinking skills. Students learn best when they are encouraged to consciously monitor their thinking as they learn, and each strand includes expectations that call for such reflection.
Final reporting
Assessment is the process of gathering information from a variety of sources, such as assignments, day-to-day observations, conversations or conferences, demonstrations, projects, and performances. Teachers follow guidelines from Growing Success to analyze how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectations in a subject. As part of assessment, teachers provide students with descriptive feedback that guides their efforts towards improvement. The final grade reflects the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration is given to more recent evidence of achievement. There is no final assessment, such as an exam, in this course.
