ELA Standards vs. Curriculums: How to Break ELA Standard Codes Into 4 Parts
What Is the Difference Between ELA Standards and Curriculums?
One of the most common points of confusion is the difference between standards and curriculms. Let’s begin by clarifying these two main points in education.
- Academic standards are a set of expectations for what students should know and be able to do by the end of the school year.
2. The curriculum represents the district’s implementation of the standards. It’s for teachers’ use.
Now that we have a clear vision of the difference between standards and curriculums, I will help you break down the standards and effectively align them to your lessons.
Are you ready to embark on this exciting journey with me? Unpacking the standards breaks down academic or learning objectives into smaller, more manageable parts. Let’s begin!
How Breaking Standards Simplifies Lesson Planning
Let’s use standard RL.2.1 as an example:
1. The Subject: The First letter in a standard code represents the subject. For instance, R stands for Reading.
2. The Genre: The second letter in a standard code represents the genre. For example, L stands for Literature.
3. The Grade: The first number in a standard code represents the grade level. For example, 2 stands for second grade.
4. The Skill: The second number in a standard code represents the skill we want students to demonstrate throughout the school year. For example, the number 1 stands for asking and answering questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
You can find your state’s standards on your state’s education website. For example, I live in NJ, so I would use this website to search for the skill that this code is referencing https://www.nj.gov/education/standards/ela/Docs/2016NJSLS-ELA_Grade2.pdf
To learn more, click on the picture below and grab my free 19-page guide. Crack the Standard Codes Guide!
In Conclusion:
1. Standards serve students, and curriculums serve teachers.
2. Breaking down the standards helps us create successful lessons
3. Your state website can help you find the standards you need for each skill.
Remember:
Subject: Identifies the content area, such as Reading or Writing.
Genre: Shows whether the standard applies to literature or informational text.
Grade Level: Indicates the grade at which the skill is taught.
Skill: Explains what students must demonstrate to show mastery.
Literacy Tales | 5th Garde Teacher
