English Language Arts (ELA) Department Curriculum Overview

The Queen City Academy Charter School’s English Language Arts and Literacy Department prepares scholars to communicate with efficiency and confidence.

The curriculum focuses on developing practical skills in reading and writing through foundational lessons, vocabulary work, novel studies, and performance assessments.

ELA Curriculum Frameworks

Scholars from grades K-2 develop skills through these three instructional programs utilized by our teachers:

• Phonics and Word Study by Fountas & Pinnell
  • Teaches students systematic relationships between letters and sounds
  • Includes lessons on early literacy concepts, spelling patterns, word structure, and word meaning
• The Units of Study for Teaching Reading developed by Lucy Calkins
  • Builds foundational reading strategies
  • Introduces students to fiction and informational texts
• The Units of Study for Teaching Writing developed by Lucy Calkins
  • Teaches early strategies for developing opinion, informational, and narrative writing
  • Includes workshops and assessments to monitor fluency, progression, and mastery

Scholars in grades 3-8 further their reading and writing skills with the following curriculum and lesson planning approach:

• Novel Studies
  • Students develop grammar, vocabulary, communication, critical thinking, writing, and debating skills through in-depth analysis of complex classic and/or culturally relevant texts
  • Students learn through various interactive activities based on best pedagogical practices
• The Understanding by Design method of lesson planning
  • The Understanding by Design planning approach is used to teach and assess students for understanding and long-term learning
  • Teachers focus on desired results first and work backward designing lesson plans that will produce requisite outcomes
  • Essential questions are asked in each lesson to help scholars gain a deeper meaning of concepts
  • Teachers measure level of understanding through performance assessments

For more information on resources used for ELA curriculum, visit the following websites:

• Units of Study for Reading
• Units of Study for Writing
• Novel Studies
• Understanding By Design