Appendix E: Parents/Caregivers as Partners

Administrators and teachers need to acquaint parents with the renewed Elementary Level English language arts curriculum guide, including its aim, goals, and objectives and its philosophy, content, and approaches. In order to facilitate awareness and understanding of the English language arts curriculum, information such as the following may guide discussions or presentations during parent awareness sessions or could be included as a component in a parent information newsletter.

A Renewed English Language Arts Curriculum

Saskatchewan Learning has recently provided a renewed English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum guide for Saskatchewan schools (January 2002). The renewed English Language Arts curriculum for Saskatchewan schools emphasizes the role of language in communication and learning. Students in the 21^st century need to become confident and competent users of all six language arts. They need many opportunities to listen and speak to develop their oral language skills and strategies. They need many opportunities to read and write to develop their language skills and strategies related to print. They also need opportunities to view and represent to develop their visual and other perceptual communication skills and strategies.

To nurture and maximize every student's language acquisition and development, the renewed ELA curriculum advocates that teachers:

• build on what students know and can do with language and help students build a sense of confidence and capability
• create meaningful units, purposeful activities, and a supportive language environment for students to learn the language skills and strategies that they need
• attend to all the language cueing systems (i.e., pragmatic, textual, syntactic, semantic, and graphophonic) as well as the conventions and rules of language usage (including phonics, word recognition, spelling, punctuation, and handwriting) in meaningful contexts
• employ a range of effective teaching-learning approaches and strategies including direct instruction, guided instruction, and independent activities and model the before, during, and after skills and strategies that effective communicators use
• help students understand and access a range of resources (including prose fiction and nonfiction, poetry, plays, non-print and human resources)
• use appropriate assessment, evaluation, and reporting procedures
• recognize the developmental nature of language learning.

How Can You Support Your Child in the English Language Arts?

School is only one of the many influences in a child's language development. Parents, caregivers, and communities contribute greatly to their children's achievement. Parents, caregivers, and communities can and do make a major difference in helping children to be successful at school.

When children use language in real and important ways, their language development is enhanced. Model and encourage your child as he or she develops oral language, reading and writing, and viewing and representing skills. Demonstrate daily the importance of language in your home and community and help your child develop his or her language skills and strategies through practice and encouragement in a variety of situations. Some examples follow:

• Talk with and listen to your child about daily events and topics of interest to him or her. Encourage conversation at home by discussing highlights of the day and by listening carefully to your child without interrupting.
• Encourage your child's ability to imagine and tell stories as well as to act out stories in plays or puppet shows with friends and family.
• Play rhyming, word, spelling and memory games and sing songs.
• Read to and share with your child daily reading and writing tasks such as notes, cards, letters, shopping lists, newspapers, magazines, telephone books, food labels, advertisements, and maps.
• Talk about visual and multimedia elements used in communication including signs, labels, logos, advertisements, billboards, television, and the Internet.
• Provide a variety of experiences for your child and stimulate thought and discussion about these experiences.
• Read aloud to your child often. Encourage him or her to discuss and ask questions about what he or she hears, sees, and thinks.
• Encourage your child to write lists, recipes, stories, explanations, and poems.
• Display your child's drawings and writings in your home.
• Find books to match your child's interest.
• Support your child's curiosity about oral, print, and visual language.
• Talk about what your child is watching on television or the Internet.
• Put together a family video, slide show, or photo album with written or oral comments or captions.
• Set aside special language learning times. Turn off the TV or computer to talk, read, or help your child with homework.
• Trust and believe in your child's ability to be a successful language learner. Instill confidence and self-esteem by commenting on the strengths and focusing on realistic goals for improvement.