Illinois Learning Standards

Stage B - English Language Arts



Descriptors

1A —

Students who meet the standard can apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections.
  1. Use phonics to decode new words in age-appropriate material.
  2. Use phonemic awareness knowledge (e.g., isolate, blend, substitute, manipulate letter sounds) to identify phonetically regular one and two syllable words.
  3. Recognize 300 high frequency sight words.
  4. Use a variety of decoding strategies (e.g., phonics, word patterns, structural analysis, context clues) to recognize new words when reading age-appropriate material.
  5. Use letter-sound knowledge and sight vocabulary to read orally and silently/whisper read age-appropriate material.
  6. Self-monitor reading and use decoding strategies to self-correct miscues.
  7. Use a variety of resources (e.g., context, previous experiences, dictionaries, glossaries, computer resources, ask others) to determine and clarify meanings of unfamiliar words.

1B —

Students who meet the standard can apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.
  1. Read fiction and non-fiction materials for specific purposes.
  2. Use clues (e.g., titles, pictures, themes, prior knowledge, graphs) to make and justify predictions before, during and after reading.
  3. Recognize informational text structure (e.g., sequence, list/example) before and during reading.
  4. Develop familiarity with poetry (e.g., choral reading to develop fluency).
  5. Recognize when understanding requires re-reading to clarify meaning.
  6. State facts and details of text during and after reading.
  7. Locate answers to age-appropriate questions, before, during, and after reading, to clarify understanding.
  8. Interpret text information gathered from diagrams, graphs, or maps before, during and after reading.
  9. Demonstrate creative responses to text such as dramatizations, oral presentations, or "make believe" play after reading.
  10. Interpret age-appropriate figurative language.
  11. Read age-appropriate material orally with accuracy, rhythm, volume, and flow that sounds like everyday speech.

1C —

Students who meet the standard can comprehend a broad range of reading materials.
  1. Respond to analytical and interpretive questions based on information in text.
  2. Select passages in non-fiction materials to answer specific questions.
  3. Ask questions to seek clarification of meaning.
  4. Use information in text or illustrations to generate questions about the cause of a specific effect.
  5. Use self-monitoring (e.g., re-read question, confirm) to solve problems in meaning to achieve understanding of a broad range of reading materials.
  6. Identify the author's purpose and the main idea.
  7. Compare an author's information with the student's knowledge of self, world, and other texts in non-fiction text.
  8. Compare a broad range of books that have the same theme and topic.
  9. Summarize and retell text read or heard.
  10. Recognize and discuss the structure of a story in sequential order.
  11. Use information in text to recognize differences of opinion.
  12. Recognize how specific authors and illustrators express their ideas in text and graphics (e.g., dialogue, characters, color).
  13. Identify and begin to interpret information presented in age-appropriate maps, diagrams, and charts for both fiction and nonfiction materials.
  14. Select books appropriate to reading levels.
  15. Develop familiarity with available technology (e.g., computers, copiers, cameras, interactive web sites).

2A  —

Students who meet the standard can understand how literary elements and techniques are used to convey meaning.
  1. Describe and compare characters, settings, and/or events in stories or pictures.
  2. Retell stories and events using a beginning, a middle, and an end.
  3. Define unfamiliar vocabulary.
  4. Identify the topic or main idea (theme).
  5. Distinguish between "make believe" and realistic narrative.
  6. Compare different versions of the same story from different cultures and eras.
  7. Recognize a regular beat and similarities of sound (rhythm and rhyme) in poetry.
  8. Recognize that prose is written in sentences and organized in paragraphs.

2B —

Students who meet the standard can read and interpret a variety of literary works.
  1. Investigate self-selected/ teacher-selected literature (e.g., picture books, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, poems, legends) from a variety of cultures.
  2. Respond appropriately to texts representative of life skills (e.g., classroom label, school signs, restroom symbols.)
  3. Re-enact and retell selections (e.g., stories, songs, poems).
  4. Make a reasonable judgment with support from the text.
  5. Apply text variations (e.g., change setting, alter a character, rewrite the ending).
  6. Make connections from text to text, text to self, text to world.
  7. Compare two works by the same author.
  8. Discuss several works that have a common idea.

3A —

Students who meet the standard can use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.
  1. Extend simple sentences (e.g., subject-verb-complement pattern).
  2. Use correct subject/verb agreement.
  3. Use appropriate capitalization (e.g., beginning capitalization, proper nouns).
  4. Use end marks (e.g., period, question mark, exclamation mark).
  5. Use correct spelling of high frequency words.
  6. Use phonemic clues, phonetic and/or developmental spelling to spell unfamiliar words.

3B —

Students who meet the standard can compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
  1. Use appropriate prewriting strategies (e.g., drawing, brainstorming, idea mapping, graphic organizers) to generate and organize ideas with teacher assistance.
  2. Compose a focused story using picture(s) and/or basic text.
  3. Use a series of pictures and basic text to tell a focused story.
  4. Organize the picture(s) and text to tell the story in proper order.
  5. Elaborate and support written content with facts, details, and description.
  6. Begin to evaluate and reflect on own writing and that of others.

3C —

Students who meet the standard can communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
  1. Use the writing process for a variety of purposes (e.g., narration, exposition).
  2. Use available technology to plan, compose, revise and edit written work.
  3. Begin to rely on text as well as pictures and oral narration to convey meaning.
  4. Experiment with different forms of writing (e.g., song, poetry, short fiction, recipes, diary, journal, directions).

4A —

Students who meet the standard can listen effectively in formal and informal situations.
  1. Assume appropriate position and attend to the speaker.
  2. Respond appropriately through movements, gestures, questions, and retelling.
  3. Identify common sounds (e.g., trumpet, train).
  4. State words that rhyme with a word given orally.
  5. Analyze qualities of sound (e.g., loudness, softness, pleasantness).
  6. Differentiate between events that are "real" and "make believe".
  7. Demonstrate the ability to listen for different purposes (e.g., entertainment, information, social interaction).
  8. Use question-building words appropriately (e.g., what, when, how, why, could, should, did).
  9. Provide information that answers the question-building words when they are presented orally.
  10. Complete a 2-step task based on oral instructions.
  11. Demonstrate through body language, gestures, and written and oral responses that visual and auditory messages are being understood.
  12. Respond appropriately to comments made by others by providing new, additional information.
  13. Formulate relevant questions and respond appropriately to questions about the medium's messages.
  14. Begin to distinguish between main ideas and details that are heard.

4B —

Students who meet the standard can speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.
  1. Demonstrate awareness of situation and setting for the oral message.
  2. Use presentation techniques appropriate for the situation (e.g., eye contact with audience, volume, rate, tone, avoid distracting behaviors).
  3. Focus and present information on a single topic.
  4. Present ideas in a logical order.
  5. Use appropriate details (e.g., descriptive words, reasons).
  6. Use appropriate rules governing spoken English.
  7. Adapt language to the situation (e.g., playground, classroom, media center).
  8. Demonstrate courtesy and respect for others' rights and points of view.
  9. Formulate questions and statements at appropriate times.
  10. Contribute relevant, appropriate information to discussions.

5A —

Students who meet the standard can locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems, and communicate ideas.
  1. Begin guided brainstorming to generate questions to gather information.
  2. Discuss prior knowledge of topic.
  3. Generate questions gained from experiences (e.g., field trip, visitors, stories, discussions) to gather information.
  4. Use aids (e.g., KWL, webs, graphic organizers, technology) to locate and present information.
  5. Recognize that information is available through an organizational system (e.g., library, media center, classroom resources, available technology).
  6. Use text aids (e.g., table of contents, glossary, index, alphabetical order) to locate information in a book.
  7. Begin to include facts and details.
  8. Provide answers to questions.
  9. State and sort necessary information for a project.
  10. Express details in complete sentences.

5B —

Students who meet the standard can analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources.
  1. Formulate questions to define ideas through oral discussion of determined topic.
  2. Distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information.
  3. Begin to organize ideas to define focus of details (e.g., drawing, telling, developmental writing).

5C —

Students who meet the standard can apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats.
  1. Maintain focus - stay on topic.
  2. Access and use books and stories to learn something new about a topic.
  3. Use life experiences as sources of information for written reports, letters, and stories.
  4. Gather, organize, and share information about a topic.
  5. Create a report of ideas (e.g., drawing, using available technology, writing a story, letter, report).
  6. Paraphrase information.
  7. Summarize information.
  8. Develop ideas by using details from pictures, diagrams, maps, and other graphic organizers.
  9. Explain information using a drawing, graphic aids, oral presentation, available technology, or developmental writing.

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