Overview

I teach to the Common Core State Standards for Language. In all of the schools where I have worked, I have primarily used the Write Source curriculum, drawing on resources from the Capital Community College Foundation's Guide to Grammar & Writing.

2013-2014 English Language Development Slides

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Common Core State Standards for Language

Second Grade

Conventions of Standard English 

• ​CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.A Use collective nouns (e.g., group).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.B Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.C Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.D Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.E Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.F Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g.,The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.A Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.B Use commas in greetings and closings of letters.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.C Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.D Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage → badge; boy → boil).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.E Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.

Knowledge of Language

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.3.A Compare formal and informal uses of English

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.A Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.B Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.C Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition, additional).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.D Use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly; bookshelf, notebook, bookmark).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.E Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5.A Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe foods that are spicy or juicy).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5.B Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny, scrawny).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).

Third Grade

​Conventions of Standard English 

• ​​CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.A Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.B Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.C Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.D Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.E Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.F Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.*
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.G Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.H Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.I Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.A Capitalize appropriate words in titles.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.B Use commas in addresses.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.C Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.D Form and use possessives.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.E Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.F Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.G Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.

Knowledge of Language

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.3.A Choose words and phrases for effect.*
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.3.B Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.A Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.B Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.C Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.D Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.5.A Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g.,take steps).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.5.B Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.5.C Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).​

Fourth Grade

Conventions of Standard English 

• ​CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.A Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.B Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.C Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.D Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.E Form and use prepositional phrases.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.F Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.*
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.G Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).*
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.A Use correct capitalization.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.B Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.C Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.D Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

Knowledge of Language

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3.A Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.*
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3.B Choose punctuation for effect.*
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3.C Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion).

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4.A Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4.B Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4.C Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5.A Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5.B Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5.C Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g.,wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).