Department of Academics | Meeting the Needs of ALL Learners
Language Arts, English and Primary Education
Dr. Karen Ames
Supervisor of Language Arts, English and Primary Education
Ms. Jessica Loux
Department Chairperson for English, Grades 8-12
Fifth grade teacher, Lisa Ruggiero from Warnsdorfer Elementary School welcomed her readers “virtually,” by engaging the students in a discussion about the importance of caring, perseverance and sense of humor in the read aloud, A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell.
Fourth Grade teacher, Ms. Rackmil reads “We’re All Wonders” to her hybrid and virtual students.
The East Brunswick ILA Department supports a Collaborative approach to Literacy instruction. Our comprehensive English Language Arts curriculum is designed to develop independent readers, writers, and critical thinkers.
Comprising three components—
Being a Reader, Making Meaning, and Being a Writer —
Collaborative Literacy addresses the core competencies traditionally taught in the language arts block while at the same time creating classroom communities in which students can learn and grow while simultaneously fostering their growth as caring, collaborative, and principled people.
We recognize that our families and caregivers are working hard to support their child’s literacy learning at home. We will be adding to these resources regularly; check this page for updates and additions!
Sharing the Gifts of Literacy with our EB Families from our Learning Partners at the
Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project
- The Importance of Productive Struggle
- Quick Tips For Selecting Black Joy Books
- Top Tips for Helping Your Child Find a Writing Work Space
- Authors Reading Aloud Their Books
- Best of Children's Literature 2019
- Recommended Books: Get Kids Into Reading with Series! Grades K-5
- Recommended Books: Great Graphic Novels Grades 1-9
- Recommended Books: Fabulous Fantasy Grades 1-8
- Recommended Books: BIPOC & Own Voice Authors Grades 4-8
- Recommended Books: Courses of Study for Teen Readers
- Recommended Books: Chinese-American Authors & Books Grades K-9
- Recommended Books: BIPOC & Own Voice Nonfiction Grades K-8
MyOn Digital Library
Classroom libraries featuring a wide array of titles that span multiple genres and reading levels are the backbone of a successful balanced literacy program that supports independent reading by our students. Our goal is to encourage our students to become voracious readers, and therefore it is crucial that they have access to books in the classroom and at home. Along with their teachers, they can select new books to read! We will provide our students with access to text through several online digital platforms including MYON and MYON NEWS. We invite you to preview the many titles and features of our digital resources and become partners in our reading community!
Renaissance myON® Reader is a student-centered, personalized literacy environment that gives students access to more than 6,000 enhanced digital books. East Brunswick Public Schools is proud to bring this service to our teachers and students. Please review the videos below for an introduction to MyON reader.
About the English Language Arts Program
The goal of the Language Arts / English program is to develop students’ ability to communicate effectively for varied purposes and audiences. Effective communication is probably the single most important attribute of self-sufficiency, academic and career success—and it is based on the integrated components of reading, writing, speaking, listening and thinking.
East Brunswick’s kindergarten and first grade programs build upon the language skills and knowledge that children acquire before they begin formal academic instruction. Kindergarten and first grade teachers initiate formal communications processes and skills through natural language experience. For example, children begin by speaking their stories or thoughts to an adult who transcribes them into standard, written English. Children, in turn, read to their peers who listen and provide oral responses. As children progress, they take over the translation process for themselves, practicing increasingly close approximation of standard English form and content.
In the higher grades, the program continues to develop the processes of writing, reading, speaking and listening through an integrated approach to the language arts (ILA). This includes instruction in the underlying support skills. For example, in the writing component, students write regularly, in a variety of modes and for a variety of audiences. They practice a process for their writing in which they learn strategies for prewriting and revising, as well as skills for critical thinking such as analysis, synthesis, problem-solving and evaluation.
Reading and writing about literature and language become increasingly important as students develop the sophisticated skills of analysis and interpretation. By the time they complete their senior year, students have read and discussed significant works of American, British, and World Literature as well as many works of non-fiction. They have learned to express themselves in many rhetorical modes and to conduct independent research through a sequential research process that is introduced in the third grade and continues through twelfth grade.
In addition to the required courses in English, the junior high and high school offer several electives: Mythology, Creative Writing, Journalism, Public Speaking, Shakespeare and Philosophy. Two advanced placement courses are also available for qualified students.