While students continue to need mastery of enabling skills such as reading, writing, and computing, they must also prepare for the new basics, which include problem solving, critical and creative thinking, decision making, flexibility and adaptability, and the ability to work collaboratively. The intent of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for English Language Arts is to equip students with the level of literacy needed to participate as informed citizens in a democratic society, to function effectively in the world of work, and to realize personal fulfillment. The first priority of an English Language Arts program is language development. Use of oral and written language sets human beings apart from other forms of life and allows for the expression of the human spirit, the development of ethical responsibility, and the ability to interact with and influence others. Indeed, it is this use of language which challenges us to examine and clarify our thinking as we search for the best means to communicate our thoughts and ideas.
Students learn to communicate by using language in natural and purposeful ways.
Teachers provide many kinds of support including skills emphasis and meaning emphasis. Teachers balance both direct and indirect instruction. Students learn to value their own language when it is valued by others who hold high expectations for all students. Learners employ three cueing systems on an intuitive and conscious or metacognitive level. Growth in the ability to use language to communicate is an ongoing and life-long process.