They are designed to be general guidelines. They are important goals for ALL students from which a complete curriculum, specific to students' needs, is designed. Further, these standards establish a clear focus on specific academic results. Instruction, reflecting the standards, must be made accessible, understandable, and meaningful for all students. A Developmental Subject Much of what we expect students to be able to do at the end of their formal education is introduced as early as kindergarten.
Students listen, read, speak, write, use language, and enjoy literature at all levels and grades.
The difficulty of the materials, the complexity of what students do with them, and the sophistication of their skills change as they grow older. For economy of space, knowledge and skills introduced as standards at the lower levels are not repeated as standards at the upper levels. In practice, teachers build on what students have already achieved at one level to help them meet higher standards at the next level. Great Authors and Literary Works Human beings have produced a rich treasury of great writing. The language arts standards do not specify a list of authors or works that must be read by all students.