• English Language Arts Curriculum Coordinator K - 12 Contact Information

     

     

    Name: Rose Birkhead

    email: rbirkhead@crsd.org

    Phone: 215-944-2450

    Primary Location of Coordinator: Richboro Elementary School

  • English Language Arts Curriculum Overview

    The Council Rock standards-based English/Language Arts program is committed to developing the potential of each student in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and researching. We believe that social, academic, and vocational success is greatly influenced by a student’s ability to use these skills competently in all curriculum areas and in the world outside of school. The program is designed to be engaging, interesting, motivating, and process and product oriented, giving students opportunities to experience success.

    English Language Arts K-6: 

    At the primary level (Grades K-3), our emphasis is on providing a balanced literacy program for each child including a broad foundation of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and researching. Exposing young children to a variety of materials helps them understand that communication processes are used throughout life. Students learn skills and strategies as a means to that end.

    As students are more developmentally ready at the intermediate level (Grades 4-6), familiar skills and strategies become refined and diversified and more are added to their repertoire. These are taught through Houghton Mifflin Harcourt materials, novels, self-selected books, and supplemental materials that support a balanced literacy approach.
     
    Children in grades K-6 have opportunities to work in whole class, small group, and individual settings. They are expected to read from a variety of literature and write daily. Your child will also learn to communicate effectively through participation in discussions and decision-making processes, by reacting and responding to literature and by asking and answering meaningful questions.
     
    Frequent drafting of written pieces in various forms, conferencing with peers and/or the teacher, reading a variety of materials in different genres, responding to reading and writing in various ways, word processing as well as using computers for retrieving information, and verbalization will help your child to become an effective communicator. On-going assessment occurs to aid your child in experiencing success in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and researching. 

    English Language Arts 7-8: 

    In the middle grades, English and reading courses become more diversified; however, all students continue to experience a broad spectrum of skills and strategies in the reading/English/language arts curriculum. These grade levels place a strong emphasis on the development of good work and study habits.

    The personal involvement of the individual student in the learning process is again an important element of effective instruction in the middle grades. As the sophistication of materials and tasks grows more complex, frequent drafting of written pieces in various modes, conferencing with peers and/or the teacher, reading a variety of materials and genres, responding to reading and writing in various ways, word processing as well as using computers for information management purposes, and oral presentations all help the student become more adept at communicating effectively. Active involvement in the learning process is essential for students to gain the most success in the middle-level English/Language Arts program.  

    English Language Arts 9-12: 

    The high school English/Language Arts curriculum provides a wide variety of courses, incorporating a range of specialized opportunities, to meet the needs, interests, and abilities of all students. The entrance requirements for each course are largely determined by teacher recommendation and the input of your child’s counselor, particular assessment where appropriate, and prior school achievement.

    Personal and active involvement of the individual student in the learning process is again an important element of effective learning at the high school level. The English/Language Arts program provides students with a broad base of skills, strategies and abilities to enable them to adapt to and prepare for their role in a changing world. It encourages students to value their abilities to communicate competently, confidently and effectively. The program empowers students to pursue their interests in lifelong learning.

    By the time students graduate from Council Rock High School they will have demonstrated their ability to meet the Council Rock English/Language Arts Standards regarding what they know, understand and are able to do in reading; composing orally and in writing; listening, speaking, viewing; and in researching. They will have also completed a graduation project, a requirement to graduate from Council Rock School District.       

  • English Language Arts Special Programs and Related Events

    Book Bowl - (Grades 2,3 and 4: Celebration of Reading, Modeled after Bucks County Reading Olympics - cancelled for the '21-'22 school year

    Reading Olympics  - (Grades, 5-12: Facilitated by Bucks County Intermediate Unit [BCIU 22] Spring 2023)