English Language Arts (ELA) learning begins long before formal schooling with the development of literacy skills that are biological as well as social. Development of strong ELA/literacy skills is essential because literacy is the foundation for learning across disciplines and for effective communication.The ELA/literacy standards begin at kindergarten with developmentally appropriate reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills articulated as three separate strands but intended to be taught, practiced, and assessed as integrally related. A fourth strand, Language, presents the functional aspect of language development with grammar, usage, mechanics, and vocabulary development. Language standards must be connected to the other strands to better understand the increasingly complex demands of the standards as they develop across the K-12 grade span.
Standards Instruction Resources
Standards Updates
- 2019
- 2025
- 2030
Download the 2020 Maine ELA standards
View the Maine Alternate Achievement Standards for the Alternate Assessment
Implementing Maine's Updated English Language Arts Standards
At the beginning: Introduction to the Updated Maine ELA Standards
- Watch the video
- Review the PPT slides
- Read and annotate the ELA Intro & Preambles
- Highlight what is consistent with your current practice and beliefs;
- Underline what contradicts or is absent from your current practice.
- Discuss or journal: What did you highlight and underline? What are the implications for your school/district?
Revisions: Some, None, & Significant
- Watch the video
- Review the PPT slides
- Note where you see media literacy and information literacy explicitly (ex) addressed or implicitly (im) suggested. - Complete the ELA standards card-sort task
- Download and print the ELA standards cards; cut them apart.
- You can also download just the ELA anchor standards here.
The Deep Dive: Preparing to Implement the Updated Standards
- Watch the video
- Study the performance indicators for the standards you grouped.
- What has come before?
- What comes after?
Updated Standards by Topic
The Language strand provides learning targets in developmental progressions for each grade K-5. The standards then move to multi-grade spans in grades 6-8 and 9-12.
Essential Topics in ELA
The language standards are first in the 2020 ELA document because they provide a starting point for selecting text, planning instruction, and supporting literacy growth with transferable skills.
Close Reading: How Does the Text Work?
This professional learning event focuses on the role of language standards using a text-dependent technique featured in the Fisher et al. text Text-Dependent Questions: Pathways to Close and Critical Reading (K-5 and 6-12). Consider what to look for when selecting a text, how to prioritize passages for whole-class study, and the role that language standards play in style, tone, and complexity.
Slides. Session recording 10.7.2021
Resources to support the language standards.
Professional Texts
- Douglas, et al. Text-Dependent Questions, Grades 6-12: Pathways to Close and Critical Reading (Corwin Literacy). Corwin.
- Douglas, et al. Text-Dependent Questions, Grades K-5: Pathways to Close and Critical Reading (Corwin Literacy). Corwin.
- Lab, Purdue Writing. “OWL // Purdue Writing Lab.” Purdue Writing Lab, https://owl.purdue.edu/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2021.
Other
- Conventions and Knowledge of Language. From Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards, explains development and implementation of the language standards.
- Vocabulary. Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards explains that vocabulary development is more than just memorizing word lists.
- Bibliography. Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards provides the research and reference foundation that informed the development of the language standards.
The Writing strand provides learning targets in developmental progressions for each grade K-5. The standards then move to multi-grade spans in grades 6-8 and 9-12.
Information to support understanding and implementation of the writing standards
- Text Types and Purposes. Modes of writing, or text types, has been moved out of rule (Maine's Learning Results). Details about text types and purposes may still be helpful for curriculum development and instructional planning, but these modes of writing will not inform accountability and assessment.
- Bibliography. Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards provides the research and reference foundation that informed the development of the writing standards.
- Evidence-Based Responses. Evidence-based responses support claims with evidence from various sources, including texts – print and digital – listening, viewing, and observing.
The Speaking and Listening strand provides learning targets in developmental progressions for each grade K-5. The standards then move to multi-grade spans in grades 6-8 and 9-12.
Resources to support the speaking and listening standards.
- The Role of Speaking and Listening. From Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards.
- Bibliography. Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards provides the research and reference foundation that informed the development of the speaking and listening standards.
The Reading strand provides learning targets in developmental progressions for each grade K-5. The standards then move to multi-grade spans in grades 6-8 and 9-12.
Supporting materials to better implement the reading standards.
- Text Complexity. Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards provides an explanation of the three components of text complexity.
- Reading Foundational Skills. Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards, a description of the role of foundational skills and an explanation of the components.
- Bibliography. Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards provides the research and reference foundation that informed the development of the reading standards.
- Appendix B of the Common Core State Standards. Text exemplars to demonstrate grade-level complexity; sample performance tasks aligned to standards and grade-level texts.
- Text Complexity Resources. Tools to support analyzing complexity. Resources to inform professional learning.
- Close Reading/Text-Dependent Questions. Close reading strategies help students develop a deep understanding of a text.