ELL Curriculum: Standards, Benchmarks, and Essential Skills

Standard 1: English Language Learners listen for information and understanding, using a variety of sources, for academic and social purposes.
Benchmark 1.A: Listen for specific purposes.
1.A.1. Identify purpose for listening.
1.A.2. Comprehend key concepts and oral language in sheltered academic contexts and in social contexts.
Benchmark 1.B. Develop and expand listening vocabulary in a wide range of topics and content areas.
1.B.1. Recognize key words and familiar phrases from the topic list and/or grade level content areas.
1.B.2. Select and apply strategies to develop listening vocabulary.
Benchmark 1.C: Recognize and discriminate sounds and sound patterns in oral language.
1.C.1. Use phonemic awareness to recognize known vocabulary.
1.C.2. Recognize patterns of sound in oral language.
Benchmark 1.D: Use comprehension strategies and skills to understand oral language in a variety of contexts.
1.D.1. Identify and use listening strategies and skills to comprehend oral language.
Standard 2: English Language Learners speak to convey information and understanding, using a variety of sources, for academic and social
Benchmark 2.A: Speak for specific purposes.
2.A.1. Identify purpose for speaking.
2.A.2. Produce oral language in sheltered academic contexts and in social contexts.
Benchmark 2.B: Develop and expand speaking vocabulary in a wide range of topics and content areas.
2.B.1. Use key words and familiar phrases from the topic list or grade level content.
2.B.2. Select and apply strategies to develop speaking vocabulary.
Benchmark 2.C: Approximate sound and sound patterns in oral language.
2.C.1. Approximate pronunciation of English words and phrases.
2.C.2. Approximate patterns of sound in oral language.
Benchmark 2.D: Use strategies and skills to produce comprehensible oral language in a variety of contexts.
2.D.1. Identify and use speaking strategies.
2.D.2. Use conventional grammar and sentence structure orally.
Standard 3: English Language Learners read for information and understanding, using a variety of sources, for academic and social
Benchmark 3.A: Read for specific purposes.
3.A.1. Identify purpose for reading.
3.A.2. Comprehend key concepts of grade-appropriate academic texts and tasks.
3.A.3. Comprehend a variety of written texts and materials outside of the academic setting.
Benchmark 3.B: Develop and expand vocabulary in a wide range of topics and content areas.
3.B.1. Use grade appropriate dictionaries and thesauruses, including bilingual and English/English dictionaries, to expand vocabulary.
3.B.2. Select and apply strategies to develop and expand reading vocabulary.
3.B.3. Recognize cognates, roots and affixes to expand vocabulary.
Benchmark 3.C: Use phonemic awareness, phonics, word attack skills, and context clues to decode and pronounce new vocabulary in context.
3.C.1. Demonstrate knowledge of foundational reading skills.
3.C.2. Build reading fluency.
3.C.3. Use word attack skills.
Benchmark 3.D: Use comprehension strategies and skills to understand a variety of texts.
3.D.1. Identify and use reading strategies and skills to gain information and make text comprehensible, using various print and media resources in a variety of genres.
3.D.2. Apply higher order thinking skills to text.
3.D.3. Respond to stories and text in comprehensible language.
Benchmark 3.E: Read and explore literature from a variety of cultures, historical periods, and genres to recognize common elements of the human condition.
3.E.1. Identify and explain literary elements.
3.E.2. Recognize universal themes, ideas, and emotions in a variety of genres.
Benchmark 4.A: Write for specific purposes.
4.A.1. Identify purpose for writing.
4.A.2. Produce written language in sheltered academic contexts and in social contexts.
Benchmark 4.B: Develop and expand writing vocabulary in a wide range of topics and content areas.
4.B.1. Use key words and familiar phrases from the topic list or grade level content.
4.B.2. Select and apply strategies to develop writing vocabulary.
Benchmark 4.C: Use conventional spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, and formats.
Standard 4: English Language Learners write to convey information and understanding, using a variety of sources, for academic and social purposes.
4.C.1. Use phonemic awareness and learned spelling, capitalization, and punctuation rules in writing.
4.C.2. Use conventional grammar and sentence structure in writing.
4.C.3. Format written work appropriately.
Benchmark 4.D: Use a process approach to writing.
4.D.1. Identify and use strategies to plan writing.
4.D.2. Write drafts from plans.
4.D.3. Revise.
4.D.4. Edit for conventions and grammar.
4.D.5. Share writing.