Coming into this course I had little background knowledge in the ELA Standards and the goal of ELA instruction. I teach Physical Education and I try to incorporate different subject content into my classes. However, I have never really looked at how the different subjects are taught and the scope and sequence that they follow. After looking at the ELA standards, it is apparent that their main goal is to make more well-rounded students.

The IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts states, "The vision guiding these standards is that all students must have the opportunities and resources to develop the language skills they need to pursue life’s goals and to participate fully as informed, productive members of society. These standards assume that literacy growth begins before children enter school as they experience and experiment with literacy activities—reading and writing, and associating spoken words with their graphic representations".

The four purposes of language use are:

-Students should be able to use language for a variety of purposes. Students need to be able to obtain and communicate information. Students can learn information through many different forms. They can read books, look on the internet, read newspapers, watch television, or talk to other people. Students should also be able to communicate the information that they have through these different forms as well.

-Students should also be able to respond to, interpret, and create literary texts to express themselves. This could simply be writing in a journal or sending a letter. Students should be given the opportunity to express themselves through many different forms. Each student is different and in turn expresses themselves differently.

-Students should be able to use language as a form of reflection. By talking to others and reading what others have written, students will be able to form their own ideas. They should also be given the opportunity to express their ideas with others.

-Students should be able to use language for problem solving and application. When problems arise, students need to effectively express themselves. This could be in a conflict or when they have to make an informed decision.

After looking at the ELA standards, I have a better understanding of their purpose. Many of the standards correlate to different subject areas. As in Physical Education, our goal is to make a more well-rounded student. We teach many different skills and activities. Our hope is that students will use what they have learned for the rest of their lives. Students need to create a physically active lifestyle. The skills that they learn as kids will help to ensure that they are active as adults. The same is true for ELA. The reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills that they learn as kids in school help to make them educated members of society as adults.