English Language Arts / English Language Development

Benchmark Universe is our newly adopted reading program.

Benchmark Universe is a high-level, high-expectations reading program that challenges our students to become expert readers. The program does a great job of preparing students to do their best on the Smarter Balanced assessment (SBAC) in the spring. The program also contains an embedded E.L.D. program taught throughout all 10 units.

Our students “reading books” are magazine/workbooks where they learn to annotate, highlight, and underline information right on the page. Excellent notetaking skills are practiced regularly!

The ten units alternate between informational articles and literature, helping our students differentiate between FICTION and NONFICTION.

Each student has their own Chromebook or MacBook to use for:

1) locating digital resources when researching new topics

2) daily iReady Reading and Math lessons/practice

3) writing

4) testing

The students will have many opportunities to write on a variety of topics. They have to become comfortable with all three writing genres, but will probably find one genre that they really prefer.

Narratives (Stories)

Informational/Explanatory Essays

Opinion Essays