The emphasis of the ELA program is on the continued maximum growth of the student in the areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing.
We have shifted away from a basal anthology toward use of short, non-fiction literature with an emphasis on science, math, and social studies, as well as longer, fictio-based trade books. The new common core standards require students to draw conclusion, make inferences, compare non-fiction and fiction passages, and support their answers with details from the stories to PROVE their positions.

We also incorporate Literature Circles into our reading, which allows students to utilize their acquired skills on high interest chapter books, and take on discussion roles with their peers.  It is amazing to watch students take charge of a literature discussion, and demonstrate their true comprehension.