EAT Task #1
Western Governors University
By Brad Clum

In the education field, probably one of the most important elements in the process of learning is teaching the language arts.  Elementary teachers must use activities that are well organized to be sure and meet national and state standards.  To assure this, they must have be sure to have a language arts program in place that is orderly, clear in it's statement and objectives, and in line with all standards.  Teachers also must do their best to engage their students by fostering learning through active participation.  Reading, writing, speaking and listening have been the main parts of language arts, but visual media has made visually representing and viewing just as important (Roe & Ross, 2006).  Not only is is important for a student to become a literate individual, but being able to build on skills learned in one grade and carrying them to the next is just as important.  
WRITING:
Using a written language to communicate is equally important as reading (Roe & Ross, 2006).  Students begin to learn how to write as early as kindergarten as they are taught to write their names, learn the alphabet, and eventually learn to copy words that the teacher writes on the chalkboard.  This allows the teacher to focus on the neatness of their writing.  Many classrooms will have what is called a word wall that is a tool to help children  learn how to write correctly and neatly.  When students move on to the first grade, students are exposed more to the writing process of drafting, pre-writing, learning how to revise their work, and even some editing.  Once the students learn how to write using correct form and spacing, penmanship becomes much more important.  To become a good writer, students must practice a great deal either on their own, or by completing assignments given to them by their teacher.  As they complete the writing assignments, they should know what expectations are in place, usually from a rubric or scoring guide.  The facilitation of writing skills should start at a very young age, pre-school or even sooner.  This can be done by teaching the youngest of students how to correctly hold a pencil or even a crayon, and then begin the process of teaching them how to correctly form letters fluently and efficiently. Teachers should teach students about the writing process, teach them that they can write for a variety of different purposes, and work with them on constructing sentences for fluency, meaning, and style. In the classroom, teachers should also try to create an engaged community of writers.  To do this they should give students time to write each and every day, give them different writing choices, encourage them work together as writers, and provide them with opportunities to give and receive with their writing.  

READING:
Reading is basically the ability of a person to understand written language.  This is the main goal of any comprehensive language arts program in an elementary school.  All of the skills that were learned by the students in kindergarten and first grade will be vital in determining whether they will be successful or not in the grades that follow.  Most of the time students enter school with the ability to read their name, a few small words, and perhaps some smaller words that are used on a daily basis in their homes (Roe & Ross, 2006).  Phonemic awareness is essential to develop an understanding of reading.  This is basically the connection between phonemic structure of language and words that are heard.    Once this is learned, students are able to progress to advanced phonics.  Once an understanding of phonics is obtained, it is then important to develop fluency.  Reading text in a correct way using a natural speech pattern needs to be continuously practiced.  Once a student is fluent, they will be able to develop an advanced vocabulary and comprehension is more advanced.  Teaching a child to read should begin at infancy.  The reading process should begin within weeks of bringing a newborn home from the hospital by reading to them each and every day.  This not only is a bonding time between you and your child, but it also instills a love for books in your child. One of the best predictors of reading success in school children is whether or not they enjoy it! Teachers can facilitate reading by giving students time each day just for reading, by providing them with a variety of different reading materials, give them free choices as to what they want to read, encourage "book talk" which is allowing the students time to discuss the books they are reading, do activities that help them understand what they are reading, and finally, do something fun to encourage them to read such as keeping track of reading "mileage" and giving rewards. 
LISTENING
:Listening is quite simply the ability to understand the spoken language, and is a very important part of learning language arts(Roe & Ross, 2006)  Listening is a receptive skill and quite frankly is not given enough attention in our classrooms today.  If a student is going to learn anything, they must first be learn to be an attentive listener so that they are able to gather information.  Teachers should foster a classroom environment that encourages listening and recognizes it as a skill.  One of the easiest and most common ways to do this is to teach students the importance of listening while a classmate, teacher, or anyone else is speaking.  Responding to others in class should be encouraged as long as it is in an appropriate manner, to work on listening and then responding. As adults, teaching our children listening skills is probably one of the most important traits we can develop with them.  Being able to listen will help them academically, and will also help nurture real-world success with life and with friendships.Reading to our children is one of the most effective ways to teach them listening skills because if actually forces the child to use their listening skills. What child would not want to hear the end of the story "Little Red Riding Hood"?   

SPEAKING:
The communication of ideas through the use of oral language (Roe & Ross, 2006) is an important component of language arts programs.  Our oral language skills are quickly declining due to slang, and the overwhelming amount of electronic devices being used to communicate.  One way to try to teach successful communication is by keeping our elementary students engaged in poems, songs, and chants.  Also, it is important to teach them how to speak using complete sentences.  Throughout their elementary education we should be teaching them how to use social greetings, how to properly ask and answer questions, tell stories, engage in conversations, and follow multistep instructions.  Doing this will encourage them and give them confidence in their speaking abilities.  When working to develop speaking skills in children, we should begin when they are infants.  One of the best known ways to do this is to read to them and also to talk to them. Sure, they won't talk back to you until they are a little bit older, but don't underestimate them! As they grow older, play dress-up with them or pretend to be pirates on a ship - anything to provide opportunities to participate in some sort of drama. With todays world of video games and technology, introducting them to drama and the arts has become more important than ever.  Teachers can begin to work on students speaking skills at an early age by using classroom activities as simple as show and tell and having students read aloud to the rest of the class.  
VIEWING & VISUALLY REPRESENTING:
Viewing, or the interpretation of visual media, and visually representing, which is communication through the use of the visual image (Roe & Ross, 2006) are two of the final parts of a complete language arts program.  Visual images are often used to make words easier to understand, therefore, it is important that students know how to connect these images to the spoken or written words.  It is quite common among young students to be visual learners.  They enjoy trying to find meaning in graphs, maps, pictures, and diagrams that might be found on the internet or in books.  Visually representing in the classroom is accomplished by having students organize and gather information, letting them choose how to deliver to the other students, and then having them create a visual item that will help them to achieve this type of communication.  To influence the view of the other students, they will have to find a way to incorportate sound, print, speech, and the visual images.   Also, visually representing requires students to organize some sort of event for an audience for entertainment.  Using concept maps, creating posters, and painting are ways that this can be done. Teachers can facilitate visual representing by having students participate in things such as matching games (matching words with images) or creating concept maps which help them to detail how an equation or situation plays out. As a parent, viewing and visually representing can be developed in their children even before they attend schools.  To facilitate viewing in our infants from the time they are born to the elementary grades, parents can use videos, computer programs, and different websites that have accompanying spoken words or printed words/information.  Visually representing involves some of the same tactics.  Presenting information to children through still pictures or motion pictures either alone, or those which have written scripts or spoken words help to facilitate both of the parts of the language arts.  

REFERENCES:
Roe, B., & Ross, E. (2006)  Integrating language arts through literature and thematic units (1st ed., pp. 8-13). Boston: Alyn & Bacon.