Six Areas of Language Arts

Language Arts encompasses six main areas. The three skills which are under receptive skills are, reading, listening, and viewing. The three skills that are under expressive skills are, writing, speaking, and representing. Below I have listed the six main areas once again, and explained them in a little more detail. Also, I have included some activities that can be used in these areas. If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact me anytime!

• Reading - This skill is the ability to make sense of written words. Through reading, students are able to process and interpret text. There are numerous ways through which students are able to practice reading on a daily basis. Here are some examples of simple ways which allow students to read:

- Reading the morning message

- Reading a book

- Read aloud in the class

• Listening - There are two different types of listening. There is formal listening and informal listening. Formal listening is when a student listens for a purpose, and informal listening is when a student is listening for pleasure. Here are some examples of ways which students listen:

- Listening at a school assembly

- Listening to music

- Listening during a literature circle discussion

• Viewing - This is the skill where students look at or watch something. The student takes in messages that come from non print materials, such as graphics, symbols, and icons. Here are some examples of ways students use their skill of viewing:

- Looking at the illustrations in a picture book

- Watching a video in class

- Looking at art work done by other classmates

• Writing - The student expresses messages through symbols in writing. Writing can be informal or formal. An example of informal writing is writing in a journal, and an example of formal writing is writing a short story that will be published. Here are some examples of ways that students write:

- Participating in writing workshop

- Writing their thoughts in a journal or diary

- Writing letters to pen pals

• Speaking - The student expresses a message through oral language. Speaking can be informal or formal. An example of informal speaking is participating in class show and tell. An example of formal speaking is speaking at a school assembly. Here are some other examples of ways students speak:

- Speaking during classroom meetings

- Talking to friends on the playground

- Completing oral assessments

• Visual Representing - This skill relies on the use of symbols, lines, and shapes to communicate messages. Here are some examples of visual representation:

- Stamps or stickers for good behavior in the classroom

- Drawing a picture for a journal entry

- Drawing graphic organizers