Memories of Language Arts

My memory of language arts varied throughout my elementary school years. Worksheets consisting of nouns, verbs and adjectives were frequently distributed during the grades of 2^nd and 3^rd grade. After some time, one was able to quickly distinguish amongst the different categories of words. Monthly book reports were also common in the 3^rd grade.  I recall having the option to choose which book to complete my book report on, while at times the teacher would choose a genre or gear the book report towards a specific topic. Spelling tests were also a major part of the language arts curriculum. A sheet was always given in the beginning of the week which included words to know as well as words that were considered “challenging.” We were given the week to practice spelling these words through different contexts and then were to take the given spelling test on Friday’s. Also, reading comprehension was frequently tested throughout my elementary years. There came a point where the difference between reading to learn and learning to read was crucial. As the years passed, teachers would constantly ask questions after reading a story or have to write up a summary based on what was comprehended from the story or reading. When reading a variety of books, I recall being asked to relate what took place in the story to a real-world experience that one has encountered. This allowed for students to engage in the material they were provided with. Compare and contrast was also a major aspect of language arts during my elementary and middle school years. Comparisons were made between books as well as characters. Having to complete current events was also common for me in my 3^rd grade classroom. This included researching a current article (newspaper or magazine) and summarizing it while concentrating on the key points of the given information. We would also take turns presenting and sharing the information we discovered with our peers. Also, I recall having to do writing prompts based on a given topic during 4^th and 5^th grade. These prompts were timed and then scored on a numerical basis. Laslty, throughout middle school and high school, writing was based on opinion, research or trying to persuade our readers into a given stance. Overall, my experience with language arts through my elementary, middle and high school years was beneficial and has left a positive impact on me.