English Language Arts (ELA)

The Pittsburgh Public Schools ELA program provides all students with a high quality, research validated, standards-driven resources. We believe that literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from a critical interpretation of the written or printed text. The key to literacy is reading development, a progression of skills that begins with the ability to understand spoken words and decode written words, and culminates in the deep understanding of text.

We believe it is essential for the teaching of literacy to include a balance of reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities with a variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of all learners. Literacy instruction is to be instructed in the context of authentic literature and involve the interaction of the students, teacher, and peers with a variety of text types. At its best, this instruction happens by using a blend of small group, whole group, and individual instruction. To meet the needs of every learner, teachers need to scaffold student learning to ensure students are learning rigorous curriculum at their zone of proximal development. We take pride in developing our teachers to be reflective in their practice and stay current in best practices of literacy instruction.