EDG4376 Reflection #10

In the 1960’s and 1970’s the schools in Great Britain began focusing on heavily integrating Language Arts into their curriculums. Students in Social Studies, Science, and even Mathematics classes were encouraged to write about the subject matter they were currently learning. This approach eventually made its way over to the United States when educational researchers found that cognition and language were closely interrelated. In fact, it is now common knowledge that language, thinking, and learning are just about inseparable. However, it has been difficult in US schools to fully integrate Language Arts into curriculum design and practice for a variety of reasons. First off, there is only so much time in any given school day, with an incredible amount of learning material to cover. It must be quite a challenge for a Chemistry teacher to conduct a lesson on the Periodic Table and then incorporate an essay or reflection about the various elements in one class period. Additionally, teachers in the US must adhere to rigid and specific state and national standards on what they must cover throughout the school year. In Florida, for instance, the FCAT has become a priority, to the extent that other important subject matter areas are being pushed to the side. “Back to the basics” instruction is being promoted, and teachers, in general, are uncomfortable with techniques that incorporate Language Arts into their curriculum. They feel that such a dramatic curriculum change would be revolutionary and even though they agree with the idea, integration has been a difficult concept to practice. However, reading, speaking, writing, and listening are vital skills all children must become proficient in, and the earlier the better. This concept seems to work best in schools where communication is stressed and books are abundant. Students are given choices on what they would like to research and how to go about doing so. It makes sense that children will show motivation in getting an assignment complete if they possess intrinsic motivation. And the more educators emphasize books, reading, and communication in their curriculums, the more interest children will show in learning about any given subject matter. Literacy and communication are essential components of education, and we must figure out a successful way to incorporate Language Arts into the everyday curriculum.