- Purposes for Using Language: This lists some of the purposes for using language that are
featured prominently in the CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy, and correspondingly, in the CA ELD
Standards. Teachers support ELs in developing an awareness of these purposes as they
progress in language proficiency and through the grades. - Text Types: Provided in the CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy, each text type has particular language
features, based on discipline, content, purpose, and audience. Teachers help ELs develop an
awareness of the differences between and language patterns within text types as they progress
through the grades. Informational text types are presented first in order to emphasize their
importance in college and career readiness, as well as in developing content knowledge. - Audiences: As they progress through the grades and use language in different ways, ELs need
to consider their audience, which could be a peer in a one-to-one conversation about a social
topic, a group of peers engaged in an academic conversation (one-to-group), or an academic
oral presentation or written task (one-to-many), as well as other types of audiences.
The structure of the grade-level CA ELD Standards conceptualizes the standards (in section 2)
as the elaboration of the critical principle statements
(in section 1) for each grade level and grade span and
English language proficiency level (Emerging, Expanding,
Bridging). For example, critical principle statement 10 for
all grade levels is: “Writing literary and informational texts
to present, describe, and explain ideas and information,
using appropriate technology” (note that “composing”
is included at kindergarten). At each grade, this critical
principle statement corresponds to Part I, Standard 10,
which addresses the same content as appropriate for the
grade level or grade span. Figure 1.14 displays the grade-
span and grade-level CA ELD Standards that correspond
to Critical Principle Statement 10. The chart displays the
critical principle statement first and then demonstrates
how the standard can be mapped backwards through
selected grades to kindergarten. The highlighted text
indicates the growing sophistication of the standards as they progress through the grades and across
English language proficiency levels, or in other words, what has been added to a particular grade level
or span or to a proficiency level (Emerging, Expanding, Bridging) across the ELD continuum.
As they progress through the
grades and use language in
different ways, ELs need to consider
their audience, which could be a
peer in a one-to-one conversation
about a social topic, a group of
peers engaged in an academic
conversation (one-to-group), or
an academic oral presentation or
written task (one-to-many) as well
as other types of audiences.42 | Chapter 1 Overview of Standards