English Language Arts
Quick Links
Ignite to Write
Educators from across the state attended Ignite to Write, the ELA content meetings held in Jefferson City, Missouri, at the Department of Natural Resources on October 9 (for grades K-5) and October 10 (for grades 6-12). Missouri Writing Projects Network and Missouri Reading Initiative led educators through evidence-based writing implementation strategies and activities. Presenters addressed and walked educators through multimodal writing, writing fluency, building of background knowledge, generation of text features, and many other strategies linking reading and writing as aligned to the Missouri Learning Standards. Educators participated in many collaborative activities and fired up their inner writers to ignite their curiosity and creativity to produce examples from the strategies modeled.
2024-25 Content Meetings
Educators from across Missouri attended the ELA content meetings in October and March at the Department of Natural Resources and Missouri River Regional Library. The professional development opportunities focused on student-engaged speaking, listening, and critical thinking to analyze and synthesize while incorporating ELA-focused classroom strategies, research, collaboration, and implementation.
ELA Junction
Virtual Office Hours: Every 1st Wednesday of the Month from 3:15-4:15 p.m.
This will be a space for educators and administrators to connect with the director for guidance on standards, teaching strategies and supporting diverse learners. Join us to collaborate, share ideas, and learn about opportunities and resources. If the time does not work please email me to schedule a meeting with a time that works for you!
If the time does not work please email me or use the link below to schedule a meeting with a time that works for you.
ELA Communications
Communications from the ELA section use the ELA-Journalism Core Data contact email and those submitted through the ELA/Library ListServ. If you are an educator in elementary school please sign up through the ELA/Library ListServ link until the Core Data link has been established for those levels.
DESE MAP and EOC Development Recruitment
As a part of the assessment development cycle, DESE Assessment invites Missouri educators to participate in the process to help provide expertise. Missouri is always looking for educators to participate in these meetings. If you wish to be considered for participation for any future development meetings, please complete the online MAP Development Meeting submission form. Once finished, you will receive an email to the personal email address provided to confirm your submission.
- Instructional Resources
Instructional Resources
Additional Resources
(America 250 and Constitution Days to come)
- Literary Calendar
September Classroom Calendar Highlights
All-month events:
Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month
Library Card Sign Up Month
National Literacy Month
Read a New Book Month (also December)
Single-day events:
September 1: World Letter Writing Day
September 4: Newspaper Carrier Day
September 6: Read a Book Day
September 7: Buy a Book Day (Math and ELA Opportunity)
September 8: International Literacy Day
October Classroom Calendar Highlights
All-month events:
- National Book Month
- National Reading Group Month
Single-day events:
- October 1: International Coffee Day
- October 4: Bookshop Day
- October 5-11: Banned Books Week
- October 5-11: National Newspaper Week
- October 11: International Newspaper Carrier Day
- October 11: Myths and Legends Day
- October 12: Cookbook Launch Day
- October 12-18: Teen Read Week
- October 16: Dictionary Day
- October 19-25: National Friends of Libraries Week
- October 20: National Day on Writing
November Classroom Calendar Highlights
All-month events:
- National Family Literacy Month
- National Life Writing Month
- National Memoir Writing Month
- National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
- Picture Book Month
Single-day events:
- November 1: National Family Literacy Day
- November 2: National Author’s Day and
- November 2: National Book Lover’s Day
- November 7-13: National Book Award Week
- November 10-14: National Young Readers Week
- November 11: Young Reader’s Day
- November 15: I Love to Write Day
- November 18: High Five a Librarian Day
December Classroom Calendar Highlights
All-month events:
- Read a New Book Month
- Write a Friend Month
Single-day events:
- December 7: Letter Writing Day
- December 10: Dewey Decimal System Day
- December 21: Crossword Puzzle Day; National Short Story Day; Celebrate Short Fiction Day
January Classroom Calendar Highlights
All-month events:
- Hot Tea Month
- National Braille Literacy Month
Single-day events:
- January 1: Copyright Law Day
- January 2: National Science Fiction Day
- January 9: National Word Nerd Day
- January 12-18: Universal Letter Writing Week
- January 14: Poetry at Work Day
- January 16: Book Publishers Day
- January 18: Thesaurus Day or Period or Time or 24 Hours
- January 22: Library Shelfie Day
- January 23: National Handwriting Day
February Classroom Calendar Highlights
All-month events:
- Library Lovers Month
Single-day events:
- February 1: Take Your Child to the Library Day
- February 2-8: Children's Authors and Illustrators Week
- February 3-7: National News Literacy Week
- February 5: World Read-Aloud Day
- February 7: Send a Card to a Friend Day
- February 9: Read in the Bathtub Day
- February 9-15: Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
- February 14: International Book Giving Day; Library Lovers Day
- February 20: Clean Out Your Bookcase Day
- February 26: Tell a Fairy Tale Day
- Professional Development
Opportunities
Details
ELA Junction Virtual Collaboration
First Wednesday of each month, August - May
3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Click here to join the ELA Junction meeting.2025 Content Meetings October 9 (K-5)
October 10 (6-12)8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Department of Natural Resources
1730 E. Elm St.
Jefferson City, MORegister for free via the Curriculum Calendar at the bottom of the Curriculum page here.
2026 Content Meetings March 5 (K-5)
March 6 (6-12)
October 8 (K-5)
October 9 (6-12)8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Department of Natural Resources
1730 E. Elm St.
Jefferson City, MORegister for free via the Curriculum Calendar at the bottom of the Curriculum page here.
- Missouri Learning Standards (MLS)
English Language Arts Missouri Learning Standards
Document Description MLS Expectations K-5 PDF Expectations adopted by the Missouri State Board of Education in April 2016; state testing over these new expectations began during the 2017-18 school year. MLS Expectations K-5 Word MLS Expectations 6-12 PDF MLS Expectations 6-12 Word MLS Expectations K-12 Excel MLS Expectations K-5 with Examples Replication of the K-5 MLS Expectations document above with explanations and examples added. MLS ELA Expectations Grade 6 with Examples Merging of the MLS Expectations 6-12 and MLS Expectations Terminology 6-12 documents in an easy-to-follow format at each grade level. MLS ELA Expectations Grade 7 with Examples MLS ELA Expectations Grade 8 with Examples MLS ELA Expectations Grades 9-10 with Examples MLS ELA Expectations Grades 11-12 with Examples MLS Expectations Coding System Provides examples and explanations of coding used to refer to expectations in ELA, math, science, and social studies. ELA Glossary K-12 Definitions for terms used frequently in the ELA curriculum; working document for educators intended as a guide to assist with classroom instruction. ELA/Social Studies Crosswalk Example Links ELA and social studies to support critical thinking and interdisciplinary learning in elementary classrooms. Vertical Progressions 6-12 Chart of each new MLS expectation by grade level. MLS Expectations Terminology 6-12 Explanations and examples for selected terms in the 6-12 MLS Expectations. The PDF version of the 6-12 MLS Expectations contains hyperlinks from the terms to this document. - Assessment Resources
Assessment Resources
ELA Item Specifications
Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grades 9-10 Grades 11-12 Guide to Creating Quality Assessments
Grade-Level Assessment Resources End-of-Course Resources Performance Level Descriptors
Grade-Level Assessment Scoring Guides
- Argumentative (Grades 6-8)
- Informational Explanatory(Grades 3-8)
- Narrative(Grades 3-8)
- Opinion(Grades 3-5)
Grade 4 Writing Samples
- Practice Form – Informative/Explanatory Prompt
- OTT Form – Opinion Prompt
- Robotics Club at School and Vote for the Cooking Clubs Passages
- Released Narrative Prompt
Grade 8 Writing Samples
- Practice Form – Narrative Prompt
- OTT Form – Argumentative Prompt
- Released Passage-Based Reading Items and Informative/Explanatory Writing Prompt
Grade-Level Assessment Writer’s Checklist
Performance Level Descriptors
EOC Scoring Guides
Writing Samples
End-of-Course English I and II Assessment Writer’s Checklist
End-of-Course English I and II Assessment Writer’s Checklist
EOC Practice Tests
Blended Writing Resource Set
Scoring Guide Writing Task Models of Blended Writing Use the materials in this set to see what blended writing looks like and to get an idea about how blended writing can be scored with the new EOC scoring guide.
Introduction Find out about the why’s and how’s behind the new writing prompt and scoring guide. Conventions (2 points) The 10-point guide describes what is expected in different levels of student writing. Content Development/Elaboration (4 points) Organization and Flow (4 points) Prompt Students in a Missouri high school wrote to this prompt during an informal trial in April 2017. The essay models below are from that trial. Source #1 This source from the Kentucky Transportation Office of Highway Safety was used by students during the writing prompt informal trial. (used with permission) Source #2 This source from the City of Bryan, Texas, was used by students during the writing prompt informal trial. (used with permission) Balanced blending of narrative, expository, and argumentative writing is smooth, effective, well thought out, and purposeful. Model B Balanced blending of narrative, expository, and argumentative writing is smooth, effective, well thought out, and purposeful. Balanced blending of expository and argumentative writing is smooth, effective, well thought out, and purposeful. Model D Balanced blending of narrative, expository, and argumentative writing is smooth, effective, well thought out, and purposeful. Model E Balanced blending of expository and argumentative writing (with an attempt at some narrative) is smooth, effective, well thought out, and purposeful. Strong narrative writing with inclusion of some expository and argumentative writing is smooth, effective, well thought out, and purposeful. Model G Balanced blending of narrative, expository, and argumentative writing is smooth, effective, well thought out, and purposeful. Blending of narrative, expository, and argumentative writing is adequate and generally purposeful. Argumentative writing with minimal addition of expository writing shows little blending of genres. - Curriculum Resources
English Language Arts Curriculum Resources
- Supports for Remote Teaching and Learning
- Text Complexity Rubric - Literary
- Text Complexity Rubric - Informational
- Text Analysis Form
- Curriculum Framework - Provides assistance for districts in planning, writing, revising, and implementing curriculum.
Textbook Review Instrument Grade Levels K-5 6-8 9-12 - Associations