Language Arts
Supervisor's Message
At Howell Township Public Schools, the Language Arts Department is dedicated to nurturing a lifelong love of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in every student. Our goal is to equip learners with the literacy skills they need to think critically, communicate clearly, and engage meaningfully with the world around them.
We believe literacy is the foundation of all learning. Through a balanced and rigorous curriculum aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS), we strive to develop confident, capable readers and writers who are prepared for academic success and active citizenship.
Our instruction is grounded in the NJSLS and informed by research-based best practices. In the early grades, we prioritize foundational skills, such as phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, and fluency, to ensure students build a strong base for reading success.
We believe in meeting students where they are and supporting their growth through differentiated instruction. Across all grade levels, teachers implement small-group instruction to provide targeted support and enrichment based on student needs. These groups allow for focused, responsive teaching guided by assessment data.
Our classrooms foster the development of critical thinking, collaboration, and effective communication through meaningful, engaging literacy experiences. To support learning, we use high-quality instructional materials and a variety of assessments, including Renaissance Star Reading, Star Early Literacy, and Star CBM, to monitor progress and inform instruction at every stage of a student’s literacy journey.
We recognize that parents and guardians are essential partners in the development of literacy. We encourage you to:
- Encourage your child to read and write at home. Books from home can also be sent to school for use during independent reading.
- Model a love for learning by reading and writing yourself. Share thoughts on your book or your writing pieces with your child.
- Immerse your child in a literacy-rich home environment. Trips to the library are a great way to supplement your at-home collections.
- Schedule a special time and place for reading and writing. Bedtime is a favorite!
- Spark conversations about the books your child is reading. Rich family discussions around a variety of books build the foundation for productive discourse in our classrooms. Discussing books with your child is a great way to strengthen family values and allows you to answer questions your child may have.
Together, we can inspire a lifelong love for reading, writing, and effective communication in all of our students
The Howell Township Language Arts Curriculum, along with other District curricula, is available on the District website.