Inside USBE > Departments and Programs > Teaching and Learning > Academic Areas and Supporting Programs > Language Arts Elementary
Our mission is to enable all Utah students to become proficient in the area of literacy for the purposes of reaching their individual potential and becoming successful citizens in today's world.
Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects | Appendices A,B,C
Color Version
Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects | Appendix
Black and White Version
Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects
Combined Color and Black and White Version
Note: If you need this information in an accessible format contact the department directly.
Utah Core Standards Handwriting | Utah Core Standards Literacy
Foundational Skills Standards Vertical Alignment for Grades K-5
Language Standards Vertical Alignment for Grades K-5
Reading Informational Standards Vertical Alignment Grades K-5
Reading Literature Standards Vertical Alignment for Grades K-5
Speaking and Listening Vertical Alignment for Grades K-5
Writing Standards Vertical Alignment for Grades K-5
Text Complexity Rubric Informational Texts
Literacy Specialist K-12 Endorsement
Utah State Board of Education Educator Licensing
Reading Endorsement Level 1 (Retiring) | Reading Endorsement Level 2 (Retiring) | Reading Interventionist Endorsement (Retiring)
Utah State Board of Education Educator Licensing
There are many quality programs in the state that offer the required courses. The following contact list is not comprehensive but you can e-mail the contact person to ask about their availability of classes, schedule, etc.
Sylvia Read
Utah State University (USU)
Dr. Jan Dole
University of Utah
John Allen
Utah Valley University (UVU)
Dr. Kristi Jones
Westminster College
Northeastern Utah Educational Services (NUES)
Southwest Educational Development Center (SEDC)
The Utah Reading Endorsement offers practicing elementary and secondary teachers an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and skills in the area of literacy. The purpose of this program is to strengthen reading achievement of Utah's school children by providing their teachers with the strategies, processes, and structures for augmenting classroom reading instruction in grades K-12.
The Level 1 Reading Endorsement requires a passing score on a Praxis content knowledge test and seven (7) graduate-level courses taken within the last eight (8) years.
The following seven course frameworks demonstrate the depth and breadth of the expected curriculum within a course meeting that requirement. Reading endorsement courses are aligned to Utah's instructional goals and Core Standards as well as to the International Literacy Association (ILA) Standards.
Note: All course frameworks updated in 2015-2016.
If you are an institution that would like to demonstrate your alignment to the Utah Level 1 Reading Endorsement Frameworks, please submit the following via e-mail to the K-12 Literacy Coordinator, Sara Wiebke.
Teachers who have obtained a Level I Endorsement and who want to work as school- or district-level literacy coaches will want to complete the Level 2 Endorsement. This endorsement provides a systems-level perspective on literacy instruction and program design and will deepen the candidate's knowledge of literacy instruction and implementation.
The following course frameworks demonstrate the depth and breadth of the expected curriculum within a course meeting that requirement. Reading endorsement courses are aligned to Utah's instructional goals and Core Standards as well as to the International Reading Association Standards.
Note: Course frameworks updated in 2015-2016.
International Literacy Association (ILA)
The purpose of the Reading Interventionist Endorsement is to provide educators with academic and field-based opportunities to learn best practices for meeting the instructional needs of students who a struggling to learn to read. The nine credit endorsement will focus on Tier II and Tier III instructional methods, strategies, assessment, and curricula that improve student outcomes. The Level I Reading Endorsement is a prerequisite to earning this endorsement.
Tier II Small Group Reading Intervention Clinical Practicum
Tier III Reading Intervention Clinical Practicum
For vendors interested in applying to become an approved vendor for either Tier II or Tier II intervention programs, please review and submit the application below. The program must meet the requirements describe in the application to become qualified.
Tier II Small Group Intervention Practicum
Tier III Reading Intervention Practicum
The University of Utah is currently offering the Tier II and Tier III courses for the endorsement. If you are interested, please contact:
Tier II
Julie Jaussi
Tier III
Wilson Language Training
University of Utah Reading Clinic (UURC)
Location: Pending
Time: 9 a.m. - Noon
Dates:
Early Learning Program Technical Manual
The purpose of the Early Learning Program is to improve the Early Literacy and Early Mathematics classroom instruction and student outcomes in kindergarten through grade 3. The Early Learning Program establishes an Early Learning Plan that includes early literacy, early mathematics, goals, and the Professional Learning Grant. This document is a resource for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) (Districts and Charters) to use to guide them in completing their Early Learning Plan.
2019 Utah's K-12 Literacy Framework
Utah's K-12 Literacy Framework translates the research findings into advice and guidance to provide Educators with the knowledge, tools, and resources necessary to meet the instructional needs of all students in reading, writing, and listening and speaking. The purpose of the framework is to support districts, charters, and schools in evaluating, refining, and monitoring the essential systems, structures, and literacy practices necessary to achieve greater outcomes in the area of literacy for students in elementary grades.
The Elementary Literacy Framework integrates five key elements that support literacy outcomes:
As legislated in the 2022 Legislative Session, Utah has created an expert panel to support the Science of Reading (SOR). The expert panelists have deep knowledge and a research background in the science of reading and the science of reading instruction as well as practical experience translating the science of reading into effective reading instructional practices.
Achieve the Core
A national organization that has assembled a variety of resources to help support the shifts in instruction required in implementing the Core. They have complied an extensive selection of materials on writing that include samples of student writing with annotations to show how various Core Standards are met. Student samples are shown as they were transcribed, annotated with comments, and corrected for spelling and grammar for use as examples with students.
Utah State Board of Education Dyslexia Handbook
Special Education Effective Instruction and Inclusion Resources
The Dyslexia Handbook offers guidance, resources, and appropriate supports and interventions for readers with dyslexia. It is also a communication tool for teachers and parents to work together. Our hope is that both educators and parents will use the ideas and techniques in the handbook as a team. It is vitally important that struggling readers not give up on themselves; it is just as important that we as educators and parents assist and empower students with dyslexia to enter the world of reading feeling empowered and prepared for their future.
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
A community of educators, advocating sound policies and sharing best practices to achieve the success of each learner.
International Dyslexia Association, Rocky Mountain Branch (IDA-RMB)
The IDA-RMB supports those living with dyslexia, language and literacy challenges by promoting structured literacy through research, education and advocacy to individuals, families and educators by servicing communities in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.
International Literacy Association (ILA)
The International Reading Association is an 85,000-member nonprofit professional organization dedicated to improving reading instruction and promoting literacy around the world.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
The nation's largest and most influential organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of programs for children from birth through third grade.
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education.
Center for the improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA)
A national center for research on early reading, representing a consortium of educators from five universities (University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Southern California, University of Minnesota, and the University of Georgia); teacher educators; teachers; publishers of texts, tests, and technology; professional organizations; and schools and school districts across the United States. CIERA is supported under the Educational Research and Development Centers Program, PR/Award Number R305R70004, as administered by the Office of Education.
Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR)
Has several project that focus on research-based practices related to literacy instruction and assessment for children in pre-school through 12th grade.
Literacy.org
Your source for research and development on literacy in the United States and worldwide.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
Located within the Institute of Education Sciences in the United States Department of Education, is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.
National Right to Read Foundation (NRRF)
The Mission of NRRF is to return to the Schools of America, reading instruction which follows scientifically based reading research. This site is designed to provide assistance for those engaged in this effort.
Vaughn Gross Center (VGC) for Reading and Language Arts
Committed to providing leadership to educators in effective reading instruction through its diversified research, technical assistance, and professional development projects.
Partners in Dyad Reading (7 Relicensure Hours)
Elementary ELA: Effectively Teaching Phonological Awareness and Phonics-Self Paced (1 USBE Credit)
Parent: Dyad Reading
Utah Education Network (UEN)
American Library Association (ALA)
The oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 64,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.
Children's Book Council (CBC)
A nonprofit trade association of publishers and packagers of trade books and related materials for children and young adults.
Children's Literature Web Guide (CLWG)
Is an attempt to gather together and categorize the growing number of Internet resources related to books for children and young Adults.
Dynamic Measurement Group (DMG)
DMG is an educational company that is dedicated to supporting success for children and schools. DMG was founded by Roland H. Good, III, and Ruth Kaminski, authors of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS®), and is the official home of DIBELS research, development, and training.
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Contains scores of digital handouts on grammar and English usage, over 170 computer-graded quizzes, recommendations on writing from basic problems in subject-verb agreement and the use of articles to exercises in parallel structures and help with argumentative essays, and a way to submit questions about grammar and writing.
Library of Congress (LOC)
The nation's oldest federal cultural institution. The library preserves a collection of nearly 121 million items, more than two-thirds of which are in media other than books.
New York Public Library
Information about the programs, services, and collections of The New York Public Library, along with access to its catalogs and other information databases.
Public Broadcasting System (PBS) LearningMedia
Provides nearly 3,000 free lesson plans and activities for educators tied to PBS programming and correlated to local and national standards.
Reading Rockets
Offers research-based and best-practice information for professions that impact kids' reading achievement.
Reading Rockets for Teachers
Created for teachers. They gather great resources and make them easily available for free. They also encourage you to print out and distribute whatever you need.
Is Your Student Struggling with Learning?
National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL)
Creates educational and economic opportunity for the most at-risk children and parents.
National Education Association's (NEA) Read Across America
A list of tips for parent on how to get children excited about reading.
PBS Kids
Funded in part by a ready to learn cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Education.
Read Write Think, Construct-a-Word
Provides a simple, engaging way for students to generate dozens of different words by first choosing an ending (for example -an, -ed, -at, -op) and then adding a beginning letter or blend.
Reading Rockets for Parents
A step-by-step guide to what parents can do to raise a reader.
Scholastic for Parents
A website for parents with resources to encourage a love of learning.
StarFall
The Starfall learn-to-read website is offered free as a public service.
Sara Wiebke
Coordinator
Phone: (801) 538-7893 | E-mail
Julie Clark
Education Specialist
K-3 Literacy
Phone: (801) 538-7661 | E-mail
Christine Elegante
Education Specialist
K-3 Literacy
Phone: (801) 538-7782 | E-mail
Krista Hotelling
Education Specialist
K-3 Literacy
Phone: (801) 538-7794 | E-mail
Charla Lucero
Executive Secretary
Elementary Language Arts
Phone: (801) 538-7546 | E-mail