Atlas

Two Strategies for Mapping Elementary English in Atlas

Product Updates | November 15, 2024
Two Strategies for Mapping Elementary English in Atlas

Mapping elementary English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum effectively is essential for building a coherent and engaging learning experience. In Atlas, there are two main strategies that educators can use to document and organize ELA skills: the Separate Units approach and the Combined Units approach. Both strategies offer unique benefits and come with their own challenges.

Strategy 1: Separate Units

One strategy for mapping all of the English Language Arts skills across an elementary course is by separating the different skills into individual strands, captured in individual units. In the below example, Reading units have been colored pink, Writing in purple, and Phonics in teal. The unit contents will be more spare, as they are all to be taught simultaneously as part of larger, interdisciplinary units in the classroom, but the progression of each individual skill set is documented in an isolated calendar of units.

separate units

The Separate Units strategy allows for a focused documentation of each strand’s progression, making it easy to see how each skill set builds over time. This organization is particularly helpful for educators who may be specialists in one strand, or for teams who want to see how a particular skill set (like phonics) is reinforced throughout the year. Although the unit details may appear minimal compared to larger thematic units, the visual isolation of each skill strand offers clear insight into individual learning progressions and is beneficial when planning across classrooms or grades.

Advantages Disadvantages
  • Clear visual separation of skill strands, making it easy to track each strand’s progression independently.
  • Useful for specialist teachers who focus on specific strands, as it allows them to concentrate on their expertise within the curriculum.
  • Helpful for identifying gaps or redundancies within each strand, making it easier to adjust or improve specific skills over time.
  • Supports focused skill tracking across grades for vertical alignment within each strand.
  • Can feel fragmented or disconnected, as skills are separated and may lack the context of interdisciplinary themes.
  • Unit content may appear minimal or “bare-bones” since it doesn’t capture the interdisciplinary richness of the classroom.
  • Requires additional coordination to ensure that skills are taught cohesively in the classroom, as units on the calendar may not reflect the integrated teaching happening day-to-day.
  • May complicate the view for general classroom teachers who want an at-a-glance picture of all ELA skills within a given period.

Strategy 2: Combined Units

An alternative strategy to dividing Reading, Writing, and Phonics into individual units is to integrate them into single units, with elements with distinctions separated in the body of the unit. Applying this to our example, one unit guided by a theme contains Reading, Writing, and Phonics skills divided into tables in the fields of the unit where this is appropriate.

Sections of the unit like Essential Questions will be the same across all of these Language Arts strands, but the unique concepts and skills for Reading, Writing, and Phonics, could be broken down to capture the nuanced learning goals for those strands.

combined units

Combined Units emphasizes the interconnected nature of these skills, aligning more closely with how they are taught in the classroom. Teachers can easily see how various strands of ELA support one another and find it simpler to plan interdisciplinary activities. While this strategy may require more attention to detail within unit fields, it provides a holistic view that aligns with thematic teaching, making it suitable for elementary educators who prefer an integrated approach.

Advantages Disadvantages
  • Reflects the holistic, integrated nature of classroom instruction, providing a realistic picture of how skills are taught.
  • Facilitates interdisciplinary planning and makes it easier to see how different skills reinforce each other.
  • Provides a unified view of all ELA strands, simplifying planning for teachers managing all strands within their class.
  • Allows for greater flexibility in introducing skills in response to student needs, as all strands are already integrated within thematic units.
  • Can be challenging to track each strand’s progression over time, as strands are embedded within thematic units rather than isolated.
  • Less visibility for individual skill progression, which may make it harder to identify gaps or redundancies in specific strands.
  • Requires more upfront organization within each unit to clearly separate Reading, Writing, and Phonics skills, which may demand extra planning time.
  • May not be ideal for specialist teachers or others who need isolated views of specific skill strands.

Conclusion

Choosing the right strategy for mapping your elementary ELA curriculum in Atlas depends on your teaching approach, team collaboration needs, and instructional goals. Whether you prefer to track individual skills through separate units or present a holistic view with combined units, each method provides valuable insights for planning, aligning, and continuously improving ELA instruction. By understanding the pros and cons of each strategy, you can make an informed decision that enhances your students’ learning experience and supports cohesive curriculum development.

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