The philosophy of the English Language Arts Program of the Gateway Regional School District evolves from the understanding that all students must be involved in a continuous process of language arts instruction that will prepare them to lead productive lives as informed and communicating members of society. This process must develop students' knowledge, skills, abilities, and character, and continue to encourage learning long after students leave our schools to take their place in a more complex world. Inherent in our philosophy is the recognition of developmental differences among elementary, middle, and high school students. Our curriculum addresses these differences as we take a multifaceted approach to teaching by integrating the skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking.

The succcess of the English Language Arts Program depends upon the roles teachers play. We believe teachers must be designers of classroom environments where there are many opportunities for children to experiment with oral and written language as teachers present a wide variety of purposes for students to listen, speak, read, write, and think. Teachers must serve as role models of correct usage of oral and written language. They must have a sense of wholeness of language, of how language is acquired, and an understanding of how children develop and learn. A number of teaching techniques and strategies must be emplyed by teachers to adjust to the learning styles of their students. Teachers must understand the stages of social development and provide opportunities for studnets to interact in a collaborative manner. In order to foster success and build healthy self-esteem, teachers must consider the students' needs and interests in planning. Teachers must make provisions for individual and group differences. They must also be aware of the changing views of language assessment. Teachers must recognize that the learning environment includes the entire school district, students, parents, and the individual communities in which students live and learn.