English Language Arts Teaching Resources
Explore English Language Arts (ELA) activities, worksheets, games and more teaching resources created by teachers for teachers just like you! You'll find ELA resources aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and ELAR resources that align to TEKS.
This collection of teacher-created resources for elementary and middle school teachers was designed with students and teachers in mind, including differentiated activities and worksheets ready to print and add to your lesson plan.
Each game, activity and more have undergone a careful review by a member of our ELA teaching team to ensure it's classroom — and student — ready.
What Is ELA in Education?
In most educational instances, ELA stands for English Language Arts, the subject that encompasses reading, writing, speaking, listening and language skills development in American schools.
ELA curriculum standards vary from state to state and even school district to school district, but they typically include instruction in the following areas:
1. Reading
In ELA classes, students learn to read, understand and interpret a variety of texts, including fiction and non-fiction. They develop reading comprehension skills such as identifying main ideas and making inferences while building their understanding of vocabulary.
2. Writing
As they progress through elementary and middle school, students learn the skills they need for effective written communication by learning to create types of texts — such as narratives and persuasive essays, research papers, and descriptive pieces.
They also learn to organize their ideas, use proper grammar and punctuation and refine their writing through revision and editing.
3. Speaking and Listening
While English instruction in the US was once heavily focused on grammar and reading comprehension, education experts saw a call to move toward a more student-centered means of teaching that paved the way to today's ELA curriculum ... and to the inclusion of oral communication as a focus in the curriculum.
Through speaking and listening activities, kids learn to express themselves clearly, listen actively, ask questions, participate in discussions and deliver presentations. They also learn to articulate their thoughts and understand different perspectives while developing their critical thinking abilities.
4. Language
Finally, students study grammar, vocabulary and syntax to enhance their understanding of English and how it should be used.
The curriculum includes proper sentence structure, word choice, spelling and punctuation rules. Language instruction also includes figurative language, idioms and understanding context.
ELA as English Language Acquisition
You may have noticed that we said ELA stands for English Language Arts in most educational instances. So, what else can it stand for?
In some schools, ELA is the abbreviation used for English Language Acquisition, and it's the name given to programs created to help English language learners as they tackle the language.
This form of ELA has marked similarities with the ELA described above, as it focuses on helping students build oral, reading and writing skills. However, there are distinct differences as one focuses on educating native speakers and the other on ELL students.
English vs. Language Arts — Why Is English Called Language Arts?
Some of your students may have parents who remember attending English classes as children but are unfamiliar with the concept of English language arts.
How do you explain the difference to them?
The fact is, some districts may well use the term English for what another district terms "English language arts." In other places, the two refer to very different concepts. In many areas, English is the name for courses taught on a high school level, while English language arts applies to elementary level work.
To explain why their children are enrolled in language arts coursework, it may be helpful to break down the various components of language arts — as we have done above — and their role in students' literacy growth.
What Is ELAR?
ELAR stands for English Language Arts and Reading. While much of the country's schools follow an ELA curriculum, ELAR is unique to Texas, where ELAR is an integrated subject that combines the study of language arts skills with the development of reading abilities.
This collection includes hundreds of ELAR activities, aligned directly with TEKS standards to ensure Texas teachers have everything they need for their lesson plans.
- Plus Plan
Do/Does Subject Verb Agreement Task Cards
Practice using DO and DOES correctly using a set of Subject-Verb agreement task cards.
- Plus Plan
CVCC Word Study Worksheet Pack
Provide extra practice reading, spelling, and writing CVCC words with a set of 30 CVCC Word Study Practice Worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Subject-Verb Agreement Concentration & Go Fish Game
Improve student sentence structure with a card game focusing on usage of correct subject-verb agreement in sentences.
- Plus Plan
Poetry Slapjack Game - Grades 4-5
Learn to identify rhyme, rhythm, and repetition with a poetry Slapjack Game!
- Plus Plan
Final E - Word Study Worksheets Pack
Provide extra practice reading, spelling, and writing final-e words with a set of 44 Final E Word Study Worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Armstrong vs. Earhart -Differentiated Paired Passage Worksheets
Combine reading and history content with differentiated reading comprehension worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Past, Present, and Future Verb Tense Matching Activity - Regular Verbs
Practice using past, present, and future tenses of regular verbs with a butterfly matching activity.
- Plus Plan
Nonfiction Text Features – All About Me Project
Implement a text features project with an “All About Me” theme to explore informational text features with your students.
- Plus Plan
Idioms Dominoes
Build vocabulary and have fun with idiom games.
- Plus Plan
Using Commas in Dates and Series Sorting Activity
Practice correct comma placement in dates and series with a sorting activity.
- Plus Plan
Idioms Go Fish Card Game
Understand the meaning of common idioms with a classroom game of Idioms-Go Fish!
- Plus Plan
Has/Have, Do/Does Subject Verb Agreement Interactive Activity
Practice building sentences using has, have, do, and does with this Google Slides Interactive subject-verb agreement activity.
- Plus Plan
Moving West- Constructed Response Writing Worksheet
Teach your students how to write a good constructed response and integrate grade level Social studies concepts with a Westward Expansion-based Constructed Response worksheet and graphic organizer.
- Plus Plan
Plan a Summer Trip
Prepare for a summer vacation with an end-of-the-year STEM activity.
- Plus Plan
Abbreviations Bingo
Build vocabulary and spelling skills and have fun with abbreviation word games.
- Plus Plan
End of the Year Memory Wheel
Get your students’ minds spinning with this end-of-year reflection activity.
- Plus Plan
Past, Present, and Future Verb Tense Sentence Sort
Identify sentences written in past, present, and future tense with task cards designed for primary grades.
- Plus Plan
Draw and Write Final E Worksheet Pack
Provide extra practice reading, spelling, and writing final-e words with Draw and Write Worksheets.
- Plus Plan
End of Year Memory Book
Reflect on the past year by responding to end-of-the-year writing prompts.
- Plus Plan
End of Year Writing Craftivity - Summer Plan Gumball Machine
Excite your students for the upcoming summer with a writing and craft activity.
- Plus Plan
First Grade Informational Writing – How To Prompt Worksheets
Help your first graders learn how to write an informational piece using these handy writing prompt worksheets
- Plus Plan
Alphabetical Order Task Cards (Grades 1-2)
Give your students some practice putting words in alphabetical order with a set of 20 task cards.
- Plus Plan
Contractions SLAP IT! Card Game
Play a contraction matching game to enhance grammar and spelling skills in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Spring Writing Prompts Worksheet
Explore creative writing in your classroom with these 3 fun story writing prompts for Spring.
- Plus Plan
Fun With Nonfiction Task Cards
Solidify your nonfiction reading response lessons with this set of 12 comprehension task cards.
- Plus Plan
Google Interactive R-Blends Sort and Write Activity
Bring technology into your guided reading lessons, and achieve mastery of r-blend words with a fun, pirate-themed learning activity.
- Plus Plan
Google Slides Interactive- Past, Present, and Future Verbs Activity
Develop student skills using the correct forms of past, present, and future tense verbs with this Google Slides Interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Fun With Fiction Task Cards
Build a foundation of literary concepts and skills with this set of 12 fiction reading response cards.
- Plus Plan
Google Interactive Sight Word Study-Kindergarten Dolch Words
Read, write, identify, and build all 52 Dolch kindergarten sight words in an interactive Google Slides presentation.
- Plus Plan
Google Interactive Sight Words - 2nd Grade Dolch
Read, type, build, and identify words from the Dolch Grade 2 Sight Words List in an interactive format.
- Plus Plan
Grade 1 Daily Warm-Up – PowerPoint 2
Bring on the day’s lessons with math and English activities that get students excited about learning.
- Plus Plan
Google Slides Interactive- CCVC Word Building Activity
Practice identifying consonants, vowels, blends, and digraphs sounds while spelling 22 CCVC (consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant) words.
- English Language Arts Worksheets
- English Language Arts Games
- English Language Arts Templates
- English Language Arts Posters
- English Language Arts Flashcards
- English Language Arts Word Walls
- English Language Arts Projects
- English Language Arts for Pre-K
- English Language Arts for Kindergarten
- English Language Arts for 1st Grade
- English Language Arts for 2nd Grade
- English Language Arts for 3rd Grade
- English Language Arts for 4th Grade
- English Language Arts for 5th Grade
- English Language Arts for 6th Grade
- English Language Arts for 7th Grade