language arts

plural noun

: the subjects (such as reading, spelling, literature, and composition) that aim at developing the student's comprehension and capacity for use of written and oral language

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web In that report, District 205 students were right around 50 % on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in both math and English language arts (ELA) and in the same area with their SAT scores. Graydon Megan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2023 Students who participated at the elementary level had a 56 percent increase in mathematics growth and 39 percent growth in English language arts. Nicole Asbury, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2023 In Harford County Public Schools, 49% of students in grades three through eight passed the English language arts assessment. Katia Parks, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2023 English language arts scores for the third to eighth grades were higher. Nicole Asbury, Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2023 This standardized test, which the state administered for the first time in spring 2022, hinted at resilience amid the coronavirus pandemic in English language arts — but also produced ominous scores in math. Lillian Reed, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2023 In English language arts, rural charter schools outscored their surrounding traditional schools by anywhere from 18 to 47 percentage points in the percentage of children reaching proficiency. Trisha Powell Crain | Tcrain@al.com, al, 11 Jan. 2023 In state tests for 2022, black and Latino students in charters were roughly twice as likely to be proficient as district-school students in English language arts and math. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 11 Jan. 2023 In the Anchorage School District, 66% of students were not proficient in English language arts and 72.85% were not proficient in math. Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'language arts.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of language arts was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near language arts

Cite this Entry

“Language arts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/language%20arts. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

language arts

noun plural
: the subjects (as reading, spelling, and composition) that aim at developing the student's understanding and skills for using language
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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