Reading - Eighth Grade
Content Standard: 1.0
The student will develop the reading and listening skills necessary for word recognition, comprehension, interpretation, analysis, evaluation,and appreciation of print and non-print text.
Learning Expectations:
- 1.01 Continue to develop oral language and listening skills.
- 1.02 Develop an understanding of the concepts of print.
- 1.03 Expand reading skills through phonemic awareness.
- 1.04 Use decoding strategies to read unfamiliar words.
- 1.05 Read to develop fluency, expression, accuracy, and confidence.
- 1.06 Expand reading vocabulary.
- 1.07 Employ pre-reading strategies to facilitate comprehension.
- 1.08 Use active comprehension strategies to derive meaning while reading and to check for understanding after reading.
- 1.09 Refine study skills and develop methods of research to enhance learning.
- 1.10 Develop skills to facilitate reading in the content areas.
- 1.11 Read independently for a variety of purposes.
- 1.12 Experience and explore the elements of various literary and media genres.
- 1.13 Develop and sustain a motivation for reading.
Accomplishments:
- 8.1.01 Continue to develop oral language and listening skills.
- Continue to model active listening in both formal and informal settings.
- Continue to adhere to rules for public conversations.
- Continue to formulate and respond to questions from teachers and classmates.
- Continue to organize and share information, stories, experiences, ideas, and feelings with others in both formal and informal situations.
- Participate in creative responses to text (e.g., debates, dramatizations, speeches).
- Deliver a focused, well-organized oral presentation, using multiple sources of information from any content area utilizing visual aids for contextual support.
- Incorporate into oral reading, discussions, and presentations the use of correct stress, pitch, and juncture.
- Analyze a variety of non-verbal communication techniques and how they impact the audience and speaker.
- 8.1.02 Develop an understanding of the concepts of print.
- Recognize the defining characteristics of a variety of texts (e.g., identify differences between poetry and narration, between plays and essays, between biography and historical fiction).
- Approach texts according to their type using appropriate skills and prior knowledge (e.g., read poetry aloud, bring knowledge of history to a reading of biography, provide "between the lines" information in drama, determine how the form/genre informs meaning).
- Recognize the structure and organization of various text features to locate information (e.g., sidebars, questions at the end of chapter/unit, footnotes, endnotes).
- 8.1.03 Expand reading skills through phonemic awareness.
- Continue to develop an awareness of the sounds of language through repeated exposure to a variety of auditory experiences (e.g., poems, music lyrics, books on tape, read alouds).
- Evaluate patterns of rhyme and rhythm and how they affect understanding.
- Evaluate the effects of sound in language (e.g., alliteration [assonance and consonance], onomatopoeia, slant rhyme, internal rhyme, accent, repetition).
- 8.1.04 Use decoding strategies.
- Recognize and identify the base/root word from words having affixes.
- Determine the meaning of prefixes and suffixes through identification and usage.
- Use context clues to determine multiple meaning words.
- Decode unknown grade level words utilizing previous learned strategies and verify the word's meaning within the context of the selection.
- 8.1.05 Read to develop fluency, expression, accuracy, and confidence.
- Demonstrate the ability to read fluently with expression, accuracy, and poise from a variety of texts (e.g., paired reading, choral reading, and read alongs).
- Continue to participate in guided reading.
- Continue to read using appropriate pronunciation, expression, and rate.
- Continue to adjust speed based on the purpose for reading.
- Continue to read independently on a daily basis.
- 8.1.06 Expand reading vocabulary.
- Build vocabulary by listening to literature, viewing films and documentaries, participating in class discussions, and reading self-selected and assigned texts.
- Build vocabulary by reading and viewing from a wide variety of print and non-print texts, literary and media genres and modes.
- Analyze word meanings using roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
- Continue to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues, dictionaries, electronic sources, glossaries, and other resources.
- Evaluate the use of synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and multiple meaning words, and determine how they assist with understanding.
- Continue to foster word consciousness (e.g., word play, word walls, graphic organizers, nuances of words, power words).
- Analyze and use useful mnemonic devices (e.g., rhyming words, vocabulary cartoons, kinesthetic) to acquire new vocabulary.
- Select the correct word or phrase to complete an analogy.
- Recognize the historical influences on and changes to the English language.
- Consider word etymology and semantic change as part of vocabulary study.
- Recognize and interpret widely used foreign phrases (e.g., e pluribus unum, c'est la vie).
- Use connotation and denotation for vocabulary studies.
- Recognize that word choices create a mood to set a tone.
- Discover ways by which a language acquires new words (e.g., brand names, acronyms).
- Identify words and phrases that serve as clues to reveal time periods, cultures and regions represented (e.g., use of vocabulary associated with a particular time period, region, or country).
- 8.1.07 Develop independent pre-reading strategies to facilitate comprehension.
- Continue to establish a purpose for reading and viewing (e.g., to understand, to interpret, to enjoy, to solve problems, to answer specific questions, to discover information/facts, to discover models of writing).
- Continue to utilize reference sources to build background knowledge for reading.
- Continue to use previously learned strategies to front load text (e.g., skimming and scanning, connecting to prior knowledge).
- Preview text, using supports such as illustrations/pictures, captions, graphs, diagrams, headings, subheadings, and footnotes.
- Relate the importance and the significance of the reading, listening, and viewing selections to learning and life.
- Analyze significant words to be encountered in the text.
- Make predictions about print and non-print text.
- Relate print and non-print text to prior personal experiences or opinions, historical knowledge, current events and cultural background as well as previously read print and non-print texts.
- 8.1.08 Use active comprehension strategies to derive meaning while reading and check for understanding after reading.
- Derive meaning while reading by
- continuing to formulate clarifying questions.
- evaluating predictions made in prereading and making adjustments.
- continuing to predict outcomes, state reasonable generalizations, and draw conclusions based on prior knowledge and information gained while reading.
- using metacognitive and self-monitoring strategies while reading (e.g. pausing, rereading, consulting other sources, reading ahead, asking for help).
- engaging in reading between the lines (i.e., changing perspective among characters to determine thoughts, imagining parallel events, stating implied information).
- continuing to create mental pictures from abstract information.
- continuing to relate text to prior personal experiences or opinions as well as previously read print and non-print texts.
- making inferences and recognizing unstated assumptions.
- verifying or modifying pre-reading purpose as additional information is obtained.
- exploring ways to interact with text (e.g., mark the text, use post-it notes, ask questions and make comments within the text).
- Derive meaning after reading by
- indicating, analyzing, and evaluating the sequence of events.
- recognizing and stating the main idea/central element in a given reading selection, noting details that support the main idea/central element.
- identifying the author's purpose and analyzing to determine if purpose is met.
- discussing similarities and differences in events and characters using evidence cited from the text or various texts.
- analyzing and evaluating the text to find contextual support for responses to questions, for assistance in formulating ideas and opinions, and for supporting personal responses.
- assessing the accuracy and appropriateness of an author's details to support claims and assertions, noting instances of bias and stereotyping.
- evaluating cause and effect relationships.
- evaluating statements as fact or opinion.
- analyzing the use of figurative language (idioms, similes, metaphors, personification, imagery, puns).
- analyzing themes, whether stated or implied.
- evaluating and reflecting upon comprehension strategies utilized to make meaning from texts.
- making connections among various print and non-print texts.
- making connections among the various literary genres and themes with personal, historical, and cultural experiences.
- evaluating reading selections for their application to daily life (e.g., extend and apply meaning derived from text to different situations).
- 8.1.09 Refine study skills and develop methods of research to enhance learning.
- Determine appropriate reference sources in various formats (e.g., encyclopedias, card/electronic catalogs, almanacs, periodicals, Internet).
- Use media (e.g., films, video, the visual and performing arts, on-line catalogs, non-fiction books, encyclopedias, CD-ROMs, references, Internet) to view, read, and represent information.
- Use current technology (e.g., the Internet, CD-ROMs, online catalogs) as a research communication tool.
- Analyze a variety of reference sources (e.g., biographical sketches, letters, diaries, encyclopedias, periodicals).
- Distinguish between and use primary and secondary source documents.
- Evaluate resources for validity and reliability.
- Continue to refine skimming and scanning skills.
- Retrieve, organize, represent, analyze, and evaluate information to demonstrate knowledge effectively acquired.
- Develop and use notes that include important concepts, summaries, and identification of reference sources.
- Investigate and evaluate the impact of bias/persuasive devices on daily life.
- Recognize and identify a statement as an example of persuasive and/or propaganda techniques (e.g., false generalizations, loaded words, snob appeal, name-calling, bandwagon, testimonials, and inconsistencies of logic).
- Use and evaluate a variety of sources to prepare a research paper that includes a title page, outline, notes, and a bibliography.
- Define and apply internal (subjective) and external (objective) criteria in making critical evaluations of given statements.
- 8.1.10 Apply vocabulary development and comprehension skill to facilitate reading to learn in content areas.
- Expand and maintain vocabulary specific to content areas and to current events.
- Continue to locate information using available text features (e.g., maps, charts, timelines, graphics, indexes, glossaries, footnotes, author's biography, and tables of content).
- Apply, analyze, and evaluate comprehension skills and strategies used to obtain meaning from informational text in the content areas.
- Continue to use self-correction strategies while reading (e.g., pausing, rereading, consulting other sources,).
- Continue to interact with the text and analyze its effectiveness.
- Determine the reliability of sources by exploring the author's background, intentions and motives.
- 8.1.11 Read independently for a variety of purposes.
- Read for literary experience.
- Read to gain information.
- Read to perform a task.
- Read for enjoyment.
- Read to expand vocabulary.
- Read to build fluency.
- 8.1.12 Experience and explore the elements of various literary and media genres.
- Continue to read, view, and recognize various literary (e.g. novels, science fictions, plays, suspense, poetry, autobiographies/biographies, non-fiction of high interest) and media (e.g., music, films, videos, documentaries, the visual and performing arts) genres.
- Recognize and analyze the elements of various literary and media genres.
- Explore the elements that determine types of fiction (e.g., suspense/mystery, comedy/humor, drama, historical fiction, romance, legends and myths).
- Identify and evaluate stated or implied themes and connect recurring themes to previously read materials and current readings.
- Evaluate how the author develops characters (e.g., through words, speech, action, thoughts, narrator, interaction, motivation) and evaluate whether the characters are stereotypical or realistic.
- Evaluate words, phrases, and other devices used by authors to create mood to establish a tone.
- Determine the elements of the plot and trace them using graphic organizers (i.e. exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution/denouement).
- Distinguish among varying types of conflict (i.e., man v. man, man v. nature, man v. himself).
- Explore subplots in literary selections and films.
- Compare and contrast between or among stories/events the elements of the plot.
- Determine the narrator's/author's point of view (i.e. first person, third person, limited or omniscient).
- Explore and explain how a story changes or an event is perceived if the point of view is changed.
- Summarize, paraphrase, and evaluate selected passages for discussion and/or written assignments or presentations.
- Make inferences about print and non-print text.
- Use deductive reasoning to facilitate and to extend understanding of texts.
- Determine the differences among non-fiction materials (e.g., letters, memoirs, diaries, journals, documentaries, autobiographies, biographies, and educational, informational and technical texts).
- Demonstrate knowledge of similes, metaphors, personification, symbolism, idioms, puns, hyperbole, flashback, foreshadowing, and irony.
- Explore the concept of allusion.
- 8.1.13 Develop and sustain a motivation for reading.
- Visit libraries/media centers, book fairs, bookstores, and other print rich environments to explore books.
- Use personal criteria to select reading material (e.g., personal interest, knowledge of authors, text difficulty, text genres, recommendation of others).
- Read daily from self-selected materials.
- Relate literary experiences (e.g., book discussions, literary circles, writing, oral presentations, artistic expressions).
- Experience and develop an awareness of literature that reflects a diverse society.
- Maintain a personal reading list/or reading log/journal to reflect reading gains and accomplishments.
Benchmarks/Indicators
Performance Indicators: State
As documented through state assessment -
At Level 1, the student is able to
- 8.1.spi.1. formulate appropriate questions during the reading of text.
- 8.1.spi.2 choose the correct meaning/usage of multi-meaning words by replacing the word in context with an appropriate synonym or antonym.
- 8.1.spi.3. locate information using available text features (e.g., maps, charts, graphics, indexes, glossaries, tables of contents, and appendices).
- 8.1.spi.4. identify on a graphic organizer the points at which various plot elements occur.
- 8.1.spi.5. identify an appropriate title to reinforce the main idea of a passage or paragraph.
- 8.1.spi. 6. determine cause-effect relationships in context.
- 8.1.spi. 7. determine inferences from selected passages.
- 8.1.spi. 8. recognize a reasonable prediction of future events of a passage.
- 8.1.spi. 9. select information using keywords and headings.
At Level 2, the student is able to
- 8.1.spi.10. recognize and use grade appropriate and/or content specific vocabulary.
- 8.1.spi.11. determine an author's purpose for writing or a student's purpose for reading.
- 8.1.spi.12. identify an implied theme from a selection or related selections.
- 8.1.spi.13. use text features (e.g., sidebars, footnotes, and endnotes) to determine meaning.
- 8.1.spi.14. distinguish among different genres (e.g., poetry, drama, letters, ads, historical fiction, biographies, autobiographies, and essays) and their distinguishing characteristics.
- 8.1.spi.15. identify examples within context of similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia, personification, and hyperbole.
- 8.1.spi.16. choose a logical word or phrase to complete an analogy, using scrambled words and homophones in addition to previously learned analogies.
- 8.1.spi.17. recognize and identify the techniques of propaganda (i.e., bandwagon, loaded words, and testimonials).
- 8.1.spi.18. recognize author's point of view (e.g., first person or third person, limited/ omniscient).
- 8.1.spi.19. determine how a story changes if the point of view is changed.
- 8.1.spi.20. recognize commonly used foreign phrases (e.g., bonjour, hasta la vista, bon voyage, mi casa es su casa, e pluribus unum, c'est la vie).
- 8.1.spi.21. identify examples of sound devices within context (e.g. rhyme, alliteration, assonance, slant rhyme, repetition, internal rhyme).
- 8.1.spi.22. recognize and identify words within context that reveal particular time periods and cultures.
At Level 3, the student is able to
- 8.1.spi.23. determine the influence of culture and ethnicity on the themes and issues of literary texts.
- 8.1.spi.24. identify how the author reveals character (e.g., physical characteristics, dialog, what others say about him, what he does).
- 8.1.spi.25. recognize literary elements that shape meaning within context (e.g., symbolism, foreshadowing, flashback, irony, mood and tone).
- 8.1.spi.26. identify instances of bias and stereotyping in print and non-print contexts.
- 8.1.spi.27. recognize the effect of stressed and unstressed syllables to aid in identifying the meaning of multiple meaning words.
Performance Indicators: Teacher
As documented through teacher observation -
At Level 1, the student is able to
- 8.1.tpi.1. decode unknown grade level words utilizing previously learned strategies to verify the word's meaning within the context of the selection.
- 8.1.tpi.2. recognize various literary genres (e.g., short stories, novels, plays, legends, poetry, biographies, non-fiction).
- 8.1.tpi.3. express reactions and personal opinions to a selection or relate the selection to a personal experience.
- 8.1.tpi.4. organize prior knowledge using a variety of strategies while reading (e.g., pausing, reading ahead, rereading, identifying miscues, and consulting other sources).
- 8.1.tpi.5. preview the text to establish a purpose for reading, to activate prior knowledge, and to facilitate the reading process.
- 8.1.tpi.6. participate in creative responses to text (e.g., debates, dramatization, speeches).
At Level 2, the student is able to
- 8.1.tpi.7. develop an awareness of literature that reflects a diverse society.
- 8.1.tpi.8. read fluently basic grade appropriate selections.
- 8.1.tpi.9. create and deliver an organized oral presentation using multiple sources of information from any content area utilizing visual aids for contextual support
- 8.1.tpi.10. summarize, paraphrase, and evaluate selected passages.
- 8.1.tpi.11. develop and enhance vocabulary by reading from a wide variety of texts and literary genres.
- 8.1.tpi.12. make inferences and recognize unstated assumptions.
- 8.1.tpi.13. make connections among the various literary genres, themes, and print and non-print texts with personal, historical, and cultural experiences.
- 8.1.tpi.14 demonstrate how time periods and cultures affect plots/characters in literature.
- 8.1.tpi.15. recognize recurring themes in literature.
- 8.1.tpi.16. distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
- 8.1.tpi.17. identify instances of flashback and foreshadowing.
At Level 3, the student is able to
- 8.1.tpi.18. define and apply internal (subjective) and external (objective) criteria in making critical evaluation of given statements.
- 8.1.tpi.19. create an example of allusion.
- 8.1.tpi.20. differentiate between internal and external conflict in a given passage.
- 8.1.tpi.21. determine the significance/meaning of a symbol in a print or non-print selection.
- 8.1.tpi.22. analyze literary elements.
- 8.1.tpi.23. evaluate reading selections and media sources to determine their applications to and effect on daily life.
- 8.1.tpi.24. explore and distinguish between primary and secondary source documents.

