Standard 3: Language Arts Literacy

STANDARD 3.1 (READING) ALL STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND AND APPLY THE KNOWLEDGE OF SOUNDS, LETTERS, AND WORDS IN WRITTEN ENGLISH TO BECOME INDEPENDENT AND FLUENT READERS, AND WILL READ A VARIETY OF MATERIALS AND TEXTS WITH FLUENCY AND COMPREHENSION.

Descriptive Statement: A primary reading goal is for students of all grades to read independently with fluency and comprehension so that they become lifelong readers and learners. In order to achieve this goal, students benefit from "daily opportunities to read books they choose for themselves, for their own purposes, and their own pleasures" (Calkins, 2001). Students should read grade-level appropriate or more challenging classic and contemporary literature and informational readings, both self-selected and assigned. In order to grow as readers and deepen their understanding of texts, students need many opportunities to think about, talk about, and write about the texts they are reading. A diversity of reading material (including fiction and nonfiction) provides students with opportunities to grow intellectually, emotionally, and socially as they consider universal themes, diverse cultures and perspectives, and the common aspects of human existence.

In early reading instruction (preK-2), children need rich experiences with oral language and learning about sounds, letters and words, and their relationships. Phonemic awareness, knowledge of the relationships between sounds and letters, and an understanding of the features of written English texts are essential to beginning reading. Direct systematic phonics instruction enables many students to develop their knowledge of phonics, and provides a bridge to apply this knowledge in becoming independent and fluent readers. Systematic phonics instruction typically involves explicitly teaching students a pre-specified set of letter-sound relations and having students read text that provides practice using these relations to decode words (National Reading Panel, 2000). Additionally, direct instruction and time to practice these skills should be provided in comprehension, strategy, reading fluency, and vocabulary development at all grade levels. It is important to help students become fluent readers in the early years, and then help them expand their literacy abilities as they progress through the middle and high school grades.

The reading process requires readers to respond to texts, both personally and critically, and relate prior knowledge and personal experiences to written texts. Students apply literal, inferential, and critical comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading to examine, construct, and extend meaning. In becoming fluent readers, students must draw on the word meaning and sentence structure of text and sound/symbol relationships, and use these cueing systems interchangeably in order to comprehend and gain meaning. Students need to recognize that what they hear, speak, write, and view contributes to the content and quality of their reading experiences.

Cumulative Progress Indicators

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:

A.     Concepts About Print/Text

1.         Identify and use organizational structures to comprehend information. (e.g., logical order, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, chronological, sequential, procedural text).

B.     Phonological Awareness (includes phonemic awareness)

No additional indicators at this grade level.

C.     Decoding and Word Recognition

1.         Distinguish among the spellings of homophones to determine meaning (e.g. cite, site, sight).

2.         Apply spelling and syllabication rules that aid in decoding and word recognition.

3.         Continue to use structural analysis and context analysis to decode new words.

4.         Apply knowledge of word structures and patterns to read with automaticity.

1.         Read grade-level text orally with high accuracy and appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression.

2.         Read increasingly difficult texts silently with comprehension and fluency.

3.         Apply self-correcting strategies automatically to decode and gain meaning from print both orally and silently.

4.         Adjust reading rate in response to the type of text and level of difficulty (e.g. recreational reading vs. informational reading).

        E.     Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)

1.         Monitor reading for understanding by automatically setting a purpose for reading, making and adjusting predictions, asking essential questions, and relating new learning to background experiences.

2.        Use increasingly complex text guides to understand different text structure and organizational patterns (e.g. chronological sequence or comparison and contrast).

F.      Vocabulary and Concept Development

1.         Develop and refine an extended vocabulary through listening and exposure to a variety of texts and independent reading.

2.         Clarify word meanings through the use of a word’s definition, example, restatement, or contrast.

3.         Clarify pronunciations, meanings, alternate word choice, parts of speech, and etymology of words using the dictionary, thesaurus, glossary, and technology resources.

4.        Expand reading vocabulary by identifying and correctly using idioms and words with literal and figurative meanings in their speaking and writing experiences.

5.         Explain relationships between and among words including connotation/denotation, antonyms/synonyms, and words with multiple meanings.

G.    Comprehension Skills and Response to Text

1.         Differentiate between fact/opinion and bias and propaganda in newspapers, periodicals, and electronic texts.

2.         Compare and analyze several authors’ perspectives of a character, personality, topic, setting, or event.

3.         Analyze ideas and recurring themes found in texts, such as good versus evil, across traditional and contemporary works.

4.         Locate and analyze the elements of setting, characterization, and plot to construct understanding of how characters influence the progression and resolution of the plot.

5.         Read critically by identifying, analyzing, and applying knowledge of the purpose, structure, and elements of nonfiction and providing support from the text as evidence of understanding.

6.         Read critically by identifying, analyzing, and applying knowledge of the theme, structure, style, and literary elements of fiction and providing support from the text as evidence of understanding.

7.         Respond critically to text ideas and the author’s craft by using textual evidence to support interpretations.

8.         Identify and analyze literary techniques and elements, such as figurative language, meter, rhetorical, and stylistic features of text.

9.         Identify and analyze recurring themes across literary works.

10.     Read critically and analyze poetic forms (e.g., ballad, sonnet, couplet).

11.     Identify and understand the author’s use of idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes in prose and poetry.

12.     Understand perspectives of authors in a variety of interdisciplinary works.

13.     Interpret text ideas through journal writing, discussion, and enactment.

14.     Demonstrate the use of everyday texts (e.g., train schedules, directions, brochures) and make judgments about the importance of such documents.

15.     Compare and analyze the various works of writers through an author’s study.

H.     Inquiry and Research

1.         Produce written and oral work that demonstrates comprehension of informational materials.

2.         Analyze a work of literature, showing how it reflects the heritage, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs of its authors.

3.         Collect materials for a portfolio that reflect personal career choices.

4.         Self-select materials appropriately related to a research project.

5.         Read and compare at least two works, including books, related to the same genre, topic, or subject and produce evidence of reading (e.g., compare central ideas, characters, themes, plots, settings).

STANDARD 3.2 (WRITING) ALL STUDENTS WILL WRITE IN CLEAR, CONCISE, ORGANIZED LANGUAGE THAT VARIES IN CONTENT AND FORM FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES AND PURPOSES.

Descriptive Statement: Writing is a complex process that begins with the recording of one’s thoughts. It is used for composition, communication, expression, learning, and engaging the reader. Proficient writers use a repertoire of strategies that enables them to vary form, style, and conventions in order to write for different purposes, audiences, and contexts. Students should have multiple opportunities to craft and practice writing, to generate ideas, and to refine, evaluate, and publish their writing. In a successful writing program, students develop and demonstrate fluency in all phases of the writing process, including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing of multiple drafts, and postwriting processes that include publishing, presenting, evaluating, and/or performing.

Students should be helped to understand the recursive nature and shifting perspectives of the writing process, in moving from the role of writer to the role of reader and back again. It is important for students to understand that writers write, then plan and revise, and then write again. They will learn to appreciate writing not only as a product, but also as a process and mode of thinking and communicating. "By the mysterious alchemy of the written word, we range over time and space, expanding our experiences, enriching our souls, and ultimately becoming more fully, more consciously human" (Keene, 1999). Students should recognize that what they hear, speak, read, and view contributes to the content and quality of their writing.

Cumulative Progress Indicators

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:

A.     Writing as a Process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, postwriting)

1.         Write stories or scripts with well-developed characters, setting, dialogue, clear conflict and resolution, and sufficient descriptive detail.

2.         Write multi-paragraph compositions that have clear topic development, logical organization, effective use of detail, and variety in sentence structure.

3.         Generate and narrow topics by considering purpose, audience, and form with a variety of strategies (e.g., graphic organizers, brainstorming,  technology-assisted processes).

4.         Revise and edit drafts by rereading for content and organization, usage, sentence construction, mechanics, and word choice.

5.         Utilize the New Jersey Registered Holistic scoring rubric to improve and evaluate their writing and the writing of peers.

6.         Compose, revise, edit, and publish writing using appropriate word processing software.

7.         Reflect on own writing, noting strengths and setting goals for improvement.

B.    Writing as a Product (resulting in a formal product or publication)

1.         Extend knowledge of specific characteristics, structures, and appropriate voice and tone of selected genres and use this knowledge in creating written work, considering the purpose, audience, and context of the writing.

2.         Write various types of prose, such as short stories, biographies, autobiographies, or memoirs that contain narrative elements.

3.         Write reports and subject-appropriate nonfiction pieces across the curriculum based on research and including citations, quotations, and a works cited page.

4.         Write a range of essays, including persuasive, speculative (picture prompt), descriptive, personal, or issue-based.

C.     Mechanics, Spelling, and Handwriting

1.         Use Standard English conventions in all writing, such as sentence structure, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization, spelling.

2.         Use a variety of sentence types correctly, including combinations of independent and dependent clauses, prepositional and adverbial phrases, and varied sentence openings to develop a lively and effective personal style.

3.         Understand and use parallelism, including similar grammatical forms, to present items in a series or to organize ideas for emphasis.

4.         Refine the use of subordination, coordination, apposition, and other devices to indicate relationships between ideas.

5.         Use transition words to reinforce a logical progression of ideas.

6.         Edit writing for correct grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

7.         Use a variety of reference materials, such as a dictionary, thesaurus, grammar reference, and/or internet/software resources to edit written work.

8.         Write legibly in manuscript or cursive to meet district standards.

D.    Writing Forms, Audiences, and Purposes (exploring a variety of forms)

1.         Gather, select, and organize the most effective information appropriate to a topic, task, and audience.

2.         Apply knowledge and strategies for composing pieces in a variety of genres (e.g., narrative, expository, persuasive, poetic, and everyday/ workplace or technical writing).

3.         Write responses to literature and develop insights into interpretations by connecting to personal experiences and referring to textual information.  

4.         Write personal narratives, short stories, memoirs, poetry, and persuasive and expository text that relate clear, coherent events, or situations through the use of specific details.

5.         Use narrative and descriptive writing techniques that show compositional risks (e.g., dialogue, literary devices sensory words and phrases, background information, thoughts and feelings of characters, comparison and contrast of characters.)

6.         Use a variety of primary and secondary sources to understand the value of each when writing a research report.

7.         Write reports based on research and include citations, quotations, and works cited page.

8.         Explore the central idea or theme of an informational reading and support analysis with details from the article and personal experiences.

9.         Demonstrate writing clarity and supportive evidence when answering open-ended and essay questions across the curriculum.

10.     State a position clearly and convincingly in a persuasive essay by stating the issue, giving facts, examples, and details to support the position, and citing sources when appropriate.

11.     Present evidence when writing persuasive essays, examples, and justification to support arguments.

12.     Choose an appropriate organizing strategy such as cause/effect, pro and con, parody, to effectively present a topic, point of view, or argument.

13.     Use of a personal style and voice effectively to support the purpose and engage the audience of a piece of writing.

14.     Maintain a collection of writing (e.g., a literacy folder, or a literacy portfolio).

15.  Review scoring criteria of relevant rubrics.

STANDARD 3.3 (SPEAKING) ALL STUDENTS WILL SPEAK IN CLEAR, CONCISE, ORGANIZED LANGUAGE THAT VARIES IN CONTENT AND FORM FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES AND PURPOSES.

Descriptive Statement: Oral language is a powerful tool for communicating, thinking, and learning. Through speaking and listening, students acquire the building blocks necessary to connect with others, develop vocabulary, and perceive the structure of the English language. An important goal in the language arts classroom is for students to speak confidently and fluently in a variety of situations.

Cumulative Progress Indicators

uilding upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:

A.     Discussion (small group and whole class)

 1.         Support a position, acknowledging opposing views.

 2.         Present ideas and opinions spontaneously in response to a topic or other speakers.

 3.         Apply rules for cooperative or whole class debate on a controversial issue.

 4.         Define group roles using consensus to ensure task is understood and completed.

 5.         Participate in a formal debate (e.g., panel discussion).

 6.         Respond orally to literature.

 7.         Participate in class discussion appropriately.

B.     Questioning (Inquiry) and Contributing

 1.        Paraphrase others' comments to clarify viewpoints.

 2.        Question to clarify others' opinions.

 3.        Integrate relevant information regarding issues and problems from group discussions and interviews for reports, issues, projects, debates, and oral presentations.

 4.         Solve a problem or understand a task through group cooperation.

C.     Word Choice

 1.         Paraphrase, illustrate, clarify, and/or expand on a topic or idea.

 2.         Develop and use advanced vocabulary related to a topic.

 3.         Use language that stimulates an audience's interest.

 4.         Incorporate varied sentence structure and correct grammar.

D.    Oral Presentation

 1.         Use writing to prompt discussion and enhance planning of formal and informal presentations.

 2.         Use visual aids, media, and/or technology to support oral communication.

 3.         Give oral presentations to different audiences for various purposes, such as summaries of books and articles, narratives, and persuasive topics, research projects, and extemporaneous/impromptu, dramatic speeches.

 4.         Acknowledge the audience with eye contact and use appropriate verbal responses to clarify questions and inquiries.

 5.         Incorporate peer feedback and teacher suggestions for revisions in content, organization, and delivery.

 6.         Use speaking techniques, including voice modulation, inflection, tempo, enunciation, and eye contact, for effective presentations.

 7.         Use a scoring rubric to prepare, evaluate, and improve the oral presentations of self and others.

 8.         Read aloud with fluency.

STANDARD 3.4 (LISTENING) ALL STUDENTS WILL LISTEN ACTIVELY TO INFORMATION FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES IN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS.

Descriptive Statement: Listening is the process of hearing, receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages. Through active listening, students gain understanding and appreciation of language and communication. Students call on different listening skills depending on their purpose for listening (e.g., listening to letter sounds to gain phonemic awareness, comprehending information, evaluating a message, appreciating a performance). Effective listeners are able to listen actively, restate, interpret, respond to, and evaluate increasingly complex messages. Students need to recognize that what they say, read, write, and view contributes to the content and quality of their listening experiences.

Cumulative Progress Indicators

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:

A.    Active Listening

 1.         Demonstrate active listening behaviors in a variety of situations (e.g., one-on-one or small group).

 2.         Demonstrate active listening by analyzing information, ideas, and opinions to determine relevancy.

 3.         Acknowledge the speaker through eye contact and use appropriate feedback and questions to clarify the speaker’s message.

 4.         Recognize persuasive techniques and credibility in oral communication.

 5.         Listen to determine a speaker's purpose, attitude, and perspective.

 6.         Use, when appropriate, criteria/rubric to evaluate oral presentations, such as purpose, delivery techniques, content, visual aids, body language, and facial expressions.

B.     Listening Comprehension

 1.         Interpret a speaker's verbal and nonverbal messages, purposes, and perspectives.

 2.         Exhibit proficiency in integrating oral reading with listening, writing, and viewing.

 3.         Critique information heard or viewed.

 4.         Critique oral presentations using agreed-upon criteria for evaluation (e.g., rubric).

 5.         Ask probing questions to elicit information, including evidence to support the speaker’s claims and conclusions.

 6.         Paraphrase a speaker’s purpose and point of view.

 7.         Make inferences based on an oral report or presentation.

STANDARD 3.5 (VIEWING AND MEDIA LITERACY) ALL STUDENTS WILL ACCESS, VIEW, EVALUATE, AND RESPOND TO PRINT, NONPRINT, AND ELECTRONIC TEXTS AND RESOURCES.

Descriptive Statement: Students learn how to view critically and thoughtfully in order to respond to visual messages and images in print, nonverbal interactions, the arts, and electronic media. Effective viewing is essential to comprehend and respond to personal interactions, live performances, visual arts that involve oral and/or written language, and both print media (graphs, charts, diagrams, illustrations, photographs, and graphic design in books, magazines, and newspapers) and electronic media (television, computers, and film). A media-literate person is able to evaluate media for credibility and understands how words, images, and sounds influence the way meanings are conveyed and understood in contemporary society. Students need to recognize that what they speak, hear, write, and read contributes to the content and quality of their viewing.

Cumulative Progress Indicators

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:

A.     Constructing Meaning

 1.         Analyze aspects of print and electronic texts that support the author's point of view, opinion, or attitude.

 2.    Analyze the use of elements (e.g., setting plot, theme, characters) to understand media presentations, such as film, video, television, and theatrical productions.

 3.         Analyze and respond to visual and print messages (e.g. humor, irony, metaphor) and recognize how words, sounds, and still or moving images are used in each medium to convey the intended messages.

 4.         Compare and contrast how the various forms of media (e.g. newspapers, radio, television, internet news outlets) cover the same topic.

B.     Visual and Verbal Messages

 1.         Analyze and compare the pros and cons of visual and verbal advertising.

 2.         Evaluate various media messages for credibility.

 3.         Develop criteria/rubric to judge the effectiveness of visual and verbal presentations.

 4.         Make inferences based upon the content of still images

 5.         Compare and contrast media sources, such as film and book versions of a story.

C.     Living with Media

 1.         Evaluate media forms, such as television, video, games, music, and film for content appropriateness (e.g., rating systems, rubric).

 2.         Analyze media content for emotional effect on audience.

 3.         Create media presentations and written reports, using multi-media resources such as an overhead projector, computer, and/or a tape recorder to communicate information.

Link to Standard 3 Grade 7

Link to Standard 3 High School

Back to Main Page