School Curriculum: Reading
This page is designed to enable parents to understand what their child should be learning, when they should be learning it, and what degree of mastery the child should have attained (at a median level) by a certain grade level. For Homeschoolers, we hope that this page will serve as a valuable asset in establishing a baseline curriculum. For parents whose children attend public or private schools (or for the inquisitive student) this page should give some guidance as to whether or not the school curriculum and methods are providing students with an adequate standard of education.
What is meant by "Reading," why is it important, and how is it approached ? Below is a description of the core discipline and its components, and the answers to why-how-when these components are taught. Reading components have median level goals to be attained by the end of Kindergarten, by the end of Grade 1 by the end of Grade 2, by the end of Grade 3, by the end of Grade 4, by the end of Grade 5, by the end of Grade 6, by the end of Grade 7, by the end of Grade 8, and by the end of Grade 12.
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Reading A.
Concepts About Print, B.
Phonological Awareness, C.
Decoding and Word Recognition, D.
Fluency, E.
Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading), F.
Vocabulary and Concept Development, G.
Comprehension Skills and Response to Text, H.
Inquiry and Research
The
Vision
The standards are intended to promote students' capacities to construct
meaning in any arena, with others as well as on their own. If students learn to
read, write, speak, listen, and view critically, strategically, and creatively,
and if they learn to use these arts individually and with others, they will have
the literacy skills they need to discover personal and shared meaning throughout
their lives. The
language arts are integrative, interactive ways of communicating that develop
through reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. They are the means
through which one is able to receive information; think logically and
creatively; express ideas; understand and participate meaningfully in spoken,
written, and nonverbal communications; formulate and answer questions; and
search for, organize, evaluate, and apply information. Literacy is a way to
acquire knowledge for thinking and communicating; it is more than the
acquisition of a specific, predetermined set of skills in reading, writing,
speaking, listening, and viewing. Literacy is also recognizing and understanding
one's own purposes for thinking and communicating (through print or nonprint,
verbal or nonverbal means) and being able to use one's own resources to achieve
those purposes.
Underlying the standards for language arts literacy are four assumptions about language learning. First, language is an active process for constructing meaning. Even the quiet listener is actively working to link prior knowledge and understanding to what other people say. Second, language develops in a social context. While language is used in private activities, the use of language almost always relates to others. Each of us is an active audience for those who create spoken, written, or visual texts; others listen to our thoughts and read our writing. Third, language ability increases in complexity if language is used in increasingly complex ways. Language learners must engage in texts and conversations that are rich in ideas and increasingly complex in the patterns of language they display. Finally, learners achieve mastery of language arts literacy not by adding skills one-by-one to their repertoire, but rather by using and exploring language in its many dimensions.
Although the standards define five separate strands of the language arts, these arts are integrative and meant to work together to inform and enrich each other. The language arts are interdependent processes that often merge in an integrated act of rehearsal, reflection, and learning. The division of language arts into separate standards and lettered strands is merely a method that allows us to highlight the special features of each and to identify developmentally appropriate skills and behaviors among language arts learners. The separation is not meant to suggest hierarchical order or any linear or sequential approach to literacy instruction. The standards are not intended to be a curriculum guide but should be used as a catalyst for curriculum alignment and renewal. They are the foundation for the universal thinking skills and strategies that enable all learners to contribute effectively to society.
The standards represent the importance of language arts to learning in two distinct but complementary ways. On the one hand, students develop the skills they will carry with them into adulthood as contributing members of society: critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity. On the other hand, students discover the inner joy and self-illumination that come with reading great literature and communicating through speech and writing. These two views are complementary; in striving for the goals of one, the goals of the other are fostered.
The language arts classroom should be purposeful, stimulating to the senses, and engaging for all types of learners, including varied activities for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Classroom organization should include some form of team and partner work and provide an environment that is responsive to students’ personal and academic goals. Brain research clearly shows implications for student learning when there are links to the arts, like classical music, and the real world. For example, having young children recite the alphabet with a song enables the learner to remember and retain the information longer. Language arts classrooms should be alive with authentic learning opportunities that motivate and incorporate the arts.
Specific to reading, speaking, and listening standards are oral language, decoding, comprehension, vocabulary development, and phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness, a child’s ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, contributes to early, emergent reading development. Since phonemic awareness is mastered by most students prior to the third grade, these skills are included only at the K-2 grade level. With regard to phonics, even though there are different approaches to teaching phonics, research findings indicate that comprehensive phonics programs should incorporate explicit and systematic phonics instruction. Phonics programs should provide ample opportunities for children to apply what they are learning about letters and sounds to the reading of words, sentences, and stories. Effective instruction in the early grades includes providing students with a variety of literary genres, including decodable books that contain specific letter-sound words they are learning. Hence, students understand that there is a predictable relationship between sounds and letters in spoken and written language, and in the language found in their favorite books.
In the language arts classroom, the role of writing is an integral part of reading instruction and offers a means for readers to extend and clarify their ideas. Students need many opportunities to write each day. Through writing workshops, students learn specific writing strategies and produce their own authentic writings. It is important that students at all grade levels write a range of pieces, including narrative, persuasive, informational, fiction, and poetry. In addition, there should be a seamless integration of word processing activities into a program of reading and writing instruction. Technology can be used as an effective tool for literacy tasks, and can facilitate reading comprehension and provide individualized instruction in areas like vocabulary development, phonemic awareness, and word processing.
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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.
Strands and Cumulative Progress Indicators
By the end of Kindergarten, students will:
A. Concepts About Print
1. Realize that speech can be recorded in words (e.g., his/her own name; words and symbols in the environment).
2. Distinguish letters from words.
3. Recognize that words are separated by spaces.
4. Follow words left to right and from top to bottom.
5. Recognize that print represents spoken language.
6. Demonstrate understanding of the function of a book and its parts, including front and back and title page.
B. Phonological Awareness (includes phonemic awareness)
1. Demonstrate understanding that spoken words consist of sequences of phonemes.
2. Demonstrate phonemic awareness by rhyming, clapping syllables, and substituting sounds.
3. Understand that the sequence of letters in a written word represents the sequence of sounds (phonemes) in a spoken word (alphabetic principle).
4. Learn many, though not all, one-to-one letter-sound correspondences.
5. Given a spoken word, produce another word that rhymes with it.
C. Decoding and Word Recognition
1. Recognize some words by sight.
2. Recognize and name most uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
3. Recognize and read one’s name.
D. Fluency
1. Practice reading behaviors such as retelling, reenacting, or dramatizing stories.
2. Recognize when a simple text fails to make sense when listening to a story read aloud.
3. Attempt to follow along in book while listening to a story read aloud.
4. Listen and respond attentively to literary texts (e.g., nursery rhymes) and functional texts (e.g., science books).
E. Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)
1. Begin to track or follow print when listening to a familiar text being read.
2. Think ahead and make simple predictions about text.
3. Use picture clues to aid understanding of story content.
4. Relate personal experiences to story characters’ experiences, language, customs, and cultures with assistance from teacher.
5. "Read" familiar texts from memory, not necessarily verbatim from the print alone.
F. Vocabulary and Concept Development
1. Continue to develop a vocabulary through meaningful, concrete experiences.
2. Identify and sort words in basic categories.
3. Explain meanings of common signs and symbols.
4. Use new vocabulary and grammatical construction in own speech.
G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
1. Respond to a variety of poems and stories through movement, art, music, and drama.
2. Verbally identify the main character, setting, and important events in a story read aloud.
3. Identify favorite books and stories.
4. Retell a story read aloud using main characters and events.
5. Participate in shared reading experiences.
6. Make predictions based on illustrations or portions of stories.
H. Inquiry and Research
1. Locate and know the purposes for various literacy areas of the classroom and the library/media center.
2. Choose books related to topics of interest.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grade, by the end of Grade 1, students will:
A. Concepts About Print
1. Match oral words to printed words (e.g., pointing to print as one reads).
2. Practice reading print in the environment at school and at home with assistance.
3. Locate and identify the title, author, and illustrator of a book or reading selection.
4. Interpret simple graphs, charts, and diagrams.
B. Phonological Awareness (includes phonemic awareness)
1. Demonstrate understanding of all sound- symbol relationships.
2. Blend or segment the phonemes of most one-syllable words.
3. Listen and identify the number of syllables in a word.
4. Merge spoken segments into a word.
5. Add, delete, or change sounds to change words (e.g., cow to how, cat to can).
C. Decoding and Word Recognition
1. Identify all consonant sounds in spoken words (including blends such as bl, br; and digraphs such as th, wh).
2. Recognize and use rhyming words to reinforce decoding skills.
3. Decode regular one-syllable words and nonsense words (e.g., sit, zot).
4. Use sound-letter correspondence knowledge to sound out unknown words when reading text.
5. Recognize high frequency words in and out of context.
6. Decode unknown words using basic phonetic analysis.
7. Decode unknown words using context clues.
D. Fluency
1. Answer questions correctly that are posed about stories read.
2. Begin to read simple text with fluency.
3. Read with fluency both fiction and nonfiction that is grade-level appropriate.
E. Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)
1. Use prior knowledge to make sense of text.
2. Establish a purpose for reading and adjust reading rate.
3. Use pictures as cues to check for meaning.
4. Check to see if what is being read makes sense.
5. Monitor their reading by using fix-up strategies (e.g., searching for clues).
6. Use graphic organizers to build on experiences and extend learning.
7. Begin to apply study skills strategies (e.g., survey, question, read, recite, and review—SQ3R) to assist with retention and new learning.
F. Vocabulary and Concept Development
1. Develop a vocabulary of 300-500 high-frequency sight words and phonetically regular words.
2. Use and explain common antonyms and synonyms.
3. Comprehend common and/or specific vocabulary in informational texts and literature.
G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
1. Draw simple conclusions from information gathered from pictures, print, and people.
2. Demonstrate familiarity with genres of text, including storybooks, expository texts, poetry, and newspapers.
3. Sequence information learned from text into a logical order to retell facts.
4. Identify, describe, compare, and contrast the elements of plot, setting, and characters.
5. Make simple inferences.
6. Read regularly in independent-level materials.
7. Engage in silent independent reading for specific purposes.
H. Inquiry and Research
1. Ask and explore questions related to a topic of interest.
2. Draw conclusions from information and data gathered.
3. Be exposed to and read a variety of fiction and nonfiction, and produce evidence of reading.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 2, students will:
A. Concepts About Print/Text
1. Use titles, tables of contents, and chapter headings to locate information.
2. Recognize the purpose of a paragraph.
B. Phonological Awareness (includes phonemic awareness)
1. Add, delete, or change middle sounds to change words (e.g., pat to put).
2. Use knowledge of letter-sound correspondences to sound out unknown words.
C. Decoding and Word Recognition
1. Look for known chunks or small words to attempt to decode an unknown word.
2. Reread inserting the beginning sound of the unknown word.
3. Decode regular multisyllable words and parts of words (e.g., capital, Kalamazoo).
4. Read many irregularly spelled words and such spelling patterns as diphthongs, special vowel spellings, and common endings.
D. Fluency
1. Pause at appropriate end points (e.g., comma, period).
2. Use appropriate pace; "not choppy" or word-by-word.
3. Use appropriate inflection (e.g., dialogue, exclamations, questions).
4. Read silently without finger or lip movement.
5. Self-monitor when text does not make sense.
6. Employ learned strategies to determine if text makes sense without being prompted.
E. Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)
1. Skip over difficult words in an effort to read on and determine meaning.
2. Return to the beginning of a sentence and try again.
F. Vocabulary and Concept Development
1. Develop a vocabulary of 500-800 regular and irregular sight words.
2. Know and relate meanings of simple prefixes and suffixes.
3. Demonstrate evidence of expanding language repertory.
4. Understand concept of antonyms and synonyms.
5. Begin to use a grade-appropriate dictionary with assistance from teacher.
G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
1. Demonstrate ability to recall facts and details of text.
2. Recognize cause and effect in text.
3. Make inferences and support them with textual information.
4 Continue to identify story elements in text.
5. Respond to text by using how, why, and what-if questions.
H. Inquiry and Research
1. Locate information using alphabetical order.
2. Read a variety of nonfiction and fiction books and produce evidence of reading.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 3, students will:
A. Concepts About Print/Text
1. Recognize that printed materials provide specific information.
2. Recognize purposes for print conventions such as end-sentence punctuation, paragraphing, and bold print.
3. Use a glossary or index to locate information in a text.
B. Phonological Awareness (includes phonemic awareness)
1. Demonstrate a sophisticated sense of sound-symbol relationships, including all phonemes (e.g., blends, digraphs, diphthongs).
C. Decoding and Word Recognition
1. Know sounds for a range of prefixes and suffixes (e.g., re-, ex-, -ment, -tion).
2. Use letter-sound knowledge and structural analysis to decode words.
3. Use context to accurately read words with more than one pronunciation.
D. Fluency
1. Recognize grade-level words accurately and with ease so that a text sounds like spoken language when read aloud.
2. Read longer text and chapter books independently and silently.
3. Read aloud with proper phrasing, inflection, and intonation.
E. Reading Strategies (before, during, after reading)
1. Set purpose for reading and check to verify or change predictions during/after reading.
2. Monitor comprehension and accuracy while reading in context and self-correct errors.
3. Use pictures and context clues to assist with decoding of new words.
4. Develop and use graphic organizers to build on experiences and extend learning.
F. Vocabulary and Concept Development
1. Spell previously studied words and spelling patterns accurately.
2. Point to or clearly identify specific words or wording that cause comprehension difficulties.
3. Infer word meanings from taught roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
4. Use a grade-appropriate dictionary with assistance from teacher.
5. Use pictures and context clues to assist with meaning of new words.
G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
1. Recognize purpose of the text.
2. Distinguish cause/effect, fact/opinion, and main idea/supporting details in interpreting texts.
3. Interpret information in graphs, charts, and diagrams.
4. Ask how, why, and what-if questions in interpreting nonfiction texts.
5. Recognize how authors use humor, sarcasm, and imagery to extend meaning.
6. Discuss underlying theme or message in interpreting fiction.
7. Summarize major points from fiction and nonfiction texts.
8. Draw conclusions and inferences from texts.
9. Recognize first-person "I" point of view.
10. Compare and contrast story plots, characters, settings, and themes.
11. Participate in creative responses to texts (e.g., dramatizations, oral presentations).
12. Read regularly in materials appropriate for their independent reading level.
13. Read and comprehend both fiction and nonfiction that is appropriately designed for grade level.
14. Use information and reasoning to examine bases of hypotheses and opinions.
H. Inquiry and Research
1. Use library classification systems, print or electronic, to locate information.
2. Draw conclusions from information and data gathered.
3. Read a variety of nonfiction and fiction books and produce evidence of understanding.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 4, students will:
A. Concepts About Print/Text
1. Identify differences of various print formats, including newspapers, magazines, books, and reference resources.
2. Recognize purposes and uses for print conventions such as paragraphs, end-sentence punctuation, and bold print.
3. Identify and locate features that support text meaning (e.g., maps, charts, illustrations).
B. Phonological Awareness
No additional indicators at this grade level.
C. Decoding and Word Recognition
1. Use letter-sound correspondence and structural analysis (e.g., roots, affixes) to decode words.
2. Know and use common word families to decode unfamiliar words.
3. Recognize compound words, contractions, and common abbreviations.
D. Fluency
1. Use appropriate rhythm, flow, meter, and pronunciation in demonstrating understanding of punctuation marks.
2. Read at different speeds using scanning, skimming, or careful reading as appropriate.
E. Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)
1. Use knowledge of word meaning, language structure, and sound-symbol relationships to check understanding when reading.
2. Identify specific words or passages causing comprehension difficulties and seek clarification.
3. Select useful visual organizers before, during, and after reading to organize information (e.g., Venn diagrams).
F. Vocabulary and Concept Development
1. Infer word meanings from learned roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
2. Infer specific word meanings in the context of reading passages.
3. Identify and correctly use antonyms, synonyms, homophones, and homographs.
4. Use a grade-appropriate dictionary (independently) to define unknown words.
G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
1. Discuss underlying themes across cultures in various texts.
2. Distinguish cause and effect, fact and opinion, main idea, and supporting details in nonfiction texts (e.g., science, social studies).
3. Cite evidence from text to support conclusions.
4. Understand author’s opinions and how they address culture, ethnicity, gender, and historical periods.
5. Follow simple multiple-steps in written instructions.
6. Recognize an author’s point of view.
7. Identify and summarize central ideas in informational texts.
8. Recognize differences among forms of literature, including poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.
9. Recognize literary elements in stories, including setting, characters, plot, and mood.
10. Identify some literary devices in stories.
11. Identify the structures in poetry.
12. Identify the structures in drama.
13. Read regularly in materials appropriate for their independent reading level.
H. Inquiry and Research
1. Use library classification systems, print or electronic, to locate information.
2. Investigate a favorite author and produce evidence of research.
3. Read independently and research topics using a variety of materials to satisfy personal, academic, and social needs, and produce evidence of reading.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 5, students will:
A. Concepts About Print/Text
1. Use a text index and glossary appropriately.
2. Survey and explain text features that contribute to comprehension (e.g., headings, introductory and concluding paragraphs).
B. Phonological Awareness
No additional indicators at this grade level.
C. Decoding and Word Recognition
1. Use the pronunciation key of a dictionary to decode new words.
2. Use context clues or knowledge of phonics, syllabication, prefixes, and suffixes to decode new words.
3. Interpret new words correctly in context.
4. Apply spelling and syllabication rules that aid in decoding and word recognition.
D. Fluency
1. Adjust reading speed appropriately for different purposes and audiences.
2. Apply knowledge of letter-sound associations, language structures, and context to recognize words.
3. Read aloud in ways that reflect understanding of proper phrasing and intonation.
4. Read silently for the purpose of increasing speed, accuracy, and reading fluency.
5. Apply self-correcting strategies to decode and gain meaning from print both, orally and silently.
E. Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)
1. Activate prior knowledge and anticipate what will be read or heard.
2. Vary reading strategies according to their purpose for reading and the nature of the text.
3. Reread to make sense of difficult paragraphs or sections of text.
4. Make revisions to text predictions during and after reading.
5. Apply graphic organizers to illustrate key concepts and relationships in a text.
F. Vocabulary and Concept Development
1. Infer word meanings from learned roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
2. Infer specific word meanings in the context of reading passages.
3. Identify and correctly use antonyms, synonyms, homophones, and homographs.
4. Use a grade-level appropriate dictionary independently to define unknown words.
5. Use a thesaurus to identify alternative word choices and meanings.
G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
1. Identify author’s purpose, views, and beliefs.
2. Identify genre by their distinctive elements (e.g. tall tale-exaggeration).
3. Use cause and effect and sequence of events to gain meaning.
4. Anticipate and construct meaning from text by making conscious connections to self, an author, and others.
5. Recognize persuasive and propaganda techniques used to influence readers.
6. Recognize historical and cultural biases and different points of view.
7. Understand that theme refers to the central idea or meaning of a selection and recognize themes, whether implied or stated directly.
8. Distinguish between major and minor details.
9. Make inferences using textual information and provide supporting evidence.
10. Recognize common organizational patterns in text that support comprehension (e.g., headings, captions).
11. Identify and analyze text types, formats, and elements in nonfiction.
12. Recognize literary elements in stories, including setting, characters, plot, and mood.
13. Recognize figurative language in text (e.g. simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration).
14. Identify and respond to the elements of sound and structure in poetry.
15. Identify the structures in drama.
16. Read regularly in materials appropriate for their independent reading level.
17. Interpret idiomatic expressions.
H. Inquiry and Research
1. Use library classification systems, print or electronic, to locate information.
2. Develop and revise questions for investigations prior to, during, and after reading.
3. Use multiple sources to locate information relevant to research questions.
4. Read independently and research topics using a variety of materials to satisfy personal, academic, and social needs, and produce evidence of reading.
5. Draw conclusions from information gathered from multiple sources.
6. Interpret and use graphic sources of information such as maps, graphs, timelines, or tables to address research questions.
7. Summarize and organize information by taking notes, outlining ideas, and/or making charts.
8. Produce projects and reports, using visuals, media, and/or technology to show learning and support the learning of an audience.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 6, students will:
A. Concepts About Print/Text
1. Use a text index and glossary independently and appropriately.
2. Survey and explain text features that contribute to comprehension (e.g., headings, introductory, concluding paragraphs).
3. Recognize and use common print formats to obtain information (e.g., newspapers, magazines, electronic sources).
B. Phonological Awareness
No additional indicators at this grade level.
C. Decoding and Word Recognition
1. Use a dictionary to decode new words independently.
2. Use context clues or knowledge of phonics, syllabication, prefixes, and suffixes to decode new words.
3. Apply knowledge of new words correctly (refer to word parts and word origin).
4. Apply spelling and syllabication rules that aid in decoding and word recognition.
D. Fluency
1. Adjust reading speed appropriately for different purposes and audiences.
2. Read aloud in ways that reflect understanding of proper phrasing and intonation.
3. Read silently for the purpose of increasing speed, accuracy, and reading fluency.
4. Apply self-correcting strategies to decode and gain meaning from print, both orally and silently.
E. Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)
1. Activate prior knowledge and anticipate what will be read or heard.
2. Vary reading strategies according to their purpose for reading and the nature of the text.
3. Reread to make sense of difficult paragraphs or sections of text.
4. Make revisions to text predictions during and after reading.
5. Use reference aids for word meanings when reading.
6. Apply graphic organizers to illustrate key concepts and relationships in a text.
F. Vocabulary and Concept Development
1. Infer word meanings from learned roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
2. Infer specific word meanings in the context of reading passages.
3. Identify and correctly use antonyms, synonyms, homophones, and homographs.
4. Use the dictionary for a variety of purposes (e.g., definitions, word origins, parts of speech).
5. Use a thesaurus to identify alternative word choices and meanings.
G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
1. Respond critically to an author’s purpose, ideas, views, and beliefs.
2. Identify genre by their distinctive elements (e.g. tall tale-exaggeration).
3. Use cause and effect and sequence of events to gain meaning.
4. Construct meaning from text by making conscious connections to self, an author, and others.
5. Recognize persuasive and propaganda techniques used to influence readers.
6. Recognize and understand historical and cultural biases and different points of view.
7. Identify and analyze features of themes conveyed through characters, actions, and images.
8. Distinguish between major and minor details.
9. Make inferences using textual information and provide supporting evidence.
10. Recognize common organizational patterns in text that support comprehension (e.g., headings captions).
11. Identify and analyze text types, formats, and elements in nonfiction.
12. Recognize characterization, setting, plot, theme, and point of view in fiction.
13. Recognize sensory details, figurative language, and other literary devices in text.
14. Identify and respond to the elements of sound and structure in poetry.
15. Analyze drama as a source of information, entertainment, persuasion, or transmitter of culture.
16. Identify and analyze elements of setting, plot, and characterization in plays that are read, written, or performed.
17. Explain ways that the setting contributes to the mood of a novel, play, or poem.
18. Interpret idiomatic expressions.
H. Inquiry and Research
1. Develop and revise questions for investigations prior to, during, and after reading.
2. Select and use multiple sources to locate information relevant to research questions.
3. Draw conclusions from information gathered from multiple sources.
4. Interpret and use graphic sources of information such as maps, graphs, timelines, or tables to address research questions.
5. Summarize and organize information by taking notes, outlining ideas, and/or making charts.
6. Produce projects and reports, using visuals, media, and/or technology to show learning and support the learning of an audience.
7. Compare themes, characters, settings, and ideas across texts or works and produce evidence of understanding.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 7, students will:
A. Concepts About Print/Text
1. Identify and use common textual features (e.g., paragraphs, topic, sentence, index, glossary, table of contents) and graphic features, (e.g., charts, maps, diagrams) to comprehend information.
2. Develop an understanding of the organizational structure of printed material (e.g. chronological, sequential, procedural text).
B. Phonological Awareness
No additional indicators at this grade level.
C. Decoding and Word Recognition
1. Distinguish among the spellings of homophones (e.g. cite, site, sight).
2. Apply spelling rules and syllabication that aid in correct spelling.
3. Continue to use structural analysis and context analysis to decode new words.
D. Fluency
1. Read aloud in selected texts reflecting understanding of the text and engaging the listener.
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. Reread informational text for clarity.
E. Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)
1. Monitor reading for understanding by 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 an extended vocabulary through both listening 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.
G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
1. Speculate about text by generating literal and inferential questions.
2. Distinguish between essential and nonessential information.
3. Differentiate between fact, opinion, bias, and propaganda in newspapers, periodicals, and electronic texts.
4. Articulate the purposes and characteristics of different genres.
5. Analyze ideas and recurring themes found in texts, such as bravery, loyalty, friendship, and loneliness.
6. Develop an awareness of a variety of perspectives on a single event, setting, character, personality, or topic as expressed by different authors.
7. Locate and analyze the elements of setting, characterization, and plot to construct understanding of how characters influence the progression and resolution of the plot.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Respond critically to text ideas and the author’s craft by using textual evidence to support interpretations.
11. Identify and analyze literary techniques and elements, such as figurative language, meter, rhetorical and stylistic features of text.
12. Identify and analyze recurring themes across literary works.
13. Identify and understand the author’s use of idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes in prose and poetry.
14. Compare and contrast the perspectives of authors in a variety of interdisciplinary works.
15. Interpret text ideas through journal writing, discussion, and enactment.
16. Demonstrate the use of everyday texts (e.g., train schedules, directions, brochures) and make judgments about the importance of such documents.
17. Interpret idiomatic expressions.
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 possible 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).
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
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.D. Fluency
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).
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12, students will:
A. Concepts About Print/Text
No additional indicators at this grade level.
B. Phonological Awareness
No additional indicators at this grade level.
C. Decoding and Word Recognition
No additional indicators at this grade level.D. Fluency
1. Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level with accuracy and speed.
2. Use appropriate rhythm, flow, meter, and pronunciation when reading.
3. Read a variety of genres and types of text with fluency and comprehension.E. Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)
1. Identify, assess, and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning from a variety of texts.
2. Practice visualizing techniques before, during, and after reading to aid in comprehension.
3. Judge the most effective graphic organizers to use with various text types for memory retention and monitoring comprehension.F. Vocabulary and Concept Development
1. Use knowledge of word origins and word relationships, as well as historical and literary context clues, to determine the meanings of specialized vocabulary.
2. Use knowledge of root words to understand new words.
3. Apply reading vocabulary in different content areas.G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
1. Identify, describe, evaluate, and synthesize the central ideas in informational texts.
2. Understand the study of literature and theories of literary criticism.
3. Understand that our literary heritage is marked by distinct literary movements and is part of a global literary tradition.
4. Compare and evaluate the relationship between past literary traditions and contemporary writing.
5. Analyze how works of a given period reflect historical and social events and conditions.
6. Recognize literary concepts, such as rhetorical device, logical fallacy, and jargon, and their effect on meaning.
7. Interpret how literary devices affect reading emotions and understanding.
8. Analyze and evaluate the appropriateness of diction and figurative language (e.g., irony, paradox).
9. Distinguish between essential and nonessential information, identifying the use of proper references and propaganda techniques where present.
10. Differentiate between fact and opinion by using complete and accurate information, coherent arguments, and points of view.
11. Analyze how an author’s use of words creates tone and mood, and how choice of words advances the theme or purpose of the work.
12. Demonstrate familiarity with everyday texts such as job and college applications, W-2 forms, and contracts.
13. Read, comprehend, and be able to follow information gained from technical and instructional manuals (e.g., how-to books, computer manuals, or instructional manuals).H. Inquiry and Research
1. Select appropriate electronic media for research and evaluate the quality of the information received.
2. Develop materials for a portfolio that reflect a specific career choice.
3. Develop increased ability to critically select works to support a research topic.
4. Read and critically analyze a variety of works, including books and other print materials (e.g., periodicals, journals, manuals), about one issue or topic, or books by a single author or in one genre, and produce evidence of reading.
5. Apply information gained from several sources or books on a single topic or by a single author to foster an argument, draw conclusions, or advance a position.
6. Critique the validity and logic of arguments advanced in public documents, their appeal to various audiences, and the extent to which they anticipate and address reader concerns.
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