Language Arts

Reading during the first quarter will focus on:

• Identifying the author's use of figurative language (simile, metaphor, onomotopoeia)
• Making, confirming, and revising predictions
• Explaining the author's purpose based on their choice of vocabulary
• Identifying cause and effect relationships
• Character Development
• Describing plot development
• Identfying the main idea or theme using events and details

Writing during the first quarter will focus on:

• Writing a clear topic sentence
• Composing multi-paragraphs
• Elaborating the main idea
• Using transition words, tone of voice
• Revising and editing for clarity

** Students would benefit greatly from reading books, magazines, menus, brochures, etc. Students would also benefit from reading articles on Achieve 3000, a non-fiction based program. The articles on this program are leveled to your student's ability and change over time based on an achievement rate of 75% or better on the activities.

In addition to first quarter strands, reading during the 2nd Quarter will include:

• asking questions about what is read and to clarify various points of view
• drawing conclusions and making inferences from text, including inferences about character and theme.
• describing how an author's choice of vocabulary contributes to the author's style
• comparing relationships among people, facts, and events in non-fiction selections
• ask and answering questions about what is read
• drawing conclusions and making inferences from text, including inferences about main idea
• identifying structural patterns found in non-fiction

In addition to first quarter strands, writing during the 2nd Quarter will include:

• Giving credit to sources used in research
• Defining the meaning and consequences of plagiarism

In addition to first and second quarter strands, third quarter strands will include:

• Poetry
• Functional Text
• Descriptive vocabulary
• Author's voice, point of view, tone, and mood