READING STANDARD ARTICULATED BY GRADE LEVEL
GRADE 8
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The following standards summarizes the Arizona State Standards for 8th Grade Language Arts. To see the full set of standards, visit the Arizona Department of Education website by clicking the image to the left.
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Reading Standards
Strand 1: Reading Process: Reading Process consists of the five critical components of reading, which are Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension of connected text. These elements support each other and are woven together to build a solid foundation of linguistic understanding for the reader.
Concept 1: Print Concepts Demonstrate understanding of print concepts (Grades K-3)
Concept 2: Phonemic Awareness Identify and manipulate the sounds of speech. (Grades K-2)
Concept 3: Phonics Decode words, using knowledge of phonics, syllabication, and word parts. (Grades K-3)
Concept 4: Vocabulary Acquire and use new vocabulary in relevant contexts
PO 1. Determine the meaning of vocabulary using linguistic roots and affixes (e.g., Greek, Anglo-Saxon, Latin).
PO 2. Use context to identify the intended meaning of unfamiliar words (e.g., definition, example, restatement, synonym, contrast).
PO 3. Use context to identify the meaning of words with multiple meanings (e.g., definition, example, restatement, contrast).
PO 4. Determine the meaning of figurative language, including similes, metaphors, personification, idioms, hyperbole, and technical language.
PO 5. Identify the meanings, pronunciations, syllabication, synonyms, antonyms, and parts of speech of words, by using a variety of reference aids, including dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, and CD-ROM and the Internet when available. Italics denotes a repetition of a performance objective (learned in an earlier grade) that is to be applied to more complex reading selections.
Concept 5: Fluency Read fluently.
PO 1. Read from a variety of genres with accuracy, automaticity (immediate recognition), and prosody (expression).
Concept 6: Comprehension Strategies Employ strategies to comprehend text
PO 1. Predict text content using prior knowledge and text features (e.g., illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words).
PO 2. Confirm predictions about text for accuracy.
PO 3. Generate clarifying questions in order to comprehend text.
PO 4. Use graphic organizers in order to clarify the meaning of the text.
PO 5. Connect information and events in text to experience and to related text and sources.
PO 6. Apply knowledge of the organizational structures (e.g., chronological order, compare and contrast, cause and effect relationships, logical order, by classification) of text to aid comprehension.
PO 7. Use reading strategies (e.g., drawing conclusions, determining cause and effect, making inferences, sequencing) to interpret text.
Strand 2: Comprehending Literary Text: Comprehending Literary Text identifies the comprehension strategies that are specific in the study of a variety of literature.
Concept 1: Elements of Literature Identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the structures and elements of literature
PO 1. Analyze plot development (e.g., conflict, subplots, parallel episodes) to determine how conflicts are resolved.
PO 2. Compare (and contrast) themes across works of prose, poetry, and drama.
PO 3. Describe a character, based upon the thoughts, words, and actions of the character, the narrator’s description, and other characters.
PO 4. Contrast points of view (e.g., first vs. third, limited vs. omniscient) in literary text.
PO 5. Analyze the relevance of the setting (e.g., time, place, situation) to the mood and tone of the text.
PO 6. Draw conclusions about the style, mood, and meaning of literary text based on the author’s word choice.
PO 7. Analyze the characteristics and structural elements (essential attributes) of a variety of poetic forms (e.g., epic, lyric, sonnet, ballad, elegy, haiku, free verse).
Concept 2: Historical and Cultural Aspects of Literature Recognize and apply knowledge of the historical and cultural aspects of American, British, and world literature.
PO 1. Describe the historical and cultural aspects found in cross-cultural works of literature.
PO 2. Identify common structures and stylistic elements in literature, folklore, and myths from a variety of cultures.
Strand 3: Comprehending Informational Text: Comprehending Informational Text delineates specific and unique skills that are required to understand the wide array of informational text that is a part of our day-to-day experiences.
Concept 1: Expository Text Identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the purpose, structures, and elements of expository text.
PO 1. Restate the main idea (explicit or implicit) and supporting details in expository text.
PO 2. Summarize the main idea (stated or implied) and critical details of expository text, maintaining chronological, sequential, or logical order.
PO 3. Distinguish fact from opinion in expository text, providing supporting evidence from text.
PO 4. Identify the author's stated or implied purpose(s) for writing expository text.
PO 5 Locate specific information by using organizational features (e.g., table of contents, headings, captions, bold print, italics, glossaries, indices, key/guide words, topic sentences, concluding sentences, end notes, footnotes, bibliographic references) in expository text. (Connected to Research Strand in Writing)
PO 6. Locate appropriate print and electronic reference sources (e.g., encyclopedia, atlas, almanac, dictionary, thesaurus, periodical, CD-ROM, website) for a specific purpose. (Connected to Research Strand in Writing)
PO 7. Differentiate between primary and secondary source materials. (Connected to Research Strand in Writing)
PO 8. Interpret graphic features (e.g., charts, maps, diagrams, illustrations, tables, timelines, graphs) of expository text. (Connected to Research Strand in Writing)
PO 9. Apply knowledge of organizational structures (e.g., chronological order, comparison and contrast, cause and effect relationships, logical order, classification schemes) of expository text to aid comprehension.
PO 10. Make relevant inferences about expository text, supported by text evidence.
PO 11. Compare (and contrast) the central ideas and concepts from selected readings on a specific topic.
PO 12. Explain how authors use elements (e.g., language choice, organization) of expository text to achieve their purposes.
Concept 2: Functional Text Identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the purpose, structures, clarity, and relevancy of functional text.
PO 1. Use information from text and text features to determine the sequence of activities needed to carry out a procedure.
PO 2. Determine what information (e.g., steps in directions, legend, supplies needed, illustrations, diagram, sequence) is extraneous in functional text.
PO 3. Interpret details from a variety of functional text (e.g., warranties, product information, technical manuals, instructional manuals, consumer safety publications) for a specific purpose (e.g., to follow directions, to solve problems, to perform procedures, to answer questions.
PO 4. Evaluate the adequacy of details and facts from functional text to achieve a specific purpose.
Concept 3: Persuasive Text Explain basic elements of argument in text and their relationship to the author’s purpose and use of persuasive strategies.
PO 1. Determine the author's specific purpose for writing the persuasive text.
PO 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of the facts used to support an author’s argument regarding a particular idea, subject, concept, or object.
PO 3. Describe the intended effect of persuasive strategies and propaganda techniques (e.g., bandwagon, peer pressure, repetition, testimonial, transfer, loaded words) that an author uses.
PO 4. Identify specific instances of bias in persuasive text.
Writing Standards
Strand 1: Writing Process: Research has established the major steps of the writing process. These steps are identified in the five concepts of this strand, each supported with specific performance objectives. While all steps are needed and used by effective writers as they compose text, different skills may be emphasized in individual assignments. These steps may be used recursively as a piece moves toward completion. Throughout the process, students should reflect on their own writing skills, set goals, and evaluate their own progress.
Concept 1: Prewriting includes using strategies to generate, plan, and organize ideas for specific purposes.
PO 1. Generate ideas through a variety of activities (e.g., prior knowledge, discussion with others, printed material or other sources).
PO 2. Determine the purpose (e.g., to entertain, to inform, to communicate, to persuade, to explain) of an intended writing piece.
PO 3. Determine the intended audience of a writing piece.
PO 4. Establish a central idea appropriate to the type of writing.
PO 5. Use organizational strategies (e.g., outlines, charts, tables, graphs, Venn Diagrams, webs, story map, plot pyramid) to plan writing.
PO 6. Maintain a record (e.g., lists, journals, folders, notebooks) of writing ideas.
PO 7. Use time management strategies, when appropriate, to produce a writing product within a set time period.
Concept 2: Drafting incorporates prewriting activities to create a first draft containing necessary elements for a specific purpose.
PO 1. Use a prewriting plan to develop a draft with main idea(s) and supporting details.
PO 2. Organize writing into a logical sequence that is clear to the audience.
Concept 3: Revising includes evaluating and refining the rough draft for clarity and effectiveness. (Ask: Does this draft say what you want it to say?)
PO 1. Evaluate the draft for use of ideas and content, organization, voice, word choice, and sentence fluency. (See Strand 2)
PO 2. Add details to the draft to more effectively accomplish the purpose.
PO 3. Delete irrelevant and/or redundant information from the draft to more effectively accomplish the purpose.
PO 4. Rearrange words, sentences, and paragraphs to clarify the meaning or to enhance the writing style.
PO 5. Add transitional words, phrases and/or sentences to clarify meaning or enhance the writing style.
PO 6. Use a variety of sentence structures (i.e., simple, compound, complex) to improve sentence fluency in the draft.
PO 7. Apply appropriate tools or strategies (e.g., peer review, checklists, rubrics) to refine the draft.
PO 8. Use resources and reference materials to select more precise vocabulary.
Concept 4: Editing includes proofreading and correcting the draft for conventions.
PO 1. Identify punctuation, spelling, and grammar and usage errors in the draft. (See Strand 2)
PO 2. Use resources (e.g., dictionary, word lists, spelling/grammar checkers) to correct conventions.
PO 3. Apply proofreading marks to indicate errors in conventions.
PO 4. Apply appropriate tools or strategies (e.g., peer review, checklists, rubrics) to edit the draft.
Concept 5: Publishing includes formatting and presenting a final product for the intended audience.
PO 1. Prepare writing in a format (e.g., oral presentation, manuscript, multimedia) appropriate to audience and purpose.
PO 2. Use margins and spacing to enhance the final product.
PO 3. Use graphics (e.g., drawings, charts, graphs), when applicable, to enhance the final product.
PO 4. Write legibly.
Strand 2: Writing Components: This strand focuses on the elements of effective writing. Good writing instruction incorporates multiple performance objectives into an integrated experience of learning for the student. Throughout the process, students should reflect on their own writing skills, set goals, and evaluate their own progress. The order of the concepts and performance objectives is not intended to indicate a progression or hierarchy for writing instruction. Instructional activities may focus on just one concept or many.
Concept 1: Ideas and Content writing is clear and focused, holding the reader’s attention throughout. Main ideas stand out and are developed by strong support and rich details. Purpose is accomplished.
PO 1. Use clear, focused ideas and details to support the topic.
PO 2. Provide content and selected details that are well-suited to audience and purpose.
PO 3. Develop a sufficient explanation or exploration of the topic.
PO 4. Include ideas and details that show original perspective.
Concept 2: Organization addresses the structure of the writing and integrates the central meaning and patterns that hold the piece together.
PO 1. Use a structure that fits the type or writing (e.g., letter format, narrative, play, essay). (See Strand 3)
PO 2. Develop a strong beginning or introduction that draws in the reader.
PO 3. Place details appropriately to support the main idea.
PO 4. Include effective transitions among all elements (sentences, paragraphs, ideas).
PO 5. Construct paragraphs by arranging sentences with an organizing principle (e.g., to develop a topic, to indicate a chronology).
PO 6. Create an ending that provides a sense of resolution or closure.
Concept 3: Voice will vary according to the type of writing, but should be appropriately formal or casual, distant or personal, depending on the audience and purpose.
PO 1. Show awareness of the audience through word choice, style, and an appropriate connection with, or distance from, the audience.
PO 2. Convey a sense of identity through originality, sincerity, liveliness, or humor appropriate to the topic and application.
PO 3. Use language appropriate for the topic and purpose.
PO 4. Choose appropriate voice (e.g., formal, informal, academic discourse) for the application.
Concept 4: Word Choice reflects the writer’s use of specific words and phrases to convey the intended message and employs a variety of words that are functional and appropriate to the audience and purpose.
PO 1. Use accurate, specific, powerful words that effectively convey the intended message.
PO 2. Use words that consistently support style and type of writing. (See R08-S2C1)
PO 3. Use vocabulary that is original, varied, and natural.
PO 4. Use literal and figurative language where appropriate to purpose. (See R08-S1C4-04)
Concept 5: Sentence Fluency addresses the rhythm and flow of language. Sentences are strong and varied in structure and length.
PO 1. Write simple, compound, and complex sentences.
PO 2. Create sentences that flow together and sound natural when read aloud.
PO 3. Vary sentence beginnings, lengths, and patterns to enhance the flow of the writing.
PO 4. Use effective and natural dialogue when appropriate.
Concept 6: Conventions addresses the mechanics of writing, including capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar and usage, and paragraph breaks.
PO 1. Use capital letters correctly for (proper nouns, holidays, product names, languages, historical events, organizations, academic courses (e.g., algebra/Algebra I), place, regional names (e.g., West Coast), words used as names (e.g., Grandpa, Aunt Lyn), literary titles (book, story, poem, play, song), titles, abbreviations, and proper adjectives)
PO 2. Use commas to correctly punctuate (items in a series, greetings and closings of letters , introductory words and clauses, direct address, interrupters, compound sentences, appositives, dialogue )
PO 3. Use quotation marks to punctuate (dialogue, titles of short works (e.g., chapter, story, article, song, poem) exact words from sources)
PO 4. Use italics (in typed copy) and underlining (in handwriting) to indicate titles of longer works (e.g., books, plays, magazines, movies, TV series).
PO 5. Use colons to punctuate business letter salutations.
PO 6. Use apostrophes to punctuate (contractions, singular possessives, plural possessives)
PO 7. Spell high frequency words correctly.
PO 8. Use common spelling patterns/generalizations to spell words correctly.
PO 9. Use homonyms correctly in context.
PO 10. Use resources to spell correctly.
PO 11. Use paragraph breaks to indicate an organizational structure.
PO. 12. Use the following parts of speech correctly in simple sentences (nouns, action/linking verbs, personal pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, interjections).
PO 13. Use subject/verb agreement in simple, compound, and complex sentences.
Strand 3: Writing Applications: Writing skills particular to the applications listed here may be taught across the curriculum, although some applications may lend themselves more readily to specific content areas. It is imperative that students write in all content areas in order to increase their communication skills, and ultimately to improve their understanding of content area concepts. When appropriate, other content standards are referenced to show interdisciplinary connections.
Concept 1: Expressive writing includes personal narratives, stories, poetry, songs, and dramatic pieces. Writing may be based on real or imagined events.
PO 1. Write a narrative that includes: (an engaging plot based on imagined or real ideas, observations, or memories of an event or experience; effectively developed characters; a clearly described setting; dialogue, as appropriate; figurative language, or descriptive words and phrases to enhance style and tone).
PO 2. Write in a variety of expressive forms (e.g., poetry, skit) that, according to mode, employ: (figurative language, rhythm, dialogue, characterization, plot, appropriate format).
Concept 2: Expository writing includes nonfiction writing that describes, explains, informs, or summarizes ideas and content. The writing supports a thesis based on research, observation, and/or experience.
PO 1. Record information (e.g., observations, notes, lists, charts, map labels and legends) related to the topic.
PO 2. Write a summary based on the information gathered that include(s): (a topic sentence, supporting details, relevant information).
PO 3. Write an explanatory essay that includes: (a thesis statement, supporting details, introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs).
Concept 3: Functional writing provides specific directions or information related to real-world tasks. This includes letters, memos, schedules, directories, signs, manuals, forms, recipes, and technical pieces for specific content areas.
PO 1. Write a variety of functional texts (e.g., directions, recipes, procedures, rubrics, labels, posters, graphs/tables).
PO 3. Write a friendly letter that includes a: (heading, salutation, body, closing, signature).
PO 4. Write a formal letter that follows a conventional business letter format.
PO 5. Address an envelope for correspondence that includes: (an appropriate return address and recipient address).
Concept 4: Persuasive writing is used for the purpose of influencing the reader. The author presents an issue and expresses an opinion in order to convince an audience to agree with the opinion or to take a particular action.
PO 1. Write persuasive text (e.g., essay, paragraph, written communications) that: (establishes and develops a controlling idea, supports arguments with detailed evidence, includes persuasive techniques, excludes irrelevant information, attributes sources of information when appropriate).
Concept 5: Literary Response is the writer’s reaction to a literary selection. The response includes the writer’s interpretation, analysis, opinion, and/or feelings about the piece of literature and selected elements within it.
PO 1. Write a response to literature that: (presents several clear ideas; supports inferences and conclusions with examples from the text, personal experience, references to other works, or reference to non-print media; relates own ideas to supporting details in a clear and logical manner; provides support adequate to the literary selection).
Concept 6: Research writing is a process in which the writer identifies a topic or question to be answered. The writer locates and evaluates information about the topic or question, and then organizes, summarizes, and synthesizes the information into a finished product.
PO 1. Write a summary of information from sources (e.g. encyclopedias, websites, experts) that includes: (paraphrasing to convey ideas and details from the source and main idea(s) and relevant details).
PO 2. Write an informational report that includes: (a focused topic, appropriate facts and relevant details, a logical sequence, a concluding statement, a list of sources used).
Language Arts Standards Rationale
Arizona’s students must be able to communicate effectively in their schools and communities. The communication skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and presenting form the core of language and literacy. The ultimate purpose of the following language arts standards is to ensure that all students be offered the opportunities, the encouragement and the vision to develop the language skills they need to pursue lifelong goals, including finding personal enrichment and participating as informed members of society. The language art standards presented in this document are organized into four areas: (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, and Viewing and Presenting).
Reading, writing, listening and speaking are commonly recognized as language skills. Visual communication skills have long been applied in language arts classrooms through the use of media and visual resources. However, with the increase in the availability and variety of media, students are faced with numerous demands for interpreting and creating visual messages. In this document, viewing (interpreting visual messages) and presenting (creating visual messages) are the two aspects of visual communication. Resources available for teaching visual communication range from charts, graphs and photographs to the most sophisticated electronic media. The interdependency of reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and presenting requires that language arts skills be integrated in two ways: (Within language arts, and
Across other content areas).
Students use language skills to understand academic subject matter and to enrich their lives. They develop literacy at different rates and in a variety of ways. Consequently, interdependent language arts skills and processes should be taught in a variety of learning situations. Assessment of language arts skills and processes should be comprehensive, authentic and performance based. Multiple assessment methods should be used to evaluate a student’s knowledge base and the application of reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and presenting. Assessment tasks should reflect those experiences encountered in the home, community and workplace. Issues concerning assessment of specific populations pose complex questions with no simple solutions. As programs and assessments are developed, these issues must be
resolved to enable all students to meet the standards. In conclusion, the standards in the language arts framework form the core of every student’s ability to function effectively in society. Students will need a wide repertoire of communication strategies and skills to succeed as learners, citizens, workers and fulfilled individuals in the 21st century.
STANDARD 3: LISTENING AND SPEAKING: Students effectively listen and speak in situations that serve different purposes and involve a variety of audiences.
• LS-E1. Prepare and deliver an organized speech and effectively convey the message through verbal and nonverbal communications with a specific audience
• LS-E2. Prepare and deliver an oral report in a content area and effectively convey the information through verbal and nonverbal communications with a specific audience
• LS-E3. Interpret and respond to questions and evaluate responses both as interviewer and interviewee
• LS-E4. Predict, clarify, analyze and critique a speaker’s information and point of view
STANDARD 4: VIEWING AND PRESENTING: Students use a variety of visual media and resources to gather, evaluate and synthesize information and to communicate with others.
• VP-E1. Analyze visual media for language, subject matter and visual techniques used to influence opinions, decision making and cultural perceptions
• VP-E2. Plan, develop and produce a visual presentation, using a variety of media such as videos, films, newspapers, magazines and computer images
• VP-E3. Compare, contrast and establish criteria to evaluate visual media for purpose and effectiveness.
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