Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade level text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral meaning as well as shades of meaning among related words.
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships.
Read text using a variety of strategies to gain meaning such as: activating schema, inferring, questioning, determining importance, visualizing, and synthesizing.
Narrative
Read and respond to works of literature; determine the central message and point of view.
Retell a story in sequential order by identifying literary elements and explaining how they affect the plot.
Informational
Read, understand and respond to informational text.
Determine main idea/details/
Determine point of view, analyze text, understand text structure and text features.
Students take responsibility for choosing a topic (unless otherwise directed) and developing text around it.
They write using various modes (narrative, informational and opinion). They are given more than a single day to create a piece of writing.
Students take their selected pieces through the processes of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing.
Students will continue to develop an awareness of the qualities of writing (overall, lead, transitions, ending, organization, content, style, conventions)