Language Arts
Grade 7: Reading
Overall Expectations
•read a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials (e.g., novels, short stories, poetry, reports, articles) for different purposes;
•read aloud, showing understanding of the material and awareness of the audience;
•read independently, selecting appropriate reading strategies;
•explain their interpretation of a written work, supporting it with evidence from the work and from their own knowledge and experience;
•decide on a specific purpose for reading, and select the material that they need from a variety of appropriate sources;
•understand the vocabulary and language structures appropriate for this grade level;
•use conventions of written materials to help them understand and use the materials.
Specific Expectations
Reasoning and Critical Thinking
•explain how various elements in a story function in relation to each other (e.g., ways in which setting and plot development are interrelated);
•identify the main ideas in information materials, and explain how the details support the main ideas;
•make judgements and draw conclusions about ideas in written materials on the basis of evidence;
•clarify and develop their own points of view by examining the ideas of others;
•select appropriate reading strategies (e.g., skim text for specific information; record key points and organize them in a sequence);
•plan a research project and carry out the research;
Understanding of Form and Style
•identify various forms of writing and describe their key features (e.g., novels, short stories, biographies, scripts, plays, essays);
•use their knowledge of the characteristics of different forms of writing to help them select the appropriate materials for a specific purpose;
•identify some stylistic devices in literary works and explain their use (e.g., foreshadowing, personification, simile);
Knowledge of Language Structures
•use their knowledge of the elements of grammar and the structure of words and sentences to understand what they read;
Vocabulary Building 
•use a variety of strategies to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words (e.g., use word-analysis techniques; use knowledge of word origins and derivations; consult dictionaries);
•use a thesaurus to expand their vocabulary;
•use the special terminology in a particular area of study, as necessary;
Use of Conventions 
•use punctuation to help them understand written material (e.g., semicolon);
•use a variety of conventions of formal texts to locate information they need (e.g., hypertext, footnotes).
 Expectations: Copyright The Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1998.  With thanks to B.Phillips, 1998.
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