| Grade 8: Reading |
|
Overall Expectations |
| •read a variety of fiction and non-fiction
materials (e.g., novels, short stories, poetry, essays, 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 the various elements in a story function
in relation to each other; |
| •identify the main ideas in information
materials, explain how the details support the main ideas, and question
and evaluate the ideas in the material; |
| •make judgements and draw conclusions
about ideas in written materials on the basis of evidence; |
| •clarify and broaden their own points
of view by examining the ideas of others; |
| •select appropriate reading strategies
(e.g., skim text for specific information; scan text to determine the
purpose of the text or the type of material; monitor their own comprehension); |
| •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, poetry, plays, scripts, essays); |
| •use their knowledge of the characteristics
of different forms of writing to help them select appropriate materials
for a specific purpose; |
| •identify some stylistic devices used in literary works
(e.g., metaphor, simile, personification) and explain their use; |
| 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., dashes); |
| •use a variety of conventions of formal
texts to locate information they need (e.g., footnotes, endnotes, lists). |