Language Arts Standard: Grade 8
Eighth grade students continue to develop as independent motivated readers and writers
who think critically and take responsibility for their learning. They apply vocabulary and
comprehension strategies across the curriculum and use a variety of literary and
informational texts to establish lifelong reading habits. Students use the writing process
to develop focused and authentic compositions. They independently validate information
by accessing, researching, and comparing data. Eighth grade 21st century learners
critique oral and visual information and apply the information to contextual situations.
They integrate content, thinking skills, and technology, as needed, to learn and
communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences.
1. Concepts About Print
Not assessed at this grade level.
2. Phonemic Awareness
Not assessed this grade level.
3. Reading Fluency
Not assessed at this grade level.
4. Word Analysis and Vocabulary
LA4.8.1 Uses context-dependent words, phrases, or statements to determine the
meaning of unfamiliar words.
LA4.8.2 Uses root words (required: struct, cred, anthro, dem, ethno, bene, homo,
hetero, tang/tact) and affixes (required: ab-, ad-, inter-, intra-, magna-) to determine the
meaning of words.
5. Strategies to Guide and Monitor Comprehension
LA5.8.1 Identifies areas of confusion and employs strategies to clarify meaning.
LA5.8.2 Generates, modifies, and refines generalizations about whole text.
LA5.8.3 Synthesizes information within and across texts.
6. Main Idea and Supporting Details
LA6.8.1 Identifies explicit and implicit main ideas and/or themes, or arguments.
LA6.8.2 Discerns which explicit and implied details, though they may appear in
different sections throughout a passage, support important points.
LA6.8.3 Summarizes critical ideas and details in complex passages.
7. Textual Relationships
LA7.8.1 Describes complex causal relationships among people, events, and ideas.
LA7.8.2 Identifies underlying assumptions of simple arguments.
LA7.8.3 Describes patterns or trends in complex plots with multiple story lines.
LA7.8.4 Analyzes various examples of distortion and stereotypes such as those
associated with gender, race, culture, age, class, religion, and other individual
differences.
8. Author’s Approach
LA8.8.1 Describes how the narrator/author’s relationship to subject and audience
(for example: cultural and historical perspective) influences the text.
LA8.8.2 Describes the effect of the narrator/speaker’s tone.
LA8.8.3 Analyzes the author’s intended audience and purpose.
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9. Text Structures, Elements, and Techniques
LA9.8.1 Describes specific characteristics of common forms of text (required:
science fiction, allegory, editorial, propaganda, website).
LA9.8.2 Describes the effect of imagery, irony, and symbolism.
LA9.8.3 Describes the effect of persuasive strategies (written/visual/oral) and
propaganda techniques (required: appeals: pathos, logos, ethos, mythos; testimonial;
transfer; peer pressure).
LA9.8.4 Applies knowledge of text structures (required: problem-solution,
cause/effect, logical order, classification schemes) to locate and use information.
10. Research Skills
LA10.8.1 Formulates central question(s) to define the focus or scope of the
research.
LA10.8.2 Gathers, records, and organizes information/data relevant to central
questions from a variety of sources (required: online data bases, credible websites,
surveys, interviews, newspapers, magazines).
LA10.8.3 Uses correct MLA (Modern Language Association) format to accurately
document information.
LA10.8.4 Creates a complete and correctly formatted works cited page.
11. Writing Process
LA11.8.1 Applies appropriate shared, individual, and expert feedback in order to
revise and edit a draft.
12. Writing Style
LA12.8.1 Creates a consistent tone that is formal or academic.
LA12.8.2 Uses language that is accurate, interesting, and appropriate for audience
and purpose.
LA12.8.3 Varies sentence structures, lengths, and beginnings to create fluency.
13. Language Conventions
LA13.8.1 Uses commas to correctly punctuate exact words from sources.
LA13.8.2 Uses MLA (Modern Language Association Handbook) format in-text
citation to identify sources of quotations and paraphrased information.
14. Functional Writing (required: persuasive letter)
LA14.8.1 Develops a complex, central idea (thesis), which fulfills the purpose of the
writing, and controls the entire piece.
LA14.8.2 Follows a complex overall organizational plan with an effective logical
sequence.
LA14.8.3 Constructs an introduction that establishes the topic and motivates reader
to continue reading.
LA14.8.4 Creates a conclusion that provides a clear ending, helps reveal, support,
and extend the central idea, and motivates reader to take action.
LA14.8.5 Divides text into paragraphs or sections--each organized to illustrate a
single idea or topic -- which contain vivid, specific, well-chosen images, events or details
that thoroughly support the central idea.
LA14.8.6 Demonstrates awareness of and respect for opposing viewpoint(s).
LA14.8.7 Includes necessary background information to help audience understand
topic and influence their opinion.
LA14.8.8 Employs a variety of effective transitions.
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15. Expository/Persuasive Writing (required: analytical essay)
LA15.8.1 Develops a complex, debatable thesis that fulfills the purpose and controls
the entire piece.
LA15.8.2 Follows an overall organizational plan with an effective, logical sequence.
LA15.8.3 Constructs an introduction that establishes topic, motivates the reader to
continue reading, and builds to a thesis.
LA15.8.4 Creates a conclusion that provides a clear ending and helps reassert and
extend the thesis.
LA15.8.5 Divides the body into paragraphs, each arguing a single point and
beginning with a topic sentence that directly states the argument.
LA15.8.6 Provides sufficient, relevant examples and specific details from text(s) that
support arguments, and clearly connect examples to arguments without merely restating
the examples.
LA15.8.7 Employs a variety of effective transitions.
16. Narrative/Expressive Writing
Not assessed at this level.
17. Interactive Communication: Visual and Writing Applications
LA17.8.1 Selects or creates appropriate images to illustrate complex concepts and
help the audience to connect to or understand the significance of topic.
LA17.8.2 Balances the amount of text and visuals in a presentation.
LA17.8.3 Selects and combines digital media (for example: digital photo, information
from a website, DVD clip) to enhance text.
LA17.8.4 Uses a clear and focused organizational format that incorporates a variety
of visual tools (for example: bullets, tables, graphs, boxes) to organize layout, font, and
color to make topic easier to understand.
18. Interactive Communication: Speaking and Listening Applications
LA18.8.1 Varies volume and inflection to create a desired effect.
LA18.8.2 Speaks with confidence, fluidity, and ease.
LA18.8.3 Uses gestures, posture, and facial expressions appropriate for specific
audience.
LA18.8.4 Maintains constant contact with audience, encouraging participation and
interaction when appropriate.
LA18.8.5 Uses appropriate digital tools or media.
LA18.8.6 Analyzes speaker’s information and point of view through active listening in
order to respond appropriately.
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Descriptions of the Reading Passages
Uncomplicated Literary Narratives refers to excerpts from essays, short stories, and
novels that tend to use simple language and structure, have a clear purpose and a
familiar style, present straightforward interactions between characters, and employ only
a limited number of literary devices such as metaphor, simile, or hyperbole.
More Challenging Literary Narratives refers to excerpts from essays, short stories,
and novels that tend to make moderate use of figurative language, have a more intricate
structure and messages conveyed with some subtlety, and may feature somewhat
complex interactions between characters.
Complex Literary Narratives refers to excerpts from essays, short stories, and novels
that tend to make generous use of ambiguous language and literary devices, feature
complex and subtle interactions between characters, often contain challenging contextdependent vocabulary, and typically contain messages and/or meanings that are not
explicit but are embedded in the passage.
Uncomplicated Informational Passages refers to materials that lend to contain a
limited amount of data, address basic concepts using familiar language and conventional
organizational patterns, have a clear purpose, and are written to be accessible.
More Challenging Informational Passages refers to the materials that tend to present
concepts that are not always stated explicitly and that are accompanied or illustrated by
more—and more detailed—supporting data, include some difficult context-dependent
words, and are written in a somewhat more demanding and less accessible style.
Complex Informational Passages refers to materials that tend to include a sizeable
amount of data, present difficult concepts that are embedded (not explicit) in the text,
use demanding words and phrases whose meaning must be determined from context,
and are likely to include intricate, explanations of processes or events.
Characteristics of Uncomplicated, More Challenging, and Complex Texts
Aspect of Text
Relationships
Richness
Structure
Style
Vocabulary
Purpose
DEGREE OF TEXT COMPLEXITY
More Challenging
Complex
Sometimes implicit
Subtle, involved, deeply
embedded
Moderate/more
Sizable/highly
detailed
sophisticated
Simple,
More involved
Elaborate, sometimes
conventional
unconventional
Plain, accessible
Richer, less plain
Often intricate
Familiar
Some difficult,
Demanding, highly
context-dependent
context dependent
words
Clear
Conveyed with some
Implicit, sometimes
subtlety
ambiguous
Uncomplicated
Basic, straight forward
Minimal/limited
Source: American College Testing (ACT), 2006
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