Language Arts

6th Grade Language Arts: This course builds the solid foundation students need to navigate the literary world and the writing process. Students progress from writing well-developed paragraphs to writing full essays in a variety of modes including informative/explanatory, narrative and argumentative writing. Students utilize the writing process from brainstorming to the final draft. Students will be able to strengthen their vocabulary and grammar as well as their inclusion of academic language and critical analysis in the writing process. Collaborative discussions, critical thinking exercises, and word study are interwoven.

7th Grade Language Arts: Students continue to build skills in writing, vocabulary development, speaking, and listening. Students are expected to develop skills in academic writing, which include argument, informative/explanatory, and narrative strategies. Grammar and mechanics are taught both explicitly and in context.

8th Grade Language Arts: Students will learn to write, listen, and speak with greater maturity and understanding. Students will expand their ability to use narrative, expository, and argumentative writing skills in their compositions, often in response to literary and nonfiction texts. As students continue to practice the writing process, they will develop their writing styles, with emphasis on sentence fluency, word choice, revision, and self-editing. Grammar and mechanics are taught both explicitly and in context. Students will continue to develop their speaking and listening skills to further their comprehension of course content and texts, to collaboratively build knowledge, and to skillfully present knowledge and ideas.