Areas of concentration are reading, writing, language, and vocabulary. In the fall, focus is on building language skills as well as reading short stories. In addition, students read a series of short stories that focus on diverse cultures from around the world. Additionally, students write narrative essays; engage in literary analysis; write reading responses, and cite evidence to support opinions. Students also focus on the elements of short stories, figurative language, and reading comprehension. Students read novels each month. Teachers use various diagnostic tests to measure students’ growth in comprehension and to differentiate learning for each student. The second semester includes argumentative writing and literature circles. All writing pieces use MLA format. All of the aforementioned aspects will be implemented in conjunction with reading and language skills, such as grammar, punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, and pronoun case. Lastly, students are expected to practice English reading, writing, vocabulary, and writing skills.
