Course Content
A. Main Idea
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A.01. Determine the main idea of a passage.
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A.02. Identify supporting details that reinforce the main idea.
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A.03. Summarize a passage concisely, capturing its main idea and key supporting details.
B. Theme
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B.01. Match quotations to their respective themes.
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B.02. Determine the theme of short stories.
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B.03. Analyze how literary devices contribute to the development of a theme.
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B.04. Compare and contrast themes across different texts.
C. Author’s Purpose and Tone
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C.01. Identify the author’s purpose in a given passage.
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C.02. Compare passages to identify differences in tone.
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C.03. Distinguish between formal and informal language to infer tone.
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C.04. Analyze how an author’s tone impacts the reader’s understanding and emotional response.
D. Point of View
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D.01. Determine the author’s point of view in a text.
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D.02. Identify the characteristics that define different points of view (e.g., first-person, third-person).
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D.03. Analyze how point of view influences the reader’s perception of events and characters.
E. Text Structure
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E.01. Identify and differentiate between various text structures.
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E.02. Match problems with their solutions in informational texts.
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E.03. Identify cause-and-effect relationships in informational texts.
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E.04. Compare and contrast ideas presented in informational texts.
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E.05. Analyze how text structure impacts the clarity and effectiveness of a passage.
F. Literary Devices
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F.01. Identify and classify various figures of speech.
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F.02. Interpret the meaning of figures of speech.
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F.03. Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone.
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F.04. Explain how imagery, symbolism, and other literary devices contribute to a text’s overall message.
G. Analyzing Literature
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G.01. Analyze short stories by identifying key elements such as plot, character, setting, and conflict.
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G.02. Evaluate the author’s use of literary devices to create impact in short stories.
H. Analyzing Informational Texts
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H.01. Read and understand informational passages.
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H.02. Trace an argument by identifying the author’s claim, evidence, and reasoning.
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H.03. Evaluate the credibility and effectiveness of the evidence used to support an argument.
I. Comparing Texts
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I.01. Compare two texts of different genres, identifying similarities and differences in their themes, styles, and purposes.
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I.02. Analyze how different genres portray similar subjects or themes.
J. Visual Elements
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J.01. Compare and contrast illustrations of literary and historical subjects.
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J.02. Analyze the effectiveness of visual elements in conveying information or emotion.
K. Organizing Writing
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K.01. Order topics from broadest to narrowest.
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K.02. Organize information by topic, using headings and subheadings effectively.
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K.03. Use conjunctive adverbs to create smooth transitions between ideas.
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K.04. Construct effective topic sentences to introduce key ideas within paragraphs.
L. Developing and Supporting Arguments
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L.01. Distinguish facts from opinions.
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L.02. Identify supporting details in both literary and informational texts.
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L.03. Choose relevant and credible evidence to support a claim.
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L.04. Identify counterclaims and develop effective rebuttals.
M. Creative Techniques
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M.01. Use personification effectively to enhance descriptions and create imagery.
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M.02. Experiment with other creative techniques to create vivid and engaging writing.
N. Editing and Revising
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N.01. Use the correct frequently confused words in context.
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N.02. Correct errors with frequently confused words.
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N.03. Correct errors with signs (e.g., apostrophes, quotation marks, hyphens).
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N.04. Suggest appropriate revisions to improve clarity, coherence, and style.
O. Research Skills
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O.01. Identify and correct plagiarism by properly citing sources and using original language.
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O.02. Paraphrase information accurately and ethically.
P. Prefixes and Suffixes
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P.01. Recognize words with pre-, re-, sub-, mis-, and un-.
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P.02. Recognize words with -ful, -less, -able, and -ible.
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P.03. Use knowledge of prefixes and suffixes to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Q. Greek and Latin Roots
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Q.01. Determine the meanings of Greek and Latin roots.
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Q.02. Use Greek and Latin roots as clues to the meanings of words.
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Q.03. Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots.
R. Synonyms and Antonyms
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R.01. Choose the synonym or antonym in context.
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R.02. Find synonyms and antonyms within a given context.
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R.03. Analyze the nuances in meaning between synonyms and antonyms.
S. Homophones
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S.01. Use the correct homophone in a sentence.
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S.02. Match a definition to a sentence containing a specific homophone.
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S.03. Match a sentence to a given definition for a specific homophone.
T. Idioms and Adages
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T.01. Determine the meaning of idioms from context.
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T.02. Identify the meaning of idioms and adages.
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T.03. Apply idioms and adages appropriately in writing and speaking.
U. Shades of Meaning
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U.01. Describe the differences between related words.
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U.02. Identify positive and negative connotations associated with words.
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U.03. Differentiate between words with subtle variations in meaning to enhance writing precision.
V. Analogies
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V.01. Solve analogies of various types (e.g., synonym/antonym, part/whole, cause/effect).
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V.02. Explain the reasoning behind solving analogies.
W. Context Clues
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W.03. Use context to identify the meaning of a word.
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W.04. Determine the meaning of domain-specific words with pictures.
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W.05. Apply context clues to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words.
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W.01. Find words using context.
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W.02. Determine the meaning of words using synonyms and antonyms in context.
X. Reference Skills
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X.01. Use alphabetical order.
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X.02. Use guide words.
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X.03. Use dictionary entries to determine word meanings, pronunciations, and parts of speech.
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X.04. Use thesaurus entries to find synonyms, antonyms, and related words.
Y. Sentences, Fragments, and Run-ons
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Y.01. Identify the type of a sentence: declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory.
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Y.02. Identify the complete subject and complete predicate of a sentence.
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Y.03. Distinguish between a complete sentence and a fragment.
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Y.04. Distinguish between a complete sentence and a run-on sentence.
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Y.05. Identify dependent and independent clauses.
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Y.06. Identify simple, compound, and complex sentences.
Z. Nouns
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Z.01. Identify common and proper nouns.
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Z.02. Form and use plurals of nouns ending in f, fe, o, and y.
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Z.03. Form and use plurals: review.
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Z.04. Identify plurals, singular possessives, and plural possessives.
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Z.05. Form the singular or plural possessive.
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Z.06. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns.
AA. Pronouns and Antecedents
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AA.01. Identify pronouns and their antecedents.
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AA.02. Use pronouns that agree with their antecedents in number and gender.
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AA.03. Correct vague pronoun references.
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AA.04. Identify all possible antecedents in a sentence.
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AA.05. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.
BB. Pronoun Types
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BB.01. Choose between subject and object pronouns.
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BB.02. Use possessive pronouns correctly.
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BB.03. Choose between personal and reflexive pronouns.
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BB.04. Use reflexive pronouns.
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BB.05. Identify relative pronouns.
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BB.06. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that.
CC. Verb Types
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CC.01. Identify main verbs and helping verbs.
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CC.02. Identify transitive and intransitive verbs.
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CC.03. Identify linking verbs, predicate adjectives, and predicate nouns.
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CC.04. Use the correct modal verb.
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CC.05. Explain what modal verbs indicate.
DD. Subject-Verb Agreement
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DD.01. Use the correct verb form to agree with the subject of a sentence, including compound subjects.
EE. Verb Tense
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EE.01. Review irregular past tense verbs.
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EE.02. Correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
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EE.03. Use the progressive verb tenses.
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EE.04. Form the progressive verb tenses.
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EE.05. Use the perfect verb tenses.
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EE.06. Form the perfect verb tenses.
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EE.07. Choose between the past tense and past participle.
FF. Adjectives and Adverbs
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FF.01. Identify adjectives and adverbs.
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FF.02. Order adjectives correctly.
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FF.03. Use relative adverbs.
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FF.04. Choose between adjectives and adverbs.
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FF.05. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives.
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FF.06. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs.
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FF.07. Use well, better, best, badly, worse, and worst correctly.
GG. Prepositions
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GG.01. Identify prepositions.
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GG.02. Identify prepositions and their objects.
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GG.03. Identify prepositional phrases.
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GG.04. Review prepositions.
HH. Conjunctions
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HH.01. Use coordinating conjunctions.
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HH.02. Identify coordinating conjunctions and their functions.
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HH.03. Identify subordinating conjunctions.
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HH.04. Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions.
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HH.05. Fill in the missing correlative conjunction.
II. Contractions
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II.01. Use pronoun-verb contractions correctly.
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II.02. Use contractions with “not.”
JJ. Punctuation
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JJ.01. Use commas correctly in compound and complex sentences.
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JJ.02. Use commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, and interrupters.
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JJ.03. Use commas with coordinate adjectives.
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JJ.04. Use commas with nonrestrictive elements.
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JJ.05. Use dashes.
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JJ.06. Explain what specific punctuation marks suggest.
KK. Capitalization
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KK.01. Correct capitalization errors.
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KK.02. Capitalize titles correctly.
LL. Formatting
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LL.01. Format and capitalize titles correctly.
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LL.02. Format quotations and dialogue accurately.
