Delaware K–6 english language arts standards

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.

With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear.

With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in an informational text.

With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear.

Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces about a topic or book.

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts that name and supply information about a topic.

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event and tell about the events in order.

Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts.

Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally by asking and answering questions about key details.

Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content.

Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.

Name the author and illustrator of a text and define the role of each in presenting the ideas or information in a text.

With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.

With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).

Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems).

With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.

Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).

With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.

Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print, including features of a sentence.

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic, state an opinion, supply a reason, and provide some sense of closure.

Write informative/explanatory texts that name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

Write narratives recounting two or more appropriately sequenced events, including details and a sense of closure.

Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts.

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something not understood.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 1 reading and content.

Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.

Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text.

Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.

Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.

Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).

With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1.

Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.

Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.

With prompting and support, read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1.

Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation.

With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of "how-to" books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions).

With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

Describe how words and phrases supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story by different authors or from different cultures.

Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.

Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

Explain how specific images contribute to and clarify a text.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Write opinion pieces that introduce the topic, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, and provide a concluding statement.

Write informative/explanatory texts that introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement.

Write narratives recounting a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, including details and a sense of closure.

Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts.

Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather information, or deepen understanding.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content.

Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.

Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.

Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.

Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text.

Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.

By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2—3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2—3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.

With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).

Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details.

Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.

Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words of a story.

Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters.

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using descriptive details and clear event sequences.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats.

Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content.

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.

Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.

Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.

Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).

Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2—3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.

Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2—3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.

Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details.

Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.

With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology.

Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions.

Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics and patterns of events in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why.

Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats.

Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content.

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.

Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4—5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.

Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4—5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.

Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters respond to challenges; summarize the text.

Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text.

Compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics.

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text.

Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer or solve a problem efficiently.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats.

Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content.

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.

Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.

Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.

Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).

Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4—5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.

Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4—5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.

Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions.

Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings.

Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text.

Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.

Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text.

Integrate information presented in different media or formats as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection and analysis of relevant content.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content.

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.

Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.

Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.

Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Compare and contrast one author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6—8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.

Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6—8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.

Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.

Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.

By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6—8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.

Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6—8 texts and topics.

Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.

Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.

Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.

Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6—8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.

Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.