Grade 8 ELA TEKS Standards

Cross-curricular second language acquisition/learning strategies.

use prior knowledge and experiences to understand meanings in English;

monitor oral and written language production and employ self-corrective techniques or other resources;

use strategic learning techniques such as concept mapping, drawing, memorizing, comparing, contrasting, and reviewing to acquire basic and grade-level vocabulary;

speak using learning strategies such as requesting assistance, employing non-verbal cues, and using synonyms and circumlocution (conveying ideas by defining or describing when exact English words are not known);

internalize new basic and academic language by using and reusing it in meaningful ways in speaking and writing activities that build concept and language attainment;

use accessible language and learn new and essential language in the process;

demonstrate an increasing ability to distinguish between formal and informal English and an increasing knowledge of when to use each one commensurate with grade-level learning expectations;

develop and expand repertoire of learning strategies such as reasoning inductively or deductively, looking for patterns in language, and analyzing sayings and expressions commensurate with grade-level learning expectations.

Cross-curricular second language acquisition/listening.

distinguish sounds and intonation patterns of English with increasing ease;

recognize elements of the English sound system in newly acquired vocabulary such as long and short vowels, silent letters, and consonant clusters;

learn new language structures, expressions, and basic and academic vocabulary heard during classroom instruction and interactions;

monitor understanding of spoken language during classroom instruction and interactions and seek clarification as needed;

use visual, contextual, and linguistic support to enhance and confirm understanding of increasingly complex and elaborated spoken language;

listen to and derive meaning from a variety of media such as audio tape, video, DVD, and CD ROM to build and reinforce concept and language attainment;

understand the general meaning, main points, and important details of spoken language ranging from situations in which topics, language, and contexts are familiar to unfamiliar;

understand implicit ideas and information in increasingly complex spoken language commensurate with grade-level learning expectations;

demonstrate listening comprehension of increasingly complex spoken English by following directions, retelling or summarizing spoken messages, responding to questions and requests, collaborating with peers, and taking notes commensurate with content and grade-level needs.

Cross-curricular second language acquisition/speaking.

practice producing sounds of newly acquired vocabulary such as long and short vowels, silent letters, and consonant clusters to pronounce English words in a manner that is increasingly comprehensible;

expand and internalize initial English vocabulary by learning and using high-frequency English words necessary for identifying and describing people, places, and objects, by retelling simple stories and basic information represented or supported by pictures, and by learning and using routine language needed for classroom communication;

speak using a variety of grammatical structures, sentence lengths, sentence types, and connecting words with increasing accuracy and ease as more English is acquired;

speak using grade-level content area vocabulary in context to internalize new English words and build academic language proficiency;

share information in cooperative learning interactions;

ask and give information ranging from using a very limited bank of high-frequency, high-need, concrete vocabulary, including key words and expressions needed for basic communication in academic and social contexts, to using abstract and content-based vocabulary during extended speaking assignments;

express opinions, ideas, and feelings ranging from communicating single words and short phrases to participating in extended discussions on a variety of social and grade-appropriate academic topics;

narrate, describe, and explain with increasing specificity and detail as more English is acquired;

adapt spoken language appropriately for formal and informal purposes;

respond orally to information presented in a wide variety of print, electronic, audio, and visual media to build and reinforce concept and language attainment.

Cross-curricular second language acquisition/reading.

learn relationships between sounds and letters of the English language and decode (sound out) words using a combination of skills such as recognizing sound-letter relationships and identifying cognates, affixes, roots, and base words;

recognize directionality of English reading such as left to right and top to bottom;

develop basic sight vocabulary, derive meaning of environmental print, and comprehend English vocabulary and language structures used routinely in written classroom materials;

use pre-reading supports such as graphic organizers, illustrations, and pretaught topic-related vocabulary and other prereading activities to enhance comprehension of written text;

read linguistically accommodated content area material with a decreasing need for linguistic accommodations as more English is learned;

use visual and contextual support and support from peers and teachers to read grade-appropriate content area text, enhance and confirm understanding, and develop vocabulary, grasp of language structures, and background knowledge needed to comprehend increasingly challenging language;

demonstrate comprehension of increasingly complex English by participating in shared reading, retelling or summarizing material, responding to questions, and taking notes commensurate with content area and grade level needs;

read silently with increasing ease and comprehension for longer periods;

demonstrate English comprehension and expand reading skills by employing basic reading skills such as demonstrating understanding of supporting ideas and details in text and graphic sources, summarizing text, and distinguishing main ideas from details commensurate with content area needs;

demonstrate English comprehension and expand reading skills by employing inferential skills such as predicting, making connections between ideas, drawing inferences and conclusions from text and graphic sources, and finding supporting text evidence commensurate with content area needs;

demonstrate English comprehension and expand reading skills by employing analytical skills such as evaluating written information and performing critical analyses commensurate with content area and grade-level needs.

Cross-curricular second language acquisition/writing.

learn relationships between sounds and letters of the English language to represent sounds when writing in English;

write using newly acquired basic vocabulary and content-based grade-level vocabulary;

spell familiar English words with increasing accuracy, and employ English spelling patterns and rules with increasing accuracy as more English is acquired;

edit writing for standard grammar and usage, including subject-verb agreement, pronoun agreement, and appropriate verb tenses commensurate with grade-level expectations as more English is acquired;

employ increasingly complex grammatical structures in content area writing commensurate with grade-level expectations, such as:

using correct verbs, tenses, and pronouns/antecedents;

using possessive case (apostrophe s) correctly;

using negatives and contractions correctly;

write using a variety of grade-appropriate sentence lengths, patterns, and connecting words to combine phrases, clauses, and sentences in increasingly accurate ways as more English is acquired;

narrate, describe, and explain with increasing specificity and detail to fulfill content area writing needs as more English is acquired.

The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

listen actively to interpret a message by summarizing, asking questions, and making comments;

follow and give complex oral instructions to perform specific tasks, answer questions, or solve problems;

advocate a position using anecdotes, analogies, and/or illustrations employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, a variety of natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively; and

participate collaboratively in discussions, plan agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set time limits for speakers, take notes, and vote on key issues.

The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions.

plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for a particular topic, purpose, and audience using a range of strategies such as discussion, background reading, and personal interests;

develop drafts into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing by:

organizing with purposeful structure, including an introduction, transitions, coherence within and across paragraphs, and a conclusion; and

developing an engaging idea reflecting depth of thought with specific facts, details, and examples;

revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety;

edit drafts using standard English conventions, including:

complete complex sentences with subject-verb agreement and avoidance of splices, run-ons, and fragments;

consistent, appropriate use of verb tenses and active and passive voice;

prepositions and prepositional phrases and their influence on subject-verb agreement;

pronoun-antecedent agreement;

correct capitalization;

punctuation, including commas in non-restrictive phrases and clauses, semicolons, colons, and parentheses; and

correct spelling, including commonly confused terms such as its/it's, affect/effect, there/their/they're, and to/two/too; and

publish written work for appropriate audiences.

The student uses genre characteristics and craft to compose multiple texts that are meaningful.

compose literary texts such as personal narratives, fiction, and poetry using genre characteristics and craft;

compose informational texts, including multi-paragraph essays that convey information about a topic, using a clear controlling idea or thesis statement and genre characteristics and craft;

compose multi-paragraph argumentative texts using genre characteristics and craft; and

compose correspondence that reflects an opinion, registers a complaint, or requests information in a business or friendly structure.

The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

generate student-selected and teacher-guided questions for formal and informal inquiry;

develop and revise a plan;

refine the major research question, if necessary, guided by the answers to a secondary set of questions;

identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources;

differentiate between primary and secondary sources;

synthesize information from a variety of sources;

differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism when using source materials;

examine sources for:

reliability, credibility, and bias, including omission; and

faulty reasoning such as bandwagon appeals, repetition, and loaded language;

display academic citations and use source materials ethically; and

use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results.

The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively.

use print or digital resources to determine the meaning, syllabication, pronunciation, word origin, and part of speech;

use context within or beyond a paragraph to clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or ambiguous words; and

determine the meaning and usage of grade-level academic English words derived from Greek and Latin roots such as ast, qui, path, mand/mend, and duc.

The student reads grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. The student is expected to adjust fluency when reading grade-level text based on the reading purpose.

The student reads grade-appropriate texts independently. The student is expected to self-select text and read independently for a sustained period of time.

The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

establish purpose for reading assigned and self-selected texts;

generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information;

make, correct, or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of genre, and structures;

create mental images to deepen understanding;

make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society;

make inferences and use evidence to support understanding;

evaluate details read to determine key ideas;

synthesize information to create new understanding; and

monitor comprehension and make adjustments such as re-reading, using background knowledge, asking questions, and annotating when understanding breaks down.

The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed.

describe personal connections to a variety of sources, including self-selected texts;

write responses that demonstrate understanding of texts, including comparing sources within and across genres;

use text evidence to support an appropriate response;

paraphrase and summarize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order;

interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating;

respond using newly acquired vocabulary as appropriate;

discuss and write about the explicit or implicit meanings of text;

respond orally or in writing with appropriate register, vocabulary, tone, and voice;

reflect on and adjust responses as new evidence is presented; and

defend or challenge the authors' claims using relevant text evidence.

The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts.

analyze how themes are developed through the interaction of characters and events;

analyze how characters' motivations and behaviors influence events and resolution of the conflict;

analyze non-linear plot development such as flashbacks, foreshadowing, subplots, and parallel plot structures and compare it to linear plot development; and

explain how the setting influences the values and beliefs of characters.

The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts.

demonstrate knowledge of literary genres such as realistic fiction, adventure stories, historical fiction, mysteries, humor, fantasy, science fiction, and short stories;

analyze the effect of graphical elements such as punctuation and line length in poems across a variety of poetic forms such as epic, lyric, and humorous poetry;

analyze how playwrights develop dramatic action through the use of acts and scenes;

analyze characteristics and structural elements of informational text, including:

the controlling idea or thesis with supporting evidence;

features such as footnotes, endnotes, and citations; and

multiple organizational patterns within a text to develop the thesis;

analyze characteristics and structures of argumentative text by:

identifying the claim and analyzing the argument;

identifying and explaining the counter argument; and

identifying the intended audience or reader; and

analyze characteristics of multimodal and digital texts.

The student uses critical inquiry to analyze the authors' choices and how they influence and communicate meaning within a variety of texts. The student analyzes and applies author's craft purposefully in order to develop his or her own products and performances.

explain the author's purpose and message within a text;

analyze how the use of text structure contributes to the author's purpose;

analyze the author's use of print and graphic features to achieve specific purposes;

describe how the author's use of figurative language such as extended metaphor achieves specific purposes;

identify and analyze the use of literary devices, including multiple points of view and irony;

analyze how the author's use of language contributes to the mood, voice, and tone; and

explain the purpose of rhetorical devices such as analogy and juxtaposition and of logical fallacies such as bandwagon appeals and circular reasoning.

Implementation. The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.

General requirements. In fulfilling the requirements of this section, school districts and charter schools shall:

identify the student's English language proficiency levels in the domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in accordance with the proficiency level descriptors for the pre-production, beginning, intermediate, high intermediate, and advanced levels delineated in subsection (e) of this section;

provide instruction in the knowledge and skills of the foundation and enrichment curriculum in a manner that is linguistically accommodated (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded) commensurate with the student's levels of English language proficiency to ensure that the student learns the knowledge and skills in the required curriculum;

provide content-based instruction, including the cross-curricular second language acquisition essential knowledge and skills in subsection (d) of this section, in a manner that is linguistically accommodated to help the student acquire English language proficiency; and

provide intensive and ongoing foundational second language acquisition instruction to emergent bilingual (EB) students in Kindergarten-Grade 12 who are at the pre-production, beginning, or intermediate level of English language proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, or writing as determined by the state's English language proficiency assessment system. These EB students require focused, targeted, and systematic second language acquisition instruction to provide them with the foundation of English language necessary to support content-based instruction and accelerated learning of English.

Introduction.

The English language proficiency standards (ELPS) outline student expectations and proficiency level descriptors for EB students in English. The ELPS are organized across four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Language acquisition is a complex process that consists of several interrelated components, including phonetics, phonology, semantics, syntax, morphology, and pragmatics. As students develop proficiency in these language structures, they are able to make connections between their primary language and English.

Classroom contexts foster social and academic registers, which are types of language appropriate for a situation or setting, to support language proficiency. Informal (social) language consists of English needed for students to effectively interact, exchange ideas, and engage in various settings and contexts. Formal (academic) language consists of oral and written language used to build knowledge, participate in content-specific discourse, and process complex academic material found in formal school settings and interactions.

The progression of skills in the four language domains are developed simultaneously and can be divided into two categories: receptive skills and expressive skills. Listening and reading are the receptive (input) skills. Students' development in receptive skills is necessary for comprehension and attainment of the English language and content. Speaking and writing are the expressive (output) skills. Students' ability to express and share their personal ideas and content knowledge allow teachers the opportunity to check for understanding and adjust instruction. Effective content-based language instruction involves engaging EB students in scaffolded opportunities to listen, speak, read, and write at their current levels of proficiency while gradually increasing linguistic complexity.

In order for EB students to be successful, educators must create an environment that welcomes and encourages students to leverage their unique cultural and linguistic experiences as they develop English language skills and learn academic content. Educators must cultivate an approach that integrates students' and their families' funds of knowledge into the classroom instructional practices. Culturally and linguistically sustaining practices leverage and celebrate students' cultural heritage and backgrounds while elevating their cultural and linguistic identities. Teaching and learning cognates that connect both (or multiple) languages can also construct bridges between languages and increase confidence as English language acquisition progresses.

The ELPS student expectations are the knowledge and skills students must demonstrate. They indicate what students should know and be able to do in order to meet academic content standards. Proficiency level descriptors describe behaviors EB students exhibit across five proficiency levels as they acquire English. EB students may exhibit different proficiency levels within and across the domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

The ELPS demonstrate an asset-based approach to address the affective, linguistic, and cognitive needs of EB students in accordance with §89.1210(b) of this title (relating to Program Content and Design) as follows:

acknowledge and leverage the existing funds of knowledge students possess, including linguistic repertoire, cultural heritage, and background knowledge;

demonstrate targeted and intentional academic language skills to ensure content-area teachers are able to accurately evaluate the abilities of EB students and scaffold toward the increasingly complex English that students hear, speak, and are expected to read and write; and

provide an exact and incremental measure of the stages of English language acquisition with attention to the fact that EB students at all levels of proficiency can engage in cognitively demanding tasks and master the required essential knowledge and skills with appropriate language support.

The proficiency level descriptors are organized into general proficiency level descriptors and content-area proficiency level descriptors. General proficiency level descriptors are descriptions of a broad scope of student behaviors that can be observed in a variety of educational settings and across content areas. Content-area proficiency level descriptors describe student behaviors and language associated with discipline-specific learning in English language arts and reading, mathematics, science, and social studies.

Cross-curricular English language acquisition student expectations.

Student expectations--listening. The EB student listens to a variety of speakers, including teachers, peers, and multimedia, to gain an increasing level of comprehension in all content areas. The EB student may be at the pre-production, beginning, intermediate, high intermediate, or advanced proficiency levels in listening. The student is expected to:

distinguish sounds and intonation patterns by responding with gestures or images, orally, or in writing;

use contextual factors or word analysis such as cognates, Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes, and roots to comprehend content-specific vocabulary when heard during formal and informal classroom interactions by responding with gestures or images, orally, or in writing;

respond with accuracy to oral directions, instructions, and requests;

use context to construct the meaning of descriptive language, words with multiple meanings, register, and figurative language such as idiomatic expressions heard during formal and informal classroom interactions;

demonstrate listening comprehension from information presented orally during formal and informal classroom interactions by restating, responding, paraphrasing, summarizing, or asking for clarification or additional details; and

derive meaning from a variety of auditory multimedia sources to build and reinforce concepts and language acquisition.

Student expectations--speaking. The EB student speaks using a variety of language structures for a variety of purposes with an awareness of different language registers (formal/informal) using vocabulary with increasing accuracy and fluency in all content areas. The EB student may be at the pre-production, beginning, intermediate, high intermediate, or advanced proficiency level of English language acquisition in speaking. The student is expected to:

pronounce words, including high-frequency words, cognates, and increasingly complex syllable types, with accuracy;

speak using content-area vocabulary during formal and informal classroom interactions to demonstrate acquisition of new words and high-frequency words;

speak using a variety of language and grammatical structures, sentence lengths and types, and transition words;

speak using appropriate register to convey a message during formal and informal classroom interactions with accuracy and fluency;

narrate, describe, explain, justify, discuss, elaborate, or evaluate orally with increasing specificity and detail in academic context or discourse; and

restate, ask questions about, or respond to information during formal and informal classroom interactions.

Student expectations--reading. The EB student reads a variety of texts for different purposes with an increasing level of comprehension in all content areas. The EB student may be at the preproduction, beginning, intermediate, high intermediate, or advanced proficiency levels of English language acquisition in reading. The student is expected to:

demonstrate awareness of print concepts and directionality of reading as left to right and top to bottom;

decode words using the relationships between sounds and letters and identify syllable patterns, cognates, affixes, roots, or base words;

use high-frequency words, contextual factors, and word analysis such as Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes, and roots and cognates to comprehend content-area vocabulary in text;

use context to construct the meaning of figurative language such as idiomatic expressions, descriptive language, and words with multiple meanings to comprehend a variety of text;

use pre-reading strategies, including previewing the text features, connecting to prior knowledge, organizing ideas, and making predictions, to develop comprehension;

derive meaning from and demonstrate comprehension of content-area texts using visual, contextual, and linguistic supports;

demonstrate reading comprehension of content-area texts by retelling, paraphrasing, summarizing, and responding to questions; and

read with fluency and prosody and demonstrate comprehension of content-area text.

Student expectations--writing. The EB student writes using a variety of language structures with increasing accuracy to effectively address a variety of purposes (formal and informal) and audiences in all content areas. The EB student may be at the pre-production, beginning, intermediate, high intermediate, or advanced proficiency levels of English language acquisition in writing. The student is expected to:

apply relationships between sounds and letters of the English language to represent sounds when writing;

write text following conventional spelling patterns and rules;

write using a combination of high-frequency words and content-area vocabulary;

write content-area texts using a variety of sentence lengths and types and transition words;

write content-area specific text using conventions such as capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviations and grammatical structures such as subject-verb agreement, verb tense, possessive case, and contractions; and

write to narrate, describe, explain, respond, or justify with supporting details and evidence using appropriate content, style, register, and conventions for specific purpose and audience.

Proficiency level descriptors.

The following five proficiency levels describe students' progress in English language acquisition.

Pre-production. The pre-production level, also known as the silent period, is the early stage of English language acquisition when receptive language is developing. Students develop comprehension when highly scaffolded instruction and linguistic support are provided. Student responses are mostly non-verbal.

Beginning. The beginning level is characterized by speech emergence (expressive language) using one word or two-to-three-word phrases. Students at this level require highly scaffolded instruction and linguistic support. Students at this level begin to consistently use present tense verbs and repeat keywords and familiar phrases when engaging in formal and informal interactions.

Intermediate. The intermediate level is characterized by the ability to use receptive and expressive language with demonstrated literal comprehension. Students at this level need moderately scaffolded instruction and linguistic support. Additional visual and linguistic support is needed to understand unfamiliar or abstract concepts such as figurative language, humor, and cultural or societal references. Students at this level begin to consistently use short phrases and simple sentences or ask short questions to demonstrate comprehension during formal and informal interactions.

High intermediate. Students at the high intermediate level begin to consistently use a variety of sentence types, express opinions, share thoughts, and ask for clarification. Students at this level have an increased level of literal and abstract comprehension. Students may need minimal scaffolded instruction and linguistic support to engage in formal and informal classroom interactions.

Advanced. The advanced level is characterized by the ability of students to engage in formal and informal classroom interactions with little to no linguistic support. Students at this level engage in discourse using content-area vocabulary and a variety of grammatical structures with increasing accuracy.

The Grades 4-12 proficiency level descriptors are described in the figure provided in this paragraph. Figure: 19 TAC §120.21(e)(2)

Introduction

Reading offers students an opportunity to read with competence, confidence, and understanding through instruction in comprehension strategies, word recognition, and vocabulary. Middle school students read, write, listen, speak, and view to learn more about the world around them and to create, clarify, critique, and appreciate ideas and responses. Middle school students complete research projects or locate answers to questions using multiple texts and resources. In addition, middle school students continue to read on their own or listen to texts read aloud for the purpose of enjoyment. Middle school students read both printed texts and electronic media independently, bringing with them various strategies to aid in comprehension. Significant blocks of time are provided for reading both independent and instructional-level material for varied purposes such as collecting information, learning about and appreciating the writer's craft, and discovering models for their own writing. Middle school students respond to texts through various avenues such as talk, print and electronic formats, connecting their knowledge of the world with the text being read. For middle school students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition and language learning.

The essential knowledge and skills as well as the student expectations for Reading, an elective course, are described in subsection (b) of this section.

Knowledge and skills.

The student uses a variety of word recognition strategies. The student is expected to:

apply knowledge of letter-sound correspondences, language structure, and context to recognize words; and

use dictionaries, glossaries, and other sources to confirm pronunciations and meanings of unfamiliar words.

The student acquires vocabulary through reading and systematic word study. The student is expected to:

expand vocabulary by reading, viewing, listening, and discussing;

determine word meaning by using context;

use spelling, prefixes and suffixes, roots, and word origins to understand meanings;

use reference aids such as a glossary, dictionary, thesaurus, and available technology to determine meanings and pronunciations; and

identify analogies, homonyms, synonyms/antonyms, and connotation/denotation.

The student reads with fluency and understanding in increasingly demanding texts. The student is expected to:

read silently for a variety of purposes with comprehension for sustained periods of time;

adjust reading rate based on purposes for reading; and

read orally at a rate that enables comprehension.

The student comprehends selections using a variety of strategies. The student is expected to:

use prior knowledge and experience to comprehend;

determine purpose for reading;

self-monitor reading and adjust when confusion occurs by rereading, using resources, and questioning;

summarize texts by identifying main ideas and relevant details;

make inferences such as drawing conclusions and making generalizations or predictions, supporting them with prior experiences and textual evidence;

analyze and use both narrative and expository text structures: sequence, description, problem/solution, compare/contrast, and cause/effect;

make connections and find patterns, similarities, and differences across texts;

construct visual images based on text descriptions;

determine important ideas from texts and oral presentations;

manage text by using practices such as previewing, highlighting, making marginal notes, notetaking, outlining, and journaling; and

use questioning to enhance comprehension before, during, and after reading.

The student reads texts to find information on self-selected and assigned topics. The student is expected to:

generate relevant, interesting, and researchable questions;

locate appropriate print and non-print information using text and technical resources;

organize and record new information in systematic ways to develop notes, charts, and graphic organizers;

communicate information gained from reading;

use compiled information and knowledge to raise additional unanswered questions; and

use text organizers such as overviews, headings, and graphic features to locate and categorize information.

The student reads for different purposes in varied sources, both narrative and expository. The student is expected to:

read to enjoy, to complete a task, to gather information, to be informed, to solve problems, to answer questions, to analyze, to interpret, and to evaluate;

read sources such as literature, diaries, journals, textbooks, maps, newspapers, letters, speeches, memoranda, electronic texts, and technical documents; and

understand and interpret visual representations.

The student formulates and supports responses to various types of texts. The student is expected to:

respond actively to texts in both aesthetic and critical ways;

respond to text through discussion, journal writing, performance, and visual representation; and

support responses by using prior knowledge and experience and/or citing textual evidence which may consist of a direct quotation, paraphrase, or specific synopsis.

The student reads critically to evaluate texts in order to determine the credibility of sources. The student is expected to:

evaluate the credibility of informational sources and their relevance for assigned and self-selected topics;

evaluate how a writer's motivation, stance, or position may affect text credibility, structure, or tone;

analyze aspects of text, such as patterns of organization and choice of language, for persuasive effect;

recognize modes of reasoning, such as induction and deduction; and

recognize logical and illogical arguments in text.

The student reads to increase knowledge of own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. The student is expected to:

compare text events with personal and other readers' experiences; and

recognize and discuss literary themes and connections that cross cultures.