Descriptions of the Reporting Categories Grade 8

The following descriptions outline what your child should know and be able to do at this grade level.

Comprehension and Reading Skills

This topic includes basic skills necessary for successful reading, like vocabulary and word recognition. When reading, it is important to identify main ideas, make inferences, and draw conclusions. When reading fiction, students should think about how the author’s choices add to the impact of a text. When reading nonfiction, students should consider how word choice contributes to the purpose of the text.

Ask your child to help you understand an upcoming election in your community. Read an article about a political candidate and have her summarize the candidate's beliefs about a particular issue. Talk about how to determine the candidate's beliefs from statements in the article. Then ask your child if she agrees or disagrees with the candidate, and why she would or would not vote for this person.

Interpretation and Analysis of Fiction and Nonfiction Texts

This topic involves many skills. It requires students to analyze elements of fiction texts such as character, setting, plot, theme, topic, tone and style, and content. Also included in this topic are literary devices like foreshadowing and flashback, point of view, and figurative language. One of the most important things to consider about nonfiction texts is their organization. Students need to distinguish between fact and opinion and essential and nonessential information. Students must also determine an author’s purpose.

The point of view of a text refers to who is telling the story. When reading with your child, ask her to identify the author's point of view. Is the writing first person (I, me, we) or third person (he, she, they)? Discuss why the author might have chosen a particular point of view, and what effect it has on the reader. You can even challenge your child to rewrite a paragraph from an alternate point of view.