These courses are designed to further students’ reading and writing skills in conjunction with the expectancies of the eighth-grade reading and writing of the National Common Core Standards (www.corestandards.org). The development of these skills will be strongly tied to the reading and writing processes in both English and literature classes. Students will explore a variety of literary genres. Students will encounter short stories, novels, poems, biographies, diaries, and non-fiction. Some of our readings will be focused on selections from Literature (Prentice Hall). Other possible works this year may be selected from the following: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon Daniel’s Story by Carol Matas Macbeth by William Shakespeare Greek and Roman mythology (Mythology by Edith Hamilton) By exposing students to a variety of texts, my primary aim is that students will develop and demonstrate positive attitudes about reading and, as a result, that they will view reading as a lifelong pursuit. Furthermore, I hope that as students confront and grapple with important themes and values in literature that they will continue to grow in thoughtfulness, integrity, character, and compassion. In addition, direct instruction will be given in the areas of composition, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, reading comprehension, listening skills, and oral communication. Assessments Comprehension (written and oral) Comprehension of the course material will be assessed through class discussion, writing projects, homework assignments, essays, speeches, interviews, projects, recitation, cooperative learning experiences, Friday quizzes, and exams. Students’ growth will also be assessed through M.A.P. (Measures of Academic Progress) – a test that is given three times a year. Spelling and Vocabulary Enrichment Students will learn weekly vocabulary and spelling words. Reading Workshop At least one period each week is dedicated to “Reading and Writing Workshop.” During this time, students read books that they have selected. Comprehension is assessed through Accelerated Reader tests as well as teacher-generated tests. Each quarter, students are challenged to read a specified number of pages. During Writing Workshop, students will practice the steps of the writing process – brainstorming, organization, drafting, conferencing, revising, and publishing. Homework Students will be given specific homework assignments appropriate to the units studied. Homework will rarely be assigned over the weekend. The eighth-grade team works closely to coordinate deadlines of major projects and exams. Please check the website for daily assignments and the occasional exciting extra-credit question. If your child has a legitimate excuse for not completing a homework assignment, please send an e-mail to that effect. If a student is continually missing assignments, I will phone home. Students with a chronic problem completing homework will be referred to Homework Assistance by the eighth-grade team. Teaching is a challenge shared by all of us. Motivation, cooperation, and respect are the mutual responsibilities of student, teacher, and parent. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the course or your child’s progress. (I am also open to good book and/or restaurant recommendations!) I promise to give my best, and I look forward to working with you to make this a successful year for your child. 