MIDDLE SCHOOL
ENGLISH
Sherry Adams Johnson
Middle School English Department Chair
sajohnson1@fcps.edu
“The
more you read, the more things you will
know. The more that you learn, the more places
you will go.”- Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My
Eyes Shut
Courses offered
English
7
English
8
•
•
•
•
•
Honors
General Education
Special Education (TT/SC)
Read 180
Action Literacy
•
•
•
•
•
•
Honors
General Education
Special Education (TT/SC)
Read 180
Action Literacy
Responsive Writing
General education vs. Honors
General Education
Honors
Students are automatically placed in the 4
core classes of Math, English, Social
Studies, and Science.
Students and parents may select honors
classes based on a student’s academic
strengths and interests.
Will take grade level VA SOL
Will take grade level VA SOL
Emphasis on demonstrating and developing
comprehension and application skills
Emphasis on demonstrating and developing
critical and creative thinking skills
Well timed pace of curriculum with instruction
that incorporates scaffolding, review, and
practice
Rigorous, fast paced curriculum and
instruction.
POS and SOL standards create a framework
for the course
POS and SOL extension lessons provide
Ascending Lessons of Intellectual Demand
Emphasis on development of responsibility
with guidance from teacher
Emphasis on development of emerging
autonomy and independence
Reading strategies
Synthesis of information
Inferences and drawing conclusions
Visualization
Asking questions
Making connections
Determining importance
Repairing comprehension or re reading
Summer Reading Assignment
• All students are expected to read an age appropriate book
off the summer reading list
• A summer reading assignment will be handed out to all
current Hayfield students and posted on the Hayfield
website.
• Assignment is due within the first two weeks of school
year.
Quarterly Reading Projects
• In addition to literature circles students are required to
read one book per quarter and complete an independent
reading assignment
7th grade Program of Studies
• Oral Communication
• Media Literacy
• Vocabulary
• Fictional texts, narrative non-fiction, and poetry
• Writing
• Editing
• Research
Specific novels and assignments
Novels that have been read in past English Classes:
• Freak the Mighty
Rodman Philbrick
• Countdown
Ben Mikaelson
• The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton
• Love that Dog
Sharon Creech
• The Giver
Lowis Lowry
• Blackwater
Eve Bunting
• The Hobbit
J.R.R Tolkien
• The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
8th grade Program of Studies
• Non Fiction
• Expository and Persuasive Writing
• Elements of Fiction
• Grammar Rules
• Vocabulary
• Research
• Media Literacy
• Oral Presentations
Novels, projects, and assignments
• Touching Spirit Bear
• Monster
• The Pearl
• Bird
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Chew on This
• Many articles, poems, and short stories
• Informational pamphlets/posters
• Literature Circles
Student assessments
• Journals
• Binders or Interactive notebooks
• Quizzes
• Tests
• Group Assignments
• Independent Reading Projects
• Presentations
• Class work
• Essays
• Homework
SOL Information
• Both 7th and 8th grade students will take a
Reading SOL in May.
• 8th Grade Students will take a two day
Writing SOL in March. One day will
consist of grammar questions, and one
day will be writing either a persuasive or
expository essay.
SOL Information
• The SOL Reading Test Reporting Categories
include:
• Word Analysis and Word Reference
• Comprehension of Fiction
• Comprehension of Nonfiction
• There will be more nonfiction than fiction
questions
• Vocabulary will be tested in passages and
stand-alone items
• Students will be asked to draw connections
between fiction and nonfiction texts (paired
passages)
Then and Now. ..
An old 7th grade SOL Question
A New 7th Grade SOL Question:
Then. . .An 8th grade reading question
Now. .. An 8th Grade Reading Question
Writing sample multiple choice
• Then and Now. ..
Then. …
Sample Writing SOL Question NOW
Writing sample prompts
• There is a common saying, “Don’t judge a
book by its cover.” Think of something that
has an unattractive appearance but that
has special meaning to someone for other
reasons. It might be an old car, a well-used
toy, a faded photograph, or something else.
Identify the object and explain why it has
special meaning.
The NUMBER 1 thing you can do to help
your child be successful in English
Encourage them to
read, read, read!!
If your child needs extra assistance:
Read 180
Action Literacy
Responsive Writing
Thanks for coming!
Enjoy English next
year!!