Polson School District #23
Instructional Services
Grade 8 Reading
Curriculum
Framework
Polson School District #23
111 4th Avenue East
Polson, MT 59860
(406) 883-6355
Content Area: Reading
Con
Standard 1 Students construct meaning as they comprehend and respond to what they
read.
Benchmarks: By the end of grade 8 students will:
1. Make predictions and clearly describe with details,
meaningful connections between new material and
previous information/experiences.
Grade 8
1.a Demonstrate previous grade skills. (LS1.1) (TS1,
TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
1.b Make oral and written predictions for short stories,
novels, historical text and content specific material.
(LS1.1) (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
1.c Make connections between new information and
prior knowledge, and use inferential clues (LS1.1)
(TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
2. Compare and contrast important print/non-print
information with existing knowledge to draw conclusions
and make application.
2.a Analyze and evaluate author's purpose and
style, and express a critical opinion of the
effectiveness of the material in meeting that purpose
(LS1.4, LS1.5)(TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
3. Interpret and provide oral, written, and/or artistic
responses to ideas and feelings generated by the
reading material and compare responses with peers.
3.a Identify personal ideas and feelings about reading
material and express these in a variety of ways
(discussions, short essays, charts, mind maps, poems,
performing or visual arts) (LS5.3)(TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4,
TS5, TS6)
3.b Compare personal responses to responses of
peers in short essay and present to peers for critical
review (LS1.6) (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
4. Demonstrate understanding of main ideas and select
supporting facts and details.
4.a Identify, analyze and evaluate the validity,
accuracy and adequacy of evidence that supports an
author's ideas or theme (footnoting, bibliography and
other source materials, bias)(LS1.2) (TS1, TS2, TS3,
TS4, TS5, TS6)
5. Provide accurate, detailed summaries using key
elements of appropriate reading material.
5.a Summarize or restate in own words key
information and ideas from fiction and non-fiction text
(through discussion, essays, journals, book reports,
book talks) (LS1.3)(TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
Benc
Grad
Content Area: Reading
Con
Standard 2 Students apply a range of skills and strategies to read.
Benc
Grad
Benchmarks: By the end of grade 8 students will:
1. Decode unknown words combining elements of
phonics, grammatical stuctures, analysis of word parts,
and context to understand appropriate, leveled reading
material.
Grade 8
1.a Analyze word parts to understand new words
related to reading material. (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS6)
1.b Understand differences between non-standard
and standard English, and apply standard English
usage (TS1, TS2, TS3)
2. Demonstrate understanding of literary elements (plot,
character, setting, point of view, and conflict).
2.a Demonstrate previous grade level skills and
knowledge of literary elements in selected texts.
(LS1.3, LS2.2 higher level)(TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5,
TS6)
3. Identify literary devices (figurative language,
exaggeration, irony, humor, and dialogue).
3.a Cite examples of figurative language, irony,
exaggeration, humor and dialogue in contemporary
and periodical literature (LS2.1, LS2.4) (TS1, TS2,
TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
4. Use features and organization of fiction and
non-fiction material to comprehend complex material (e.g.
paragraphs, chapters, titles, indices, tables of contents,
graphs, charts, visuals).
4.a Understand organizational formats with various
forms of text and apply all organizational structures of
the text. (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
5. Adjust fluency, rate, and style of reading to the
purpose of the material with guidance.
5.a Read aloud from a variety of texts, adjusting rate,
fluency, etc. (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS6)
5.b Self-monitor style and complexity of text material,
and adjust reading rate accordingly
6. Develop vocabulary through the use of context clues,
analysis of word parts, auditory clues, and reference
sources (e.g. dictionary, thesaurus, glossary) and
construct general and specified vocabularies related to
specific academic areas, culture, and technology.
6.a Use context, word analysis, auditory cues and
reference to expand and refine vocabulary (LS2.3
contribute to literary works) (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS5, TS6)
7. Use a variety of reading strategies including
self-correcting, rereading to comprehend, using context,
and adjusting rate.
7.a Use a variety of strategies (ex: SQRRR) to develop
vocabulary (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS5, TS6)
7.b Identify and apply appropriate comprehension
strategies in a variety of text formats
8. Ask questions and check predictions prior to, during,
and after reading.
8.a Use various questioning strategies to monitor
predictions in the reading process and explain
effectiveness of different strategies for different types
analysis of word parts, auditory clues, and reference
sources (e.g. dictionary, thesaurus, glossary) and
construct general and specified vocabularies related to
specific academic areas, culture, and technology.
reference to expand and refine vocabulary (LS2.3
contribute to literary works) (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS5, TS6)
Content Area: Reading
Con
Standard 2 Students apply a range of skills and strategies to read.
7. Use a variety of reading strategies including
self-correcting, rereading to comprehend, using context,
and adjusting rate.
Benchmarks: By the end of grade 8 students will:
8. Ask questions and check predictions prior to, during,
and after reading.
7.a Use a variety of strategies (ex: SQRRR) to develop
vocabulary (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS5, TS6)
7.b Identify and apply appropriate comprehension
strategies in a variety of text formats
Grade 8
8.a Use various questioning strategies to monitor
predictions in the reading process and explain
effectiveness of different strategies for different types
of materials (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
Benc
Grad
Content Area: Reading
Con
Standard 3 Students set goals, monitor, and evaluate their progress in reading.
Benc
Grad
Benchmarks: By the end of grade 8 students will:
1. Articulate and evaluate strategies to self-monitor
reading progress, overcome reading difficulties, and seek
guidance as needed
Grade 8
1.a Demonstrate previous grade skills and strategies,
and:
1.b Read orally and silently from selected books using
a variety of strategies for improvement. (TS1, TS2,
TS3)
1.c Articulate and evaluate reading strategies when
questioned by the teacher (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS5)
2. Monitor reading successes and set reading goals.
2.a Set reading goals and maintain reading log to
document reading in a variety of genres (TS1, TS2,
TS3, TS6)
2.b Assess goals quarterly (LS3.3)
3. Select authors, subjects and print and non-print
material, expressing reasons for recommendations.
3.a Critique a variety of selected authors, subjects,
print and non-print materials (LS3.2) (TS1, TS2, TS3,
TS4, TS5, TS6)
3.b Recommend materials to peers based on critique
of strengths and weaknessses of the work (LS3.1)
(TS1, TS2, TS3, TS5, TS6)
Content Area: Reading
Con
Standard 4 Students select, read and respond to print and non-print materials for a variety
of purposes.
Benchmarks: By the end of grade 8 students will:
Grade 8
1. Establish and adjust the purposes for reading (e.g.
personal satisfaction, lifelong reading habits, sharing and
reflecting upon their reading).
1.a Read for the purpose of comparing and
contrasting different types of literature and sources of
information (LS4.1) (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
1.b Describe verbally and in writing different individual
purposes for reading
2. Read to organize and understand information, and to
use material to investigate a topic (e.g. reference material,
manuals, public documents, newspapers, magazines and
electronic information).
2.a Choose a topic of interest and generate
questions about the topic that can be investigated.
Use applicable resources in the investigation. (TS1,
TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
2.b Gather and organize relevant information related
to self-generated questions from a variety of sources
and present findings
3. Read, interpret and apply information to perform
specific tasks (e.g. maps, travel books, first aid manuals,
catalogs).
3.a Through reading, design and implement a
multi-step task for a variety of purposes (TS1, TS2,
TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
3.b Read informational manuals or directions to
complete a tasks (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
4. Read, analyze, and provide oral, written and/or artistic
responses to traditional and contemporary literature.
4.a Read and respond to a variety of grade-level
appropriate literature (TS1, TS2, TS3)
4.b Read from a self-selected piece of traditional or
contemporary literature, design and present a
personal reponse (can be oral, written, performed,
drawn, scuplted, musical, etc.) (LS4.2, LS4.3, LS5.3)
(TS1, TS2, TS3)
5. Identify recurring themes, perspectives, cultures, and
issues by reading (e.g. identity, conflict, change).
5.a Identify recurring themes, perspectives and issues
in literature and relate to life experiences and
experiences of others (LS5.2)(TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4,
TS6)
6. Read and identify civic and social responsibilities by
interpreting and analyzing social rules (e.g. handbooks,
newspapers, other information).
6.a Understand that certain texts (e.g.,student/school
handbooks, newspapers, policy manuals, special
interest journals, etc.) address civic and social rules
Benc
Grad
5. Identify recurring themes, perspectives, cultures, and
issues by reading (e.g. identity, conflict, change).
Content Area: Reading
5.a Identify recurring themes, perspectives and issues
in literature and relate to life experiences and
experiences of others (LS5.2)(TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4,
TS6)
Con
Standard 4 Students select, read and respond to print and non-print materials for a variety
of purposes.
Benchmarks: By the end of grade 8 students will:
Grade 8
6. Read and identify civic and social responsibilities by
interpreting and analyzing social rules (e.g. handbooks,
newspapers, other information).
6.a Understand that certain texts (e.g.,student/school
handbooks, newspapers, policy manuals, special
interest journals, etc.) address civic and social rules
and responsibilitiies. Read from a variety of these
sources, and interpret the rules and responsibilities
being addressed (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
7. Identify, locate, read and interpret information from a
variety of sources (e.g. graphs, tables, policy statements,
television, Internet).
7.a Locate, read and interpret tables, graphs and flow
charts (or other graphic organizers) in text or other
information sources (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6)
Benc
Grad
Content Area: Reading
Con
Standard 5 Students gather, analyze, synthesize and evaluate information from a variety of
sources and communicate their findings in ways appropriate for their purposes
and audiences.
Benchmarks: By the end of grade 8 students will:
Grade 8
1. Compare and contrast information and textual
elements in print and nonprint materials.
1.a Analyze plots, settings, characters and themes in
a variety of works (TS1, TS2.1, TS2.3)
2. Make connections, explain relationships among a
variety of sources, and integrate similar information.
2.a Read and gather information from a variety of
sources (such as newspapers, magazines, television
news articles, web-based information sources).
Identify similarities and differences among the
sources and integrate similar information (TS1.1,
TS1.2, TS1.3, TS2.1, TS2.2, TS2.3, TS3, TS4)
3. Recognize authors' points of view and purposes.
3.a Discuss author's purpose and style and critique
effectiveness of text in meeting the purpose (TS1.1,
TS1.2, TS1.3, TS2.2, TS2.3)
4. Recognize authors' use of language and literary
devices to influence readers.
4.a In a variety of works, with teacher support,
analyze author's use of literary devices to influence
readers and evaluate effectiveness (TS1, TS2.1,
TS2.3)
5. Recognize, express and defend a point of view.
5.a Identify and defencd differing points of view (TS1,
TS2.1, TS2.2, TS2.3)
Benc
Grad