1. Georgia Standards of Excellence
Grades 6-8

2. Four Integrated Components
Reading
Writing
Speaking and Listening
Language

3. Skills Progression Spiral

4. Reading Reading Literature and Informational Texts
Cite textual evidence
Determine themes and central ideas
Analyze author’s use of literary elements, ideas, or events

5. Writing Types and Purposes for Writing Production of Writing
Argumentative
Informative/explanatory
Narrative
Production of Writing
Writing process
Writing to an audience
Research Skills
Conducting research
Choosing good sources
Avoiding plagiarism
Range of Writing
Both short and more extended pieces
*emphasis on using evidence to support thinking

6. Speaking and Listening
Engage in and prepare for discussions effectively
Analyze information in various formats (consumers of information)
Analyze a speaker’s arguments
Present ideas to others (speech)
Include visual or media components

7. Language Conventions of Standard English Knowledge of Language
In speaking and writing
Knowledge of Language
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Adding new words to vocabulary
Understanding nuances of meaning
Learning how to figure out unfamiliar words
6th – 8th Grade: emphasis on Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes
Mal—bad
Bene—good
Beneficial—something is “good”
Malignant—something is “bad”
Benign—harmless “good”

8. How To Help Encourage your child to… check itslearning regularly
attend or request help sessions
read widely and often
read writing out loud
share writing with you
explain his or her thinking
practice speeches in front of you
be resourceful
Explain thinking: “Why do you think that?” “How do you know that?”

9. How To Help Your child may need help with… organizational skills
time management
ideas (be a sounding board)
feedback on writing
gathering sources for research
studying vocabulary
practicing presentations

10. Resources Newsela.com andyspinks.com Experience Online Testing Georgia
Forsyth County Library
borrow books that can be reserved and picked up
Newsela.com
current events articles at different levels
andyspinks.com
research citation help
Experience Online Testing Georgia
milestones online platform practice (not content)
Georgia Milestones Assessment Resources
list of parent resources (half-way down page on right)
Quizlet
create flash cards and quizzes to study