English Language Arts

Grades 5-8 Middle School Curriculum for English Language Arts is focused on literature study, reading comprehension, language skills and writing. Our educators work in content and grade level teams to develop units of study utilizing authentic text and resources selected to address grade level standards. In grade five, teachers utilize Reading Street by Pearson.  As a Core Program, Reading Street provides the basis for the scope and sequence. Individual units may be modified to infuse authentic literature experiences and project based learning opportunities. Teachers in grade six through eight utilize locally designed units. The Beverly curriculum is aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework and districtwide common assessments provide us the data to adjust instruction and personalize learning opportunities for our students. Each classroom and grade level incorporate the following elements as part of their literacy  instruction.

Literature Study:  Literature studies may include multiple genre thematic units, where a variety of texts are linked by some common theme. This allows students to use literature as a means for exploring big ideas and to make connections among the various genres.

Reading Comprehension: Comprehension of the text is greatly improved when students have received direct instruction in activating their prior knowledge, making predictions, understanding story structure, using graphic organizers, visualizing and using mental imagery and summarizing. There are ten core comprehension skills taught at each grade level.

Language skills:  Language skills include sentence structure, parts of speech, usage, and the mechanics of writing and are taught throughout the year. The writing process is demonstrated and practiced through journals, expository writing, narrative writing, and persuasive writing. All genres of literature are explored.

Writing and the Genres
In grades 5-8, students participate in writing blocks that focus on the different genres of writing throughout the school year.  Our students receive instruction in narrative, persuasive, and expository writing in connection with our reading unit plans. The main curricula used to teach writing is Empowering Writers for grade 5 and in 6-8 the teachers use locally designed and created writing instruction the includes extensive work on the foundations of strong text-based writing to include a claim, strong evidence and reasoning with increasing text-complicity and comparative analysis writing situations.  

Empowering Writers is taught beginning in grade 2 and defines the characteristics of narrative, expository and persuasive writing and provides common language and visuals that carry over throughout each grade level.  Grade five teachers bridge the transition to middle school and continue meet with students to provide specific feedback on writing and explicitly teach editing and revision skills.

The locally designed writing curriculum includes both reading and explicit writing instruction as students will receive opportunities analyzing complex texts in order to develop their own writing.  

Students in grades 6-8 will gain experience understanding and writing strong author’s purpose, writing structure and writing style. Students will have practice developing their own purpose, structure and style in response to analysis of a text or multiple texts. Students will also receive grammar instruction attached to the writing experience.