8th Grade Reading and Writing Benchmarks

revised 2002/2003
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Reading
Reading Process Strategies
1. Reads fluently grade level material
• Varies their reading rate to match the purpose and level of difficulty
• Reads with a rhythm, flow, and meter that sounds like everyday speech
2. Uses context clues to effectively acquire new vocabulary words.
Comprehension
3. Reads and comprehends a variety of grade-level material. (including:
drama, folk literature, science fiction, poetry)
• Reads selectively to locate and interpret information, select facts, and organize
information from expository writing.
• Paraphrases and summarizes text
• Identifies main idea and details
• Identifies author’s purpose and point of view
• Draws conclusions and makes connections to other situations.
• Identifies main elements of text (plot, major and minor characters, setting, mood,
theme, major events, problems, conflicts, and resolutions)
• Understands and recalls inferred main ideas and supporting details
4. Understands basic writing strategies and basic elements of the
author’s craft.
• Interprets figurative and nonliteral language (e.g., similes, metaphors,
personification)
• Identifies specific devices an author is using to persuade readers (e.g., propaganda,
appeal to emotions, exaggeration).
• Recognizes the use of specific literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing, flashback).
5. Makes inferences in order to understand a variety of texts.

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Writing
Writing Skills and Strategies
1. Drafts, revises, edits, and proofreads written work
2. Writing includes some explicit transitional devices within a paragraph.
Conventions, Grammar, and Usage
3. Applies accurate mechanics of the language in daily writing.
• Uses appropriate capitalization
• Uses appropriate punctuation
• Uses appropriate abbreviations
4. Spells words correctly in written work.
5. Correctly uses parts of speech in written work.
Writing Purpose and Resulting Genres
6. Demonstrates competence in persuasive writing.
7. Demonstrates competence in personal narrative writing.
8. Writes for a variety of audiences. (public and private)

Student ___________________________Teacher_____________________________________