Goal 1: Comprehension

• Students read and understand a range of materials: books, newspapers, manuals, letters, contracts, advertisements and other formats. Students connect prior knowledge with current learning and build vocabulary through root words, prefixes and suffixes and context clues. The students also identify text structure and create visual graphic organizers and outlines to use in their reading. The students learn to summarize, draw conclusions and compare and contrast a variety of texts, including narrative writing and poetry.
  
  

Goal 2: Lliterature

• Students learn literature and literary techniques, because literature conveys ideas, reflects societies and expresses human imagination. Developing an appreciation of literature allows students to learn and respond to a variety of ideas. In this objective, the students develop an understanding of literary techniques such as figurative language, allusion, dialogue, description, word choice and dialect. The students also illustrate how the development of theme, character, plot and setting contribute to the impact of both fiction and non-fiction writing. The students achieve this by studying short stories, novels, dramas, fables, biographies, documentaries, poetry and other forms of writing. The students also learn how an author's word choice helps to convey meaning in a piece of writing.
  
  

Goal 3: Writing

• The students write effectively for a variety of audiences and purposes. This is considered essential to clear communication. The students write essays that show higher-order thinking, planning and organization. These skills train the students to be capable of writing business letters, reports, financial proposals and even appeal for a raise or promotion as they continue in life. The students' writing will reflect proper use of grammar, spelling, capitalization and structure. The students write a variety of essays, including narrative, compare and contrast and persuasive essays. They will learn how to use technology to produce and compose such pieces.
  
  

Goal 4: Listening

• Goal 4: Students learn to listen and speak effectively, because these are the most often used forms of communication, whether at home, school, or work in their own neighborhoods. Students learn grammar, sentence structure, tone and expression. They will analyze a speaker's verbal and nonverbal communication, identify barriers to communication -- such as credibility and noise -- and use the appropriate language for different audiences and different situations. The students will also deliver oral and multimedia presentations and learn how to use such tools as note cards and visual aids.
  
  

Goal 5: Communication

• Students use written, visual and electronic resources to convey certain messages. The students develop questions and identify relevant information from a variety of sources and convey messages in multiple formats. The students analyze and evaluate information from a variety of sources.