Reading, Writing, and Language Arts
Growing Strong Readers and Confident Writers
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From building phonics skills in early grades to crafting persuasive essays in middle school, reading and language arts skills are designed to help students grow as thoughtful, effective communicators. At Seagull Scholars, I support students in strengthening the core literacy skills they need to succeed, tailored to their individual needs, pace, and confidence level.
Below, you’ll find an overview of key skills typically emphasized in each grade level. Depending on your child’s goals, we may work on:
Reading: developing fluency, comprehension strategies, main idea and inference, analyzing text structure, synthesizing across genres, and using textual evidence.
Language & Grammar: expanding vocabulary, understanding parts of speech, applying grammar and conventions, and editing for clarity and correctness.
Writing: writing personal narratives, informative texts, persuasive and argumentative pieces, using the writing process, and organizing ideas clearly for purpose and audience.
Whether your child needs help mastering current grade-level expectations, filling in gaps from earlier years, or extending their abilities with more advanced practice, I’ll design sessions to meet them where they are and help them grow with skills and confidence.
8th Grade
8th Grade
Analyze how themes are shaped by characters and plot events
Evaluate the impact of dialogue and pacing in narrative texts
Determine how authors develop ideas across longer works
Examine how point of view and perspective influence meaning
Write well-structured literary, argumentative, and informative essays
Use introductions and conclusions that frame a clear thesis
Support arguments with relevant, well-integrated textual evidence
Maintain formal style and objective tone in analytical writing
Edit writing for logical organization, sentence fluency, and mechanics
Analyze historical and contemporary speeches for rhetorical techniques
Compare and contrast approaches in fiction and nonfiction
Cite sources accurately and avoid plagiarism in research writing
Analyze word choice and connotation for impact
Use complex sentence structures effectively
Revise to enhance clarity, purpose, and engagement
7th Grade
7th Grade
Analyze the development of themes and central ideas
Evaluate how an author’s choices affect tone and meaning
Identify rhetorical devices and persuasive techniques
Summarize complex texts using objective language
Analyze character development and internal conflict
Write argumentative essays with clear claims and counterclaims
Support writing with strong evidence and analysis
Edit for clarity, consistency, and correct grammar and punctuation
Use effective transitions and sentence variety
Develop voice and tone appropriate to the audience and task
Compare authors’ approaches to similar themes or topics
Write responses to literature using text evidence
Conduct short research projects using credible sources
Use advanced punctuation (colons, dashes, parentheses)
Revise for cohesion and logical progression of ideas
6th Grade
6th Grade
Identify and analyze themes across genres
Interpret figurative language, symbols, and imagery in text
Summarize texts, noting how ideas develop and interact
Analyze how setting, plot, and character relationships develop
Make inferences and draw conclusions with textual evidence
Write literary essays, persuasive texts, and research reports
Use transitions to clarify relationships among ideas
Edit for varied sentence structures and grammar accuracy
Incorporate quotes and paraphrased evidence in writing
Use a formal tone and precise word choice for the audience and purpose
Analyze text structure (problem/solution, cause/effect)
Compare multiple texts on the same theme or topic
Use commas, semicolons, and colons correctly
Conduct extended research projects with citations
Revise drafts to improve tone, clarity, and organization
5th Grade
5th Grade
Determine the theme of a story and explain how it’s developed
Compare and contrast characters, settings, or events across texts
Analyze how authors use figurative language, imagery, and tone
Summarize texts without personal opinions or judgments
Identify structural elements of poems, dramas, and prose
Write multi-paragraph essays with clear introductions and conclusions
Use commas to separate items in a series and after introductory elements
Edit for grammar, capitalization, and punctuation
Write for different purposes: to inform, persuade, and entertain
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
Analyze the narrator’s point of view and how it influences the text
Conduct research using multiple sources and organize findings
Use quotation marks and punctuation correctly in dialogue
Develop a thesis statement supported by logical reasons
Revise drafts for clarity, coherence, and style
4th Grade
4th Grade
Summarize the plot, including key events and turning points
Identify the author’s purpose and craft choices (word choice, tone)
Make connections across texts and genres
Analyze characters’ motivations, feelings, and changes
Interpret figurative language and sensory details
Write personal narratives and expository essays with structure
Use quotation marks and commas in dialogue
Maintain subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement
Use transition words to connect ideas
Develop a clear thesis or controlling idea in essays
Revise writing for clarity, sentence variety, and strong vocabulary
Identify cause and effect relationships in texts
Conduct short research projects using sources
Differentiate between fact and opinion
Understand and explain similes, metaphors, and idioms
3rd Grade
3rd Grade
Summarize texts including key ideas and details
Use prefixes, suffixes, and context clues to determine word meanings
Make inferences and support them with evidence from the text
Identify the theme or message in fiction
Explain how illustrations or text features contribute to understanding
Write multi-paragraph essays with a clear central idea
Use correct punctuation for dialogue
Apply subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tense
Revise drafts to improve word choice and organization
Write persuasive, narrative, and informational texts
Use a strong introduction, body, and conclusion in writing
Analyze characters and their relationships
Recognize figurative language (similes, metaphors)
Understand first- and third-person point of view
Use glossaries and dictionaries to clarify word meanings
2nd Grade
2nd Grade
Decode multisyllabic words using phonics rules
Use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words
Identify the central idea and key details in a text
Describe how characters respond to challenges
Recognize and understand different text structures (e.g., sequence, cause/effect)
Write brief compositions with a clear topic and supporting details
Capitalize proper nouns and use commas in greetings and closings
Use correct past and present verb tenses
Recount folktales, fables, and stories with morals
Identify the author’s purpose
Edit drafts for grammar, punctuation, and spelling
Write compound sentences using conjunctions
Use descriptive words in writing
Demonstrate fluency and accuracy when reading aloud
Understand the difference between fiction and nonfiction
1st Grade
1st Grade
Decode one-syllable words using letter-sound patterns
Recognize and produce rhyming words
Identify the main idea and supporting details
Retell stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end
Describe characters, settings, and major events
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
Read grade-level texts with fluency and expression
Blend and segment spoken syllables and sounds
Write complete sentences with correct capitalization and punctuation
Use the pronoun “I” and capitalize the first word in a sentence
Spell common sight words accurately
Write short personal narratives and opinion pieces
Use basic grammar, including singular and plural nouns
Identify basic text features (titles, headings, etc.)
Participate in shared writing and research projects
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