The American Academy

The needs of ninth grade students transitioning to high school are a fundamental concern to middle-level language arts teachers. This course focuses on reading and writing experiences that are developmentally appropriate: vocabulary instruction that compares connotation with denotation and identifies word meanings using sentence structure (grammar), reading instruction that focuses on inference and the difference between interesting and important information in informational text, and character development and more complex figurative language in narrative and poetry. Writing focuses on comparing multiple ideas and perspectives to extend thinking through writing, and concentrates on persuasive writing. Skills in analytical evaluation and assessment of writing become more nuanced, and editing skills are specific and clearly delineated. Inquiry skills are focused on questioning as a research technique and evaluating sources of information.