Curriculum

STANDARD 6:  LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS AND STRUCTURES 

Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

Through the reading-writing process students learn grammar, language patterns, and conventions and apply it to the broader purposes of communication. Knowledge of the systems, structures of language and the conventions of writing, ensure that students write effectively. 

• Spell frequently used words correctly

• Use spelling  resources  such as dictionaries, peer editing, word lists, temporary   spelling, spell check, etc.

• Write with command of standard English: capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, and grammar

• Evaluate and discuss the structure of language in a variety of print and graphics

Evaluate and discuss a variety of print and graphics

KINDERGARTEN

1. Spell the 10 high frequency words

2. Print first name correctly

3. Learn correct letter formation

4. Recognize and name (or sound out) all upper and lower case letters

5. Use phonetic knowledge and sounds of the alphabet to spell independently

6. Recognize and use correct word order in sentences when speaking

7. Write using a left to right, top to bottom progression

FIRST GRADE

1. Spell and use 50 high-frequency words

2. Use temporary spelling for unknown words

3. Print each upper and lower case letter legibly and use appropriate spacing between words

4.  Use available resources to spell correctly

5.  Proof with adult help

6. Recognize syllables in a word

7.  Write statements and questions with end punctuation: period, question mark, exclamation mark

8.  Capitalize first word of a sentence, names of people, and the pronoun “I”

9.  Print first and last name correctly

SECOND GRADE

1. Spell high-frequency words and word families

2. Capitalize all proper nouns, words at the beginning of sentences and in greetings, months and days of the week, and titles and initials of people

3. Alphabetize words

4. Identify and use parts of words (e.g., syllables, endings, plurals, compound words, contractions, root words, and common abbreviations)

5.  Use legible penmanship

6. Use punctuation: Comma in a series, quotation marks, personal letter, and dates

7. Use correct grammar:  Nouns, verbs, and complete sentences

8. Write a friendly letter

9. Distinguish between complete and incomplete sentences

THIRD GRADE

1. Write legibly in cursive and manuscript

2. Spell high frequency words and word families

3. Apply spelling rules (e.g., change y to i, u always after q - see Appendix Spelling Rules)

4. Arrange words in alphabetical order

5. Identify and use nouns, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns in context

6. Practice using a dictionary and glossary

7. Use syllables to assist in spelling

8. Write a complete sentence to answer a question

9. Revise and edit own work and the work of others

10. Write personal letters including date, salutation, body, closing, and signature

11. Distinguish between  question, statement, demand, and exclamation

12. Use correct punctuation:  Comma in dates, city and state, titles of books, addresses, and items in a series

13. Use correct capitalization:  Geographical names, holidays, historical periods, and special events

14. Use correct grammar:  Identify and use verb tenses (past, present, and future), subject verb agreement, pronouns, adjectives, compound words, and articles

15. Identify and use subject and predicate of simple sentences

FOURTH GRADE

1. Extend editing skills to ensure proper format, correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization in writing

2. Spell high frequency words and word families

3. Observe punctuation in reading

4. Identify and use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, and adjectives in context

5. Use knowledge of root words to determine meanings and unfamiliar words

6. Read and write both cursive and manuscript

7. Use correct grammar:  Regular and irregular verbs, adverbs, prepositions, and  conjunctions

8. Use correct punctuation:  Parentheses, commas in direct quotations, apostrophes (possessives and contractions), use underlining, quotation marks, and italics to identify titles

9. Use correct capitalization:  Names of magazines, newspapers, works of art, music, organizations, and first word in quotations when appropriate

FIFTH GRADE

1. Use language conventions including correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and descriptive language

2. Use word origins, prefixes, and suffixes to determine meanings of words

3. Use correct capitalization

4. Use correct punctuation:  Use a colon to separate hours from minutes and to introduce a list: use quotation marks around exact words of a speaker and some titles (eg., poems, songs, short stories)

5. Use correct grammar:  Identify and use verbs that are often misused (lay/lie, sit/set, rise/raise), modifiers and pronouns, prepositional phrases, appositives, independent and dependent clauses

6. Spell roots, suffixes, prefixes and contractions correctly  

7. Divide syllables correctly

8. Spell high frequency words

9. Read and write in cursive and manuscript

SIXTH GRADE

1.   Use correct capitalization

2. Use correct punctuation:  Colons after the salutations in business letters, semicolon to connect independent clauses, commas when linking two clauses with a conjunction

3. Use correct grammar:  Indefinite pronouns, present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect verb tenses and ensure that verbs agree with compound subjects

4. Spell frequently misspelled words correctly and know when to apply appropriately (e.g., their/they’re/there and to/two/too)

5. Apply spelling rules (See Appendix)

6. Identify and use present, past and future tenses

SEVENTH GRADE

1  Use appropriate grammar

2. Use correct capitalization

3. Spell derivatives correctly by applying the correct spelling of roots and affixes

4. Apply spelling rules (See Appendix)

5. Identify and use infinitives and correct pronoun/antecedent reference

6. Identify types and structures of sentences

7. Use properly placed modifiers; use active voice

8. Identify and use hyphen, dash, and brackets. Use semi-colon between two clauses of a compound sentence that are not joined by a conjunction

9. Identify all parts of speech

10. Identify mechanics (e.g., quotations, commas at end of dependent clauses)

11. Identify appropriate usage (e.g., pronoun reference)

EIGHTH GRADE

1. Practice and write the four types of sentences: simple, compound, complex,

compound/complex

2. Edit written manuscripts to demonstrate control of grammar

3.  Use correct and varied types of sentence openings to reinforce the presentation of a lively and effective personal style

4.  Identify and use parallel structures in writing to present items in a series,    

complements, and items juxtaposed for emphasis

5. Use correct punctuation and capitalization

6. Apply spelling rules (See Appendix)

7.  Use subordination, coordination, and apposition to indicate the relationship between ideas

NINTH/TENTH GRADE

1.  Identify and use clauses (e.g., main and subordinate), phrases (e.g., gerunds, infinitives and participles), mechanic (e.g., semi-colons, colons, ellipses and hyphens), usage (e.g., tense consistency), and sentence structure (e.g., parallel structure, properly placed modifiers)

2.  Demonstrate control of grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, syntax, and usage

3.  Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation  and capitalization

4.  Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements, including; title page presentation, pagination, spacing and  margins, integration of source and support material (e.g., in-text citation, use of direct quotations, paraphrasing) with appropriate citations

ELEVENTH/TWELFTH GRADE

1.  Demonstrate control of grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, and usage

2.  Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization

3.  Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements in writing