English Language Arts 7

Forms of text

I can identify the form a text takes.

Functions of text

I can identify the function a text is built to do.

Genres of text

I can recognize a text's genre from its features and patterns.

Using text features

I can use text features to find and understand information quickly.

Narrative structures

I can recognize how a story is structured and how that structure carries its meaning.

Characterization

I can identify how an author builds a complex character and explain their motivation.

Setting

I can identify a story's setting and explain how it shapes the mood or events.

Sensory detail

I can notice sensory details and explain how they make writing more vivid.

Figurative language

I can recognize figurative language and explain the effect it creates.

Building and spotting an argument

I can identify the claim and evidence in an argument and judge whether the evidence supports the claim.

Using contextual clues

I can use the words around an unfamiliar word to figure out what it means.

Using phonics and word structure

I can break an unfamiliar word into sounds and parts to read and understand it.

Visualizing

I can build a picture in my mind of what's happening in a text.

Questioning (reading)

I can ask questions before, during, and after reading to guide my thinking.

Predicting

I can use clues to make a reasonable prediction about what happens next.

Previewing text

I can preview a text before reading closely to get a sense of what it will be about.

Summarizing

I can shrink a text down to its main idea and most important points.

Making inferences

I can combine text clues with what I already know to figure out what isn't said directly.

Focusing on the speaker

I can give my full attention to whoever is speaking.

Asking questions to clarify

I can ask a question when something a speaker said is unclear.

Listening for specifics

I can listen for particular details or information I need.

Expressing opinions

I can share my opinion clearly along with a reason.

Speaking with expression

I can use my voice to bring my spoken words to life.

Staying on topic

I can keep my contributions connected to what's being discussed.

Taking turns

I can wait for my turn to speak and let others finish.

Reflecting

I can look back on my own learning and notice what I did and what I learned about myself.

Questioning your own thinking

I can ask myself questions to monitor my own understanding.

Goal setting

I can set a clear, specific goal for my own learning or writing.

Self-evaluating

I can judge my own work honestly against a goal or standard.

Revising

I can revise a draft to improve its ideas, details, and flow.

Editing

I can edit a draft to fix its spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Considering audience

I can adjust my writing to fit who will read it.

Tone

I can notice how tone of voice changes how words should be understood.

Volume

I can notice how volume affects a spoken message.

Inflection

I can notice how inflection (pitch rising and falling) changes meaning.

Pace

I can notice how pace affects a spoken message.

Gestures

I can notice how gestures support and add meaning to spoken words.

Paragraphing

I can organize writing into paragraphs, each built around one main idea with supporting details.

Regional dialects and varieties of English

I can recognize that English sounds and looks different across regions.

Standard Canadian English versus American English

I can notice differences between standard Canadian English and American English.

Formal versus informal registers

I can tell apart a formal register from an informal one and explain why each fits its situation.

Situational varieties

I can recognize that language use changes depending on the situation.

Mixing simple, compound, and complex sentences

I can use a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences so my writing reads smoothly.

Correct pronoun use

I can use pronouns correctly so it's always clear what they refer to.

Subject-verb agreement

I can match a verb correctly to its subject.

Using transitional words

I can use transitional words to connect ideas and show how sentences relate.

Spotting run-on sentences and fragments

I can recognize and fix run-on sentences and sentence fragments.

Punctuation

I can use punctuation correctly so my writing is clear.

Capitalization

I can capitalize sentence starts and proper nouns correctly.

Canadian spelling

I can spell words using Canadian conventions.

Presentation techniques

I can choose techniques that make a presentation of my work clearer and more engaging.