What does a student learn in StateGeorgia,GradeGrade 7,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Reading, writing, speaking, and listening show up in almost every lesson. These four habits run through everything students do in English class across the year.

Students learn how English grammar works and put that knowledge to use in their own writing. They study sentence structure, punctuation, and word choice, and practice figuring out the meaning of unfamiliar words from context.

Students read, discuss, and write about texts chosen to stretch their thinking. The work builds on itself across the year.

Reading and writing aren't just school tasks. Students build habits around why they read and write, choosing approaches that help them understand a text more deeply or make their own writing clearer and more purposeful.

Students practice seeing themselves as real readers and writers, building habits and go-to strategies they can use across any subject or assignment.

Students set their own reading and writing goals, track whether they're meeting them, and adjust the goals when something isn't working.

Students name the kinds of reading and writing they connect with most, pointing to specific topics, styles, or genres that feel meaningful to them.

Students choose books and topics they care about, then read and write about them in ways that connect to what they are studying in class.

Students build a personal toolkit of reading and writing strategies, then choose the right ones depending on the task. Over time, they get better at knowing which moves help them understand a text or put their own ideas into words.

Students take part in reading and writing discussions as a group: they set shared expectations, talk about what they read, share their own writing, and give useful feedback to classmates.

Students set their own reading and writing goals, make choices about how to tackle an assignment, and work through challenges without waiting to be told what to do next.

Students write or speak as both the person sharing an idea and the person receiving one, making deliberate connections between what a text says and what it means for the bigger picture.

Students read and write stories drawn from real life or imagination, looking closely at how a text is built to make sense of it and shape their own.

Students read closely to gather information, build on what they already know, and form ideas worth sharing. Reading has a real purpose: to understand something better or to figure something out.

Reading and writing as tools for learning: students explain ideas and work through new concepts by reading texts closely and writing in response to what they study.

Students take notes, make diagrams, or write summaries to help them dig into a text and figure out what they actually think about it.

Students read to find answers to real problems and write to persuade others toward a decision. Both skills show up in school and everyday life.

Students use reading strategies (like previewing, questioning, and summarizing) to understand challenging texts. They apply these habits before, during, and after reading to build meaning from what they read.

Before reading, students decide what they're looking for and check in with themselves as they go to make sure the text is actually making sense.

Before reading closely, students quickly scan a text to spot headings, sections, or parts worth focusing on. It's a planning step that helps them read with a purpose.

Students connect what they already know to what they're reading, notice when something doesn't match what they expected, and update their thinking when the text teaches them something new.

Students pause while reading to sum up what happened so far and picture the scene in their head. Both habits help them stay on track and understand longer, more complex texts.

Students guess what will happen next in a story or article, then check whether they were right as they keep reading.

Students read between the lines to figure out what a text implies but never says outright, then find specific passages that back up each inference.

Students figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words by using clues from the surrounding sentences and by recognizing common word parts like prefixes, roots, and suffixes.

Students plan, draft, revise, and edit their writing for different purposes and readers. The type of writing changes, but the process of thinking it through and improving it stays consistent.

Before writing, students decide why they're writing, what they want to say, and who will read it. That thinking shapes every choice they make in the draft.

Students decide how to structure their writing before they draft, choosing a format and organization that fits their purpose and the audience they have in mind.

Students plan what to write by thinking about what they already know, reading to find new information, and talking it over with others before they start drafting.

Students sort through their notes and drafts to find the details that actually support their plan, setting aside anything that wanders off topic.

Students write a first draft by pulling together their ideas and choosing words and sentences that fit their purpose and the readers they have in mind.

Students read back their own draft and ask whether it actually does what they set out to do, using feedback from a peer or teacher to help decide what to change.

Students revise a draft using their own review or a reader's feedback, reworking the structure, ideas, and word choices until the writing does what they intended.

Students review their own writing and fix errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation so the final draft follows the rules of written English.

Students figure out who wrote a text, why they wrote it, and who it was meant for, then use those answers to understand the text more deeply or to make sharper choices in their own writing.

Students use background details like where, when, and why a text was written to make sense of what they read and to make smarter choices when they write.

Students figure out what background knowledge, research, or conversation with others they need before reading or writing a text. They decide which context clues about the author, audience, or time period actually matter for understanding it.

Students look at when, where, and why a text was written, then think about how that background shapes what the author was trying to say and what a reader was expected to take from it.

Context is the situation surrounding a text: when it was written, who wrote it, and why. Students examine how that background shapes the choices an author makes and how readers respond to what they read or write.

Reading and writing with purpose means asking why an author made specific choices. Students study how word choice, structure, and examples shift depending on who the audience is, then apply those same moves in their own writing.

Students read or write a text by asking three questions: Who made this, who is it for, and why? Then they judge how well the text actually does what it set out to do.

When reading, students figure out where an author is coming from and who they wrote for. When writing, students use that same thinking to build a clear point of view of their own.

Students look at a piece of writing and figure out why the author made specific choices: what details to include, how to organize the page, and which words to use, based on who the audience is and what the author wants them to understand.

Students read closely enough to notice how a writer's choices, like word selection or sentence structure, shape meaning. Then students use those same moves in their own writing.

Reading like a writer means students notice how an author built a piece of writing, then ask why those choices worked. Students look at word choice, structure, or point of view and connect those decisions to what the text made them think or feel.

Seventh graders identify specific techniques a writer uses, such as word choice, tone, or structure, then explain how those choices shape what a reader thinks or feels.

Students look at specific words an author chose and explain how those words shape what a reader thinks or feels. The goal is to connect the word choice to what the piece is actually trying to do.

Students look at how a writer builds sentences, short or long, simple or complex, and explain why those choices pull in a particular reader or push the writing toward its goal.

Students look at how a text is built: its layout, structure, and repeated patterns. Then they explain how those choices make the text easier to follow and why the author made them.

Students write with their reader in mind, choosing words, details, and structure based on who will read the piece and why it exists.

Students practice combining storytelling details, factual explanation, and persuasive moves in a single piece of writing to reach a specific audience and make an argument land.

Students choose specific words and phrases to steer how readers think or feel about a topic. The goal is to match the language to the intended audience and get a clear response.

Students choose how to build their sentences, including length and word order, to fit their audience and get a specific point across.

Students arrange their writing using formats and structures chosen to fit their purpose and guide readers through the text.

Students look at how layout, visuals, and formatting shape the way a reader understands a text, then apply those same choices when writing or designing their own.

Students experiment with different kinds of writing, such as stories, arguments, and informational pieces, noticing how word choice and structure shape what a text feels like and who it speaks to.

Students look at why a poem, a story, and a news article cover the same topic differently. The form a writer chooses shapes what details get included and what gets left out.

Students look at how the format of a piece of writing shapes the way ideas are organized. A poem arranges words differently than a news article, and recognizing that difference helps students both read and write more effectively.

Students read and create texts that mix words, images, and design choices to shape how an audience thinks or feels. They study how genre, layout, and craft decisions work together to make a message land.

Students talk through ideas, ask questions, and present what they know to different audiences, in small groups, class discussions, and formal presentations.

Students work with classmates to complete a shared project or reach a goal together, listening to different ideas and contributing their own.

Students come to group discussions having already read, thought about, or completed the work. They're ready to add to the conversation, not catch up during it.

When working on a group project, students set rules, agree on goals, and keep things moving so the work actually gets done.

Students add their own ideas to group discussions and projects, listen to what classmates say, and give useful feedback on others' work.

Students join group discussions to talk through ideas, dig into questions, and build or create something together with classmates.

Students choose how to present information based on who is listening and why. A report for classmates looks and sounds different from a pitch to a panel, and this standard is about knowing the difference.

Students explain their thinking out loud or in writing in a way that makes sense to someone who wasn't in their head. That means organizing ideas before speaking or writing, then delivering them clearly enough that the audience can follow along.

Students choose the right format for the moment: a speech for persuading, a poster for informing, a conversation for discussing. The format fits the audience and the goal.

Students practice adjusting how they speak, including how fast they talk, how formal they sound, and what they do with their hands, depending on who is listening and why.

Students practice back-and-forth conversation with an audience, asking questions and giving clear answers rather than just delivering a prepared speech.

Students memorize and recite meaningful poems or speeches aloud, building a feel for how language works when it's spoken rather than read silently.

Students notice how grammar works in real sentences, then apply those patterns in their own writing. They study punctuation, word choice, and sentence structure as tools for making meaning clear.

Students study how sentences are built and how grammar rules work, then apply those rules in their own writing. They look closely at how word choice and punctuation shape meaning in texts they read.

Students practice setting off extra information in a sentence using commas, parentheses, or dashes. A phrase like "my teacher, Mr. Lopez, said so" uses commas to mark the name as detail the sentence could drop and still make sense.

Ellipses are the three dots (...) writers use to show a pause, a trailing thought, or missing words from a quotation. Students practice placing them correctly in their own writing and when quoting sources.

Students use hyphens correctly when joining prefixes or suffixes to words and when writing compound words like "well-known" or "self-control."

Students use semicolons to connect two closely related sentences into one, sometimes adding a linking word like "however" or "therefore" to show how the ideas relate.

Students identify and use nouns, verbs, adjectives, and other parts of speech to fill specific roles in a sentence, such as the subject, the object, or a modifier. This builds on skills from earlier grades.

When students pull a quote from a source and drop it into their writing, they use capital letters, commas, quotation marks, and end punctuation correctly. Parentheses hold the citation that tells readers where the quote came from.

Demonstrative pronouns point to specific people or things: "this," "that," "these," and "those." Students use the right one depending on whether something is near or far, and whether it is singular or plural.

Colons do a specific job: they signal that a list or explanation is coming. Students learn when to place a colon before examples or details in their writing.

Students practice turning verbs into other parts of speech, using forms like "running" as a noun, "broken" as a description, or "to finish" as part of a phrase. This shapes how sentences are built and what they mean.

Sentence structure shapes how meaning lands on the reader. Students study how sentences are built, then rewrite and combine them to say something more clearly or with more punch.

Reading a sentence closely enough to notice how it is built. Students use that knowledge of sentence structure to understand difficult passages and explain how a writer's word order shapes meaning.

Students practice building different sentence types, from short and simple to longer multi-clause sentences, to express ideas more precisely. Verb tense stays consistent throughout so readers don't get confused about when things happen.

Students learn to spot when a sentence buries the subject by using passive voice, then rewrite those sentences so the subject is doing the action. The goal is to keep that pattern consistent across a full piece of writing.

A misplaced or dangling modifier is a describing phrase that accidentally points to the wrong word in a sentence. Students practice spotting these errors and fixing them so their sentences say exactly what they mean.

No grammar convention is assessed at this grade. This standard begins in 9th grade.

Students build vocabulary by studying how words are put together, using roots and word parts to figure out unfamiliar words in reading and writing.

Students practice learning new words from many different situations, including daily life, school subjects, and specific fields, then use those words to understand what they read and say what they mean more precisely.

Students grow their vocabulary by reading grade-level books, articles, and other content, picking up both everyday words and subject-specific terms they'll use in class discussions and writing.

Students practice using precise, subject-specific words in their writing and speaking, matching word choice to the situation, whether a class discussion, an essay, or a presentation.

Students use roots, prefixes, and suffixes to figure out what unfamiliar words mean, then put those words to work in their own speaking and writing.

Students break apart unfamiliar words by recognizing roots, prefixes, and suffixes from Greek and Latin to figure out what the word means. A word like "transportation" becomes easier to read when students know what "trans" and "port" already mean.

Knowing whether a word is acting as a noun, verb, or adjective helps students figure out what an unfamiliar word means when they meet it in a sentence.

Students use Greek and Latin word parts, like roots and prefixes, to figure out unfamiliar words and build new ones. Knowing that "rupt" means break, for example, helps decode "interrupt" or "disrupt."

Students choose words based on how they function in a sentence, picking a sharper verb or a more exact noun to say what they mean. The goal is precision, not just variety.

Students study what a word literally means and what it suggests or implies, then use both layers of meaning to understand what they read and make sharper word choices in their own writing.

This standard is a transition point, not a standalone skill. Students continue building vocabulary work started in earlier grades and carry it into the next level of the 6-8 progression.

Students use clues from nearby words and sentences to figure out what an unfamiliar word means, and they look at how words relate to each other (think opposites or words with similar meanings) to sort out words that have more than one meaning.

Words can share a basic meaning but carry very different feelings. Students learn to tell the difference between words like "confident" and "smug" so they can choose the right word and understand why an author chose it.

Students look up unfamiliar words or phrases using a dictionary, thesaurus, or online tool, then use what they find to confirm or sharpen their understanding of the word's meaning.

Students look up closely related words, like "angry" and "furious," to understand the subtle differences between them, then choose the right word when writing or speaking.

Students look at who wrote a text, when, and why, then explain how those details change what the text means and how it reads.

Students read a text and explain how knowing who it was written for, and why, changes the meaning and tone. A news article written for parents reads differently than one written for lawmakers, even when the topic is the same.

A single text can have more than one purpose at once. Students identify each purpose, explain how the author builds it across the text, and consider which readers each purpose is aimed at.

Students use features like headings, captions, charts, and sidebars to better understand what a text is saying and why it was written.

Students build a presentation or project that mixes formats, like written text, images, or spoken words, with a clear goal and a specific audience in mind. Each format they choose has a visible, intentional role in getting the message across.

Students look at who wrote or spoke something and ask why it matters. They consider the author's background, beliefs, and situation to understand why the text says what it says.

Students identify the main viewpoint an author takes in a text, then examine how the author uses other voices or evidence to support or push back against that position.

Students read a text and figure out whether the author's word choices and supporting details make the argument trustworthy or show a personal bias. The tone and evidence together signal how much to believe.

Students look at how a story or article was shaped by when and where it was created. Knowing the era, place, or historical events behind a text helps explain why the author wrote what they wrote.

Students find reliable sources, such as books, databases, or expert websites, to answer questions about topics they're studying or curious about. The focus is on checking whether a source can be trusted before using it.

Students study how writers organize paragraphs and choose words to build an argument or tell a story, then apply those same moves in their own writing.

Students study how a piece of writing is built, then use those same structural choices in their own writing to guide readers and make ideas land.

Students look at how an author arranged a piece of writing and explain why that structure was a deliberate choice. The goal is to connect the layout to the author's purpose or the audience the piece was written for.

Students choose how to organize a piece of writing, picking structures like compare-contrast or problem-solution and features like headings or captions to fit what they're writing and who will read it.

Students choose transition words and phrases that link ideas across sentences and paragraphs, making the writing flow from one point to the next.

Students write multi-paragraph pieces with an opening that sets up the topic, middle paragraphs that back it up with facts or details, and a closing that wraps it up.

Word choice shapes how a reader feels. Students study how published authors use specific words, sentence rhythms, and details to create a mood or make a point, then apply those same moves in their own writing.

Figurative language, word connotations, and literary devices shape how a text feels and what it means. Students explain how a writer's specific word and device choices create mood or tone in poems, stories, and other texts.

Students choose words and phrases with purpose: a metaphor to make an idea land harder, a word with emotional weight to connect with a particular reader.

Students decide whether a piece of writing or speech calls for formal language or casual language, then write or speak that way on purpose.

Students study how word choice, sentence structure, and point of view shape a text's meaning, then apply those same moves in their own writing.

Students read stories and study how authors build suspense, develop characters, and shape a plot. Then students use those same moves in their own writing.

Students read a story and explain how the author uses techniques like dialogue, pacing, and description to build the plot, characters, and setting across the whole text.

Students read a story and explain how the author builds suspense or reveals the past through tools like foreshadowing and flashback. They also examine how conflict and plot structure shape the way the story unfolds.

Students look at two or more stories and explain how each author uses characters and plot events to build a central theme. The comparison shows how the same idea can take shape in very different ways.

Students read a story and a history book side by side, then explain what the author made up, what matches the record, and what each version helps a reader understand that the other misses.

Students use storytelling moves like dialogue, pacing, and descriptive detail to make a piece of writing more gripping. The goal is to pull readers in and serve the point the writing is trying to make.

Expository writing explains or informs. Students read and write pieces that break down a topic, examining how the author organizes information, uses evidence, and guides the reader through an idea.

Students examine how a nonfiction piece is built: how the author states the main idea, backs it up with facts and data, and wraps it up at the end. They also look at how headings, charts, and other text features help organize the information.

Students read two articles on the same topic and compare how each author chose different facts or evidence to support their own take. The goal is to see how those choices shape what each piece argues.

This standard was taught in earlier grades and is not part of 7th grade work.

Students use facts, details, and text features in their own writing to make a point clear and give readers a satisfying ending.

Students read arguments and figure out how a writer builds a case: what claim is being made, what evidence backs it up, and whether the reasoning actually holds. Then students use those same moves in their own writing.

Students find the author's main position, look at the evidence used to back it up, and notice where the author addresses the opposing side. They also check whether the ending actually follows from the argument made.

This standard isn't taught in 7th grade. The skill it covers starts in 9th grade.

Students write arguments by stating a clear claim, backing it with relevant evidence, and addressing the opposing side before wrapping up with a logical conclusion.

This standard isn't taught in 7th grade. It's part of a progression that starts in 9th grade, so students won't see this skill until high school.

Students read poems closely to spot how word sounds, line breaks, and rhythm shape meaning. Then they try those same techniques in their own writing.

Students break down how a poem is built: how the sections are arranged, whether lines rhyme, and how word choices create pictures or sounds in the reader's mind.

Students write poems that use rhyme, imagery, and sound to pull a reader in. That means making deliberate choices about line breaks, repeated sounds, and figurative language to give the poem shape and feeling.

Students read, discuss, and analyze texts to research topics and build on their ideas across projects. The focus is on working with multiple sources, not just one.

Students pick a topic, write questions to guide their search, and find trustworthy sources that back up what they learn.

Students form their own questions about a topic before digging into research, then connect what they find to related ideas. The questions drive the investigation, not the other way around.

Students find and pull together information from reliable sources (books, websites, or interviews) to research a topic. They choose the best sources and weave details from several of them into one focused piece of writing.

Students pull from what they already know and have researched to dig into a text, using that background to agree with, push back on, or build beyond what the author says.

Students gather facts and quotes from several sources, check whether each source is trustworthy and on-topic, and weave that evidence into their own writing without copying someone else's words.

Students find facts and details in books and websites that back up a research question, then record where each source came from, including the author, title, and publication year.

Students look at sources they find during research and decide whether each one is trustworthy and actually relates to the topic they are studying.

Students learn to cite their sources in a standard format, like MLA, and build a works cited page that lists every source they used. Borrowed ideas and direct quotes get labeled so readers know whose words they are.

Students study a group of stories, poems, or speeches from a specific era to find what ideas, writing styles, and forms kept showing up across that time and place.

Students read works from a specific era in literary history and recognize the themes, writing styles, and types of stories that defined that period.

Students read ancient myths and classic stories, then spot how modern authors borrowed and reshaped them. They look for patterns in theme and writing style across both versions.

Students read one type of literature from a specific era, such as medieval poetry or early American essays, and pick out what makes the writing's style and themes distinct from other times.