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

Reading aloud at a steady pace, with correct pronunciation and natural phrasing, so the meaning of the text comes through clearly.

Students read seventh-grade passages with a clear reason in mind, not just to finish the page. The goal is to actually understand what the words mean and why they matter.

Students read a passage aloud at a steady pace, pronouncing words correctly and using tone and emphasis to match what the text means.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they use the surrounding sentences to figure it out or fix a misread. If something still feels off, they go back and reread.

Students break apart unfamiliar words using prefixes, suffixes, and root words to figure out what they mean and how to say them. This skill keeps reading moving when a word is new.

Students use letter patterns, syllable breaks, and word parts like prefixes and suffixes to read long, unfamiliar words they've never seen before, whether those words appear in a sentence or on their own.

Students practice writing in cursive so their handwriting is smooth, connected, and easy to read. By seventh grade, this means writing quickly enough to keep up with their own thinking without losing legibility.

Students find specific lines from a story or poem to back up what they think the text means, both what it says outright and what they have to read between the lines to understand.

Students identify the central message of a story and track how it builds from beginning to end. They also write a short, fair summary of the text without letting their own opinion creep in.

Stories are built from moving parts. Students look at how a character's choices shape the plot, how the setting puts pressure on those choices, and how those forces together drive the story forward.

Students find quotes and specific details from a nonfiction text to back up what they think it means, both for what the text says outright and for conclusions they have to figure out on their own.

Students find the two main points an article or nonfiction passage is making, then trace how each one builds from start to finish. They also write a short, fair summary that leaves out their own opinion.

Students trace how a person, event, or idea in a nonfiction article shapes or is shaped by something else in the same text. They explain the connection, not just name the pieces.

Students figure out what words really mean in a story or poem, including what they suggest beyond their literal meaning. They also look at how rhyme and repeated sounds shape the feeling or rhythm of a specific passage.

Students look at how a poem or play is built, such as the number of lines, where the stanzas break, or how a scene is divided, and explain how those choices shape what the piece actually means.

Students look at how two characters in a story see the same events differently. They explain how the author shapes each point of view and what those differences reveal about the story.

Students figure out what words mean in nonfiction, including slang, implied feelings, and subject-specific terms. Then they explain how a particular word choice shifts the meaning or mood of a passage.

Students look at how a nonfiction article or book is organized, noticing how each section builds on the last. The goal is to see why the author arranged the pieces in that order and how that choice shapes the whole piece.

Students figure out what an informational text's author believes and why they wrote it, then look closely at how the author pushes back on or separates their own view from other people's views.

Students read a story, poem, or play, then watch or listen to a version of it. They look at what changes between the two and explain why the medium, a film, a recording, a stage performance, shapes what the audience feels or notices.

Students read a story and a history book about the same era, then compare what matches and what the author changed. It shows how fiction writers borrow from real history and where they take creative liberties.

Students read an article, then watch or listen to a version of the same topic. They compare what each format shows well and what it leaves out.

Students read a nonfiction article or essay and ask: does the author's argument actually hold up? They check whether the reasons make sense and whether the facts given are strong enough to back each claim.

Students read two articles on the same topic and compare how each author uses different facts or examples to push a different point of view. The goal is to see that two writers can cover the same subject and still lead readers in opposite directions.

Students read novels, stories, and poems at the level expected for middle school. Harder texts get extra support until students can handle them on their own.

Students read nonfiction at a seventh-grade level, including harder texts when the teacher provides support. By the end of the year, they handle that range on their own.

Students write a persuasive argument, state their position, back it up with real evidence from credible sources, and address the other side. The writing stays formal and ends with a conclusion that ties back to the argument.

Students write informative essays that open with a clear introduction, back up the main idea with facts and specific details, and close with a conclusion that ties everything together. Word choice should be precise and the tone stays formal throughout.

Students write a story, real or imagined, with a clear narrator, a sequence of events that builds naturally, and an ending that fits what happened. They use dialogue, descriptive details, and precise word choices to bring characters and scenes to life.

Writing looks different depending on why you're writing and who will read it. Students learn to match how they organize and phrase their writing to fit the assignment, whether that's a story, an argument, or a report.

Students revise and edit their own writing with feedback from classmates or a teacher, checking that the piece says what it needs to say for the right reader. The focus is on whether the writing actually fits its purpose and audience.

Students use computers and the internet to write, publish, and share their work. That includes linking to sources and collaborating with classmates online.

Students pick a question, find answers across several sources, and write up what they learned. Along the way, they come up with new, more focused questions worth investigating next.

Students search print and digital sources, check whether each source is trustworthy, and use what they find in their own writing. They quote or paraphrase sources correctly and cite them in MLA or APA format.

Students pull quotes and details from stories or nonfiction to back up their thinking in writing. The same close-reading skills they use in reading class apply here too.

Students write often, sometimes spending days on a research piece or reflection, and sometimes finishing a shorter piece in a single class period. The goal is to build the habit of writing for different subjects, reasons, and readers.

Students take part in group conversations about class readings and topics, listen to what others say, and build on those ideas with their own. This covers one-on-one talks, small-group work, and full-class discussions.

Students show up to class discussions having already read the material, then point to specific lines or facts from that reading to push the conversation deeper.

In group discussions, students stay on topic, keep track of what the group needs to finish, and take on specific roles so the conversation moves forward.

Students ask follow-up questions that push classmates to say more, then respond to others with observations that keep the conversation on track.

Students listen to what others say and update their own thinking when someone makes a good point. This is about changing your mind for the right reasons, not just to agree.

Students identify the main point in a video, article, podcast, or graphic, then explain how the details behind it sharpen their understanding of the topic being studied.

Students listen to a speaker's argument and decide whether the reasoning actually holds up and whether the examples given are relevant and strong enough to back the claim.

Students practice speaking in front of others by organizing their main points clearly and backing them up with facts and examples. They also work on looking at their audience, speaking loudly enough to be heard, and saying words clearly.

Students add charts, images, or short video clips to a presentation to make their main points easier to follow. The visuals support what they're saying, not just decorate the slides.

Students adjust how they speak based on the situation, using formal English for class presentations and a more casual tone in small-group discussion. The words they choose and how they phrase ideas should fit the audience and purpose.

Students apply correct grammar when they write and speak: using the right verb forms, keeping subjects and verbs in agreement, and placing pronouns where they belong. By seventh grade, these habits should show up consistently without a reminder.

Students identify the building blocks of a sentence, like a prepositional phrase or a dependent clause, and explain what job each one is doing. Is it adding detail, showing time, or completing the main idea?

Students practice mixing short and long sentence types on purpose, matching sentence shape to meaning. A simple sentence lands a single idea; a compound or complex sentence shows how two ideas connect or depend on each other.

Students learn to put describing phrases in the right spot so sentences say what they actually mean. A dangling or misplaced modifier makes a sentence confusing or unintentionally funny, and this standard is about catching and fixing those errors.

Students apply the rules of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in their writing. That means knowing when to use a capital letter, where a comma goes, and how to spell words correctly.

Students learn when two adjectives describe the same noun equally, a comma goes between them. "A cold, dark night" needs the comma; "a little old house" does not.

Students spell words correctly in their writing and know when to look something up in a dictionary or spell-checker rather than guess.

Students apply what they know about grammar, word choice, and sentence structure to make their writing clearer and their speaking more precise. The same awareness helps when reading or listening closely.

Students learn to say exactly what they mean without extra words. They spot phrases that repeat the same idea twice or pad a sentence with filler, then cut them.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they use context clues, word roots, or a dictionary to figure out what it means. This standard is about knowing which tool to reach for and using it well.

Students use the words and sentences around an unfamiliar word to figure out what it means, without stopping to look it up.

Students use Greek and Latin word parts, like "bio" or "port," to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. A student who knows "aqua" means water can take a reasonable guess at "aquatic" without reaching for a dictionary.

Students look up unfamiliar words in dictionaries or other reference tools, print or online, to confirm how a word is pronounced, what it means, or whether it is a noun, verb, or adjective.

Students look up a word they guessed at, then check whether their guess was right. They use a dictionary or context clues to confirm or correct what they thought the word meant.

Students learn to recognize when language is being used figuratively rather than literally, like spotting a metaphor in a poem or noticing the difference between words that seem similar but carry different shades of meaning.

Students read sentences and figure out what figurative language actually means. A phrase like "she had butterflies in her stomach" isn't about insects; students explain what the writer really meant.

Students study pairs or groups of related words, like synonyms and antonyms, to sharpen their understanding of what each word actually means.

Words like "thin," "slender," and "scrawny" all mean roughly the same thing, but each carries a different feeling. Students learn to spot that difference and choose words that match the tone they want.

Students learn and correctly use the vocabulary that shows up in textbooks, assignments, and class discussions. When an unfamiliar word matters for understanding a reading or writing a response, students figure out what it means and add it to how they speak and write.