Students use their knowledge of word origins and word relationships, as well as historical and literary context clues, both to determine the meaning of specialized vocabulary and to understand the precise meaning of grade level appropriate words. They describe and connect the essential ideas, arguments, and perspectives of text, and they relate text structure, organization, and purpose. The quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students are illustrated in The California Reading List . They clarify the ideas and connect them to other literary works. The quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students are illustrated in The California Reading List .
Students write clear, coherent, and focused essays.
Writing exhibits awareness of audience and purpose. Essays contain formal introductions, bodies of supporting evidence, and conclusions. Students successfully use the stages of the writing process, as needed. Students write narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive text of at least 500 to 700 words. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0.