English & Literature

8th-Grade English Language Arts 

Dr. Kathryn Edmunds 

Kathryn.edmunds@stmarysparish.org

Welcome! I am so excited to be here, but most importantly, I am excited to get to know your child and help him or her become a life-long learner. If at any time this year you have questions about curriculum or your child’s progress, please do not hesitate to contact me. Email is the best way to reach me. My email address is Kathryn.edmunds@stmarysparish.org 

Reading 

● The goal is to increase your child’s motivation and love for reading while teaching the literacy skills necessary to be successful. 

● Holt’s anthology, Elements of Literature, novels, and resources such as Read/Write/Think and commonlit.org will be used to teach your child the reading skills needed to be a successful learner. 

● Your child will read a variety of texts and will learn to analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions based on evidence in the texts. 

● Your child will read, discuss, and analyze literature as a whole class and in smaller Literature Circles. 

Writing & Grammar 

● The goal is to teach your child essential writing skills that are important for academic and future professional success. 

● The Empowering Writers program will be used to teach your child essential writing skills. Your child will learn how to use these skills in his or her own writing. The program includes lessons in narrative, expository, and persuasive writing. 

● Grammar will be closely tied to reading and writing. 

Spelling & Vocabulary 

● The goal is to engage your child in thinking about word meanings, the relationship among words, and how words can be used in different situations. 

● Vocabulary instruction includes the study of roots, prefixes, and suffixes in Vocabulary From Classical Roots workbook. Students study the words, roots/prefixes/suffixes, part(s) of speech, and definitions. Tests are given at the conclusion of each lesson. Vocabulary words found in the context of reading are also studied.

Study, Organizational, and Communication Skills 

●  The goal is to help your child continue to develop and strengthen his or her study and organizational skills by incorporating a variety of study, organizational, and time management strategies in the classroom. 

●  An emphasis is placed on helping your child identify what “works” best for him or her and doing it consistently. 

● I expect your child to communicate directly with me if he or she has a question or concern about an assignment or does not understand a concept taught in class. Learning to engage with teachers in middle school will benefit them as they enter high school next year. 

Grading 

● Quizzes, tests, projects, and in-class assignments are part of your child’s grade .

● Homework counts as a participation grade. 

● Rubrics are used for grading projects. 

● Please review the Saint Mary School Student Handbook regarding policies for makeup work due to illness or absence.