Ready-to-Use Reading Proficiency Lessons and Activities : 8th Grade Level

by Muschla, Gary Robert

• ISBN13: 9780130424464
• ISBN10: 0130424463
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-10-04
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

This volume of Ready-to-Use Reading Proficiency Lessons & Activities gives classroom teachers and reading specialists a dynamic and progressive way to meet curriculum standards and competencies at the eighth-grade level. It provides stimulating and effective ways to help students master basic reading and language content, and prepare to demonstrate their knowledge at the appropriate level.

Author Biography

Gary Robert Muschla (B.A. and M.A.T., Trenton State College) taught reading and writing for over 20 years at Appleby School in Spotswood, New Jersey. He is the author of several practical resources for teachers, including The Writing Teachers Book of Lists (1992), and Writing Workshop Survival Kit (1993), English Teachers Great Books Activities Kit (1994) and Reading Workshop Survival Kit (1997), all published by the Center for Applied Research in Education.

Table of Contents

About Reading and Language Arts Instruction	vi
How to Use This Resource	vii
Analogies	1	(24)
Teaching Suggestions for the Worksheets	2	(2)
Answer Key for Section 1	4	(16)
Strategies for Solving Analogies	6	(1)
Common Types of Analogies	7	(1)
Identifying Relationships	8	(2)
Finding Analogies and Relationships	10	(2)
Completing Analogies I	12	(1)
Completing Analogies II	13	(1)
Completing Analogies III	14	(1)
Solving Analogies I	15	(2)
Solving Analogies II	17	(3)
Analogies Practice Test	20	(2)
Analogies Practice Test: Answer Sheet	22	(1)
Analogies Key to Practice Test	23	(2)
Vocabulary	25	(68)
Teaching Suggestions for the Worksheets	26	(6)
Answer Key for Section 2	32	(46)
Common Prefixes	34	(1)
Common Suffixes	35	(1)
Homographs	36	(2)
Homophones	38	(4)
Easily Confused Words	42	(2)
Idioms	44	(1)
Ways to Build Your Vocabulary	45	(1)
Words to Know	46	(3)
Finding Prefixes	49	(1)
Finding Suffixes	50	(1)
Finding Synonyms I	51	(2)
Finding Synonyms II	53	(1)
Finding Antonyms I	54	(2)
Finding Antonyms II	56	(1)
Finding the Correct Word I	57	(2)
Finding the Correct Word II	59	(1)
Finding the Correct Word III	60	(1)
Words with Multiple Meanings I	61	(2)
Words with Multiple Meanings II	63	(2)
Identifying Homographs	65	(2)
Identifying Homophones I	67	(2)
Identifying Homophones II	69	(1)
Identifying Homophones III	70	(1)
Easily Confused Words I	71	(2)
Easily Confused Words II	73	(2)
Interpreting Idioms	75	(3)
Vocabulary Practice Test I	78	(2)
Vocabulary Practice Test II	80	(3)
Vocabulary Practice Test III	83	(3)
Vocabulary Practice Tests: Answer Sheets	86	(3)
Vocabulary Keys to Practice Tests	89	(4)
Reading Comprehension	93	(102)
Teaching Suggestions for the Worksheets	96	(9)
Answer Key for Section 3	105	(69)
Traits of Good Readers	108	(1)
The SQ3R System for Reading	109	(1)
Guidelines for Reading Logs	110	(1)
Story Elements	111	(1)
Breaking Down a Story into Parts	112	(1)
Understanding Characterization	113	(2)
Making Inferences and Conclusions	115	(2)
Finding Main Ideas and Details	117	(2)
Sequencing	119	(2)
Understanding Context Clues	121	(2)
Understanding Comparison and Contrast	123	(2)
Understanding Cause and Effect	125	(2)
Making Predictions	127	(3)
Understanding Fact and Opinion	130	(2)
Determining Summaries	132	(2)
Understanding an Author's Purpose	134	(3)
Identifying Story Elements	137	(2)
Identifying Figurative Language	139	(2)
Determining Which Reference Source to Use	141	(1)
This Isn't Goodbye (Realistic Fiction)	142	(3)
The Changing of the Earth (Persuasive Essay)	145	(2)
Is Your Computer Protected Against Viruses? (Informational Article)	147	(2)
Strange Lights Over Sumner's Cove (Newspaper Article)	149	(2)
Maggie Draper Walker (Biographical Sketch)	151	(2)
Penguins: Birds of the Ice (Science Article)	153	(2)
Thunder and Lightning (Myth)	155	(2)
A Retelling of Pecos Bill and the Cyclone (Tall Tale)	157	(2)
How to Bake Carrot Cake (Recipe)	159	(2)
Songfest (A Review)	161	(2)
Charity Drive at Local Firehouse (Announcement)	163	(2)
``Still Here'' by Langston Hughes (Poem)	165	(1)
Verse by Walt Whitman (Poem)	166	(1)
Following Directions (Reading Directions)	167	(2)
Interpreting a Climograph (Graph)	169	(2)
Fast-Food Facts (Reading a Table)	171	(3)
Reading Comprehension Practice Test I	174	(6)
Reading Comprehension Practice Test II	180	(5)
Reading Comprehension Practice Test III	185	(4)
Reading Comprehension Practice Tests: Answer Sheets	189	(3)
Reading Comprehension Keys to Practice Tests	192	(3)
Spelling	195	(38)
Teaching Suggestions for the Worksheets	196	(3)
Answer Key for Section 4	199	(25)
Study Strategies for Spelling	200	(1)
Steps to Improve Your Spelling	201	(1)
Basic Spelling Rules	202	(2)
Spelling Word List	204	(3)
Finding Misspelled Words I	207	(1)
Finding Misspelled Words II	208	(1)
Finding Misspelled Words III	209	(1)
Finding Misspelled Words IV	210	(1)
Finding Misspelled Words in Phrases I	211	(1)
Finding Misspelled Words in Phrases II	212	(1)
Finding Misspelled Words in Phrases III	213	(1)
Finding the Correct Word I	214	(2)
Finding the Correct Word II	216	(2)
Finding the Correct Word III	218	(2)
Proofreading for Misspelled Words I	220	(1)
Proofreading for Misspelled Words II	221	(3)
Spelling Practice Test I	224	(2)
Spelling Practice Test II	226	(2)
Spelling Practice Tests: Answer Sheets	228	(2)
Spelling Keys to Practice Tests	230	(3)
Language Mechanics and Word Usage	233	(88)
Teaching Suggestions for the Worksheets	235	(9)
Answer Key for Section 5	244	(64)
Rules for Using End Marks	248	(1)
Rules for Using Commas	249	(2)
Rules for Using Colons and Semicolons	251	(1)
Rules for Using Apostrophes	252	(1)
Rules for Using Quotation Marks and Underlining (Italics)	253	(1)
Rules for Using Parentheses, Dashes, and Hyphens	254	(1)
A Proofreader's Checklist	255	(1)
Rules for Capitalization	256	(2)
Sentences, Fragments, and Run-ons	258	(1)
Common and Proper Nouns	259	(1)
Singular and Plural Nouns	260	(1)
Possessive Nouns	261	(1)
Regular and Irregular Verbs	262	(3)
Helping Verbs and Verb Phrases	265	(1)
Verb Tenses	266	(1)
Subjective Case and Objective Case Pronouns	267	(1)
Possessive Pronouns	268	(1)
Indefinite Pronouns	269	(1)
Who, Whom, Whose, and Who's	270	(1)
Negative Words and Double Negatives	271	(1)
Friendly Letter Model	272	(1)
Business Letter Model	273	(1)
Using Capitalization and Punctuation Correctly I	274	(2)
Using Capitalization and Punctuation Correctly II	276	(2)
Singular and Plural Nouns	278	(1)
Finding Verbs and Verb Phrases	279	(1)
Understanding Irregular Verbs I	280	(1)
Understanding Irregular Verbs II	281	(1)
Understanding Verb Tenses	282	(1)
Understanding Contractions	283	(1)
Finding the Subjects of Sentences	284	(1)
Finding Simple Predicates	285	(1)
Finding Compound Subjects and Compound Predicates	286	(1)
Subject and Predicate Agreement I	287	(1)
Subject and Predicate Agreement II	288	(1)
Understanding Subject and Object Pronouns	289	(1)
Understanding Pronouns and Antecedents	290	(2)
Understanding Indefinite Pronouns and Agreement with Verbs	292	(1)
Using Who, Whom, Whose, and Who's Correctly	293	(1)
Using Comparisons of Modifiers Correctly	294	(1)
Correcting Fragments and Run-ons	295	(2)
Correcting Double Negatives	297	(2)
Using Quotation Marks and Underlining (Italics) Correctly	299	(2)
Understanding Friendly Letters	301	(1)
Understanding Business Letters	302	(1)
Proofreading I	303	(1)
Proofreading II	304	(1)
Proofreading III	305	(3)
Language Mechanics and Word Usage Practice Test I	308	(3)
Language Mechanics and Word Usage Practice Test II	311	(2)
Language Mechanics and Word Usage Practice Test III	313	(2)
Language Mechanics and Word Usage Practice Tests: Answer Sheets	315	(3)
Language Mechanics and Word Usage Keys to Practice Tests	318	(3)
Language Expression	321	(44)
Teaching Suggestions for the Worksheets	322	(4)
Answer Key for Section 6	326	(26)
A Proofreading Guide for Language Expression	328	(1)
Steps to Clear Expression	329	(1)
Expressing Ideas with Clarity	330	(2)
Organizing Sentences Clearly I	332	(2)
Organizing Sentences Clearly II	334	(2)
Rewriting Sentences Clearly I	336	(2)
Rewriting Sentences Clearly II	338	(2)
Combining Sentences and Expressing Ideas Clearly	340	(1)
Understanding Topic Sentences I	341	(1)
Understanding Topic Sentences II	342	(1)
Understanding Paragraphs I	343	(1)
Understanding Paragraphs II	344	(1)
Organizing Paragraphs I	345	(1)
Organizing Paragraphs II	346	(1)
Completing Paragraphs I	347	(1)
Completing Paragraphs II	348	(1)
Understanding Supporting Details	349	(3)
Language Expression Practice Test I	352	(4)
Language Expression Practice Test II	356	(4)
Language Expression Practice Tests: Answer Sheets	360	(2)
Language Expression Keys to Practice Tests	362	(3)
Appendix: Preparing Your Students for Standardized Proficiency Tests	365	(11)
What Parents Need to Know about Standardized Tests	365	(1)
The Uses of Standardized Tests	366	(1)
Test Terms	366	(3)
Common Types of Standardized Tests	369	(2)
Preparing Your Child for Standardized Tests	371	(1)
Cover Letter to Parents Announcing Standardized Tests	372	(1)
What Students Need to Know about Standardized Tests	373	(1)
Test-taking Tips for Students	374	(1)
Test Words You Should Know	375	(1)
Creating a Positive Test-taking Environment	376