Sample Lesson Video – Level 8 Second Edition

Level 8 Second Edition – Sample PDFs

• LEVEL 8 SECOND EDITION STUDENT BOOK SAMPLE
• LEVEL 8 ASSESSMENT/RESOURCE SAMPLE
• Level 8 34-Week Plan
• Alternative Instructional Strategies – PDF

Frequently Asked Questions About Level 8 Writing Curriculum

How old are 8th level students?

The general age for students completing Level 8 is 13 or 14 years old. The age can vary depending on if a child has started school early, on time, or is repeating a grade. The age of the student does not delegate if a child can complete this writing course. Instead, we recommend that students have a basic understanding of spelling, grammar, sentences, composition, and the skills taught in the upper elementary levels before beginning.

What is taught in Level 8?

Level 8 will teach students to apply parts of speech and sentence structures to produce more complex, purposeful writing and explores more advanced grammatical concepts such as gerunds and appositives, as well as advanced sentence structures like compound-complex sentences. Activities also provide practice for valuable skills in paraphrasing and summarizing. Composition activities in Level 8 reinforce the writing process for expository, persuasive, descriptive, narrative, and research writing. Students will gain familiarity with the business letter format and the mechanics of dialogue and continue to learn techniques that will allow them to write with greater clarity and development, such as thesis statement development and organizing compositions.

What is the 8th grade homeschool writing curriculum?

In homeschool, 8th grade writing curriculum consists of online video lessons, a student book, and an answer key. Parents use this homeschool writing curriculum to guide their students through grammar and writing for the 8th grade. Eighth grade students should already have a basic understanding of grammar, how to write sentences and a basic paragraph, and the basic concept of beginning, middle, and end in writing.

Why choose Essentials in Writing?

Essentials in Writing is an excellent choice for homeschool curriculum because it is not parent intensive, and each composition follows a step-by-step process (The Writing Process) broken down into small chunks of information with the act of modeling provided by certified teachers through video instruction.

8th grade writing as a Tutoring Program

Many parents and teachers use this as a middle school writing tutoring program. Because each composition follows a step-by-step process broken down into small chunks of information with the act of modeling provided via video instruction, students learn to write well with ease. Additionally, the short, targeted lessons and compositions that are written over several days rather than in one sitting make Essentials in Writing a logical choice for an after-school supplement. Most lessons, including the instruction time, can be completed in just 20-30 minutes.

What is included in the Student Book and Assessment/Resource Booklet?

8th Grade Writing Student Book

• Lesson content that accompanies the video lesson
• Lesson activities that accompany the video lesson
• Writing graphic organizers that accompany the video lesson
• Separate parent/teacher handbook
• How to use the program
• 34-week lesson planning option
• Writing icon descriptions
• Sample answers for each lesson
• Scoring rubrics for compositions
• Point values for each activity and composition
• How to score activities and compositions

8th Grade Writing Assessment (A) / Resource (R) Book

• (A) Multiple choice, underline, fill-in-the-blank for each mini section of the grammar unit
• (A) Composition assessments for each composition completed in the student book
• (A) Unit One and Unit Two comprehensive assessments
• (R) Extra graphic organizers
• (R) Extra helpful graphics
• (R) Extra composition rubrics
• (R) Research project source cards
• (R) Extra writing checklists
• (R) Additional word lists

The Assessment/Resource Book will provide students the opportunity to show what information they are retaining. Although some parents/teachers use the assessments as actual evaluations, others use them as extra practice. The point values are included to help parents/teachers track and evaluate the student’s progress, though some parents may not use them. The additional word lists and graphics are valuable in improving student vocabulary and remind the student of important writing techniques.

What if I have multiple students?

Additional 8th grade writing student books can be purchased to provide a student book for another child/student. The student book does not have additional information and is just another core student book for another student so that each student has their own student book to use.

What should a grade 8 homeschool student know by the end of the year?

Students completing their 8th grade year should have mastered a number of skills and writing techniques.

• Apply parts of speech in writing
• Identify and correct common writing problems
• Use writing techniques to communicate effectively in written language
• Identify and use a variety of clauses and sentence structures to develop quality sentences
• Know and understand how to effectively paraphrase and summarize content
• Follow the writing process to communicate in paragraphs, narratives, letters, and essays
• Know and understand how to use strong details and examples to support opinions and explanations in writing
• Know and understand how to develop thesis statements for larger compositions
• Identify audience and purpose
• Use graphic organizers effectively to organize writing content
• Know how to choose an appropriate writing form
• Understand informal and formal writing
• Understand how to format personal and business letters
• Know and understand effective writing skills: strong details, transitions, variety of sentence structure, effective use of dialogue, and effective use of vivid language and sensory details
• Research a topic using quality sources, paraphrase content, and include multiple small compositions in a research project

What is included in the course?

Unit One covers grammar instruction with activities where students learn to apply parts of speech, to identify and correct common problems in writing, to use parts of speech along with a variety of sentence structures and vivid language as tools for effective communication, and to effectively paraphrase and summarize content.

Unit Two covers the writing process for multiple compositions as well as how to communicate effectively in written language through a variety of styles and formats by applying effective writing tools. The unit ends with a research project.

Does each unit come with worksheets and tests?

Both units are included in the 8th grade writing curriculum Student Book. This book contains instructional content as well as worksheet activities related to both units (grammar and composition). An Assessment/Resource Book is available for purchase to accompany the Student Book and includes a variety of assessments in different formats as well as additional resources such as graphic organizers and resource word lists.

Does the student book include a daily/weekly curriculum planner?

Each level of Essentials in Writing includes a 34-week suggested, yet optional, lesson planner.

How much time will students need to complete a course?

The time needed to complete the 8th level writing curriculum is a typical academic year (34 weeks). If students follow the 34-week plan included, they will complete individual lessons and activities during the week; however, because the lessons are broken up into small, daily mini-lessons, students can double up on some lessons and activities and complete the entire course sooner. Each day, students will spend 15-30 minutes on writing.

Can I grade my student’s papers myself?

Yes. Essentials in Writing provides both scoring checklists and rubrics for your convenience with sample compositions for comparison purposes.

Some parents, however, choose to use The Essentials in Writing Scoring Service. This service is an optional add-on that takes the scoring burden off the parent/teacher and places it on the scoring team! Our Scoring Team includes a variety of qualified individuals including long-time educators, librarians, and professionals with Bachelor’s degrees in English.

Parents of students completing Levels 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 of Essentials in Writing are eligible to purchase this service. Offered from September 1 to June 15 of each school year, one composition for each EIW composition assignment may be submitted for scoring. If purchased after the September 1 start date, services still expire on June 15 of the following year.

The scoring system includes:

• Online access through Gradient where the Scoring Services are conducted
• One final composition from each composition lesson of Essentials in Writing to submit for scoring
• Feedback in the form of a rubric with a score as well as a one-paragraph write-up from their scorer complementing strengths and sharing areas to improve, plus, detailed comments and suggestions within the composition