CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.6
The Standard
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Language Standards
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students learn and accurately use words common in school texts and words tied to specific subjects. They investigate unfamiliar words that affect understanding or precise expression.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students explain key academic and subject-specific words using context, word parts, or reference tools. They use those words accurately in discussion and writing.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may rely on a familiar everyday meaning when a word has a different subject-specific meaning. They may also use advanced words that sound impressive but do not fit the sentence.
How to Assess It
- Give students one key word from the current reading. Ask them to define it from context, verify the meaning, and use it in a new sentence.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Have students sort word cards into general academic and subject-specific groups, then match each word to a definition and example.
Ask students to choose a key word from the reading and explain why understanding it changes their interpretation of the passage.
Play vocabulary Taboo, where students describe a target word without saying it, then use the word correctly in a sentence.
Examine a news article or school notice, identify specialized terms, and rewrite one section for a younger audience.
Free download
Printable L.8.6 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.6, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
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