8.5.A

ELA8th GradeThe student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

The Standard

establish purpose for reading assigned and self-selected texts

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students decide what they need from a text before they begin. They connect that goal to the task, then choose where to focus and how closely to read.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can state a clear goal before opening a text. They focus their notes, questions, and attention on that goal, then revise it if the task changes.
Common Misconceptions: Students may name the topic, such as “volcanoes,” instead of stating why they are reading. They may treat finishing pages as the goal or use the same reading approach for every task.
How to Assess It: Give students a short article and ask: “Why would you read this, and what information would you focus on?” Require one clear purpose and one matching action.

Lesson moves

Place menus, news articles, poems, and instructions at stations; students choose a purpose card and mark text features that fit it.
Ask students to write: “Why am I reading this text, and what will I pay closest attention to?”
Play Purpose Match: teams pair task cards with short passages, then earn a point by explaining how the purpose changes their reading.
Give students a bus schedule and ask them to plan a trip, naming what information they need and what they can skip.

Keep exploring

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