Early in the school year, teach students to PAVE, an acronym for predict, associate, verify and evaluate. PAVE is a method of determining the meaning of an unknown word by using context clues. When stumbling upon a new vocabulary word, students should first copy the whole sentence into their journals and underline the unknown term. They will then predict what the term might mean based on how it is being used within the sentence. Next, students look up the word's correct definition and copy that into their journals, as well. The dictionary definition should be compared to the student's prediction and the original sentence to ensure that it matches. Finally, students draw a picture to associate to the new vocabulary word. Done throughout the year, students will finish the grade with a personal dictionary and a good technique to add to future independent reading processes.
Reading instruction often requires teacher-guided lessons about techniques to improve reading skills. However, amidst the pressure to teach the skills necessary for student proficiency on standardized tests, an independent reading program should not be forgotten. By offering time in class to read self-selected materials, students improve reading comprehension, develop language skills and increase reading motivation, meeting a common eighth grade reading standard.
Due to the implementation of twenty-first century skills into curricula across the country, media literacy has become a major aspect of reading instruction in eighth grade. The Internet offers a wealth of information and resources, but students need to know how to use them. After discussing the elements of reputable online material, assess students' abilities to design and create media. After reading a novel of their choice, ask students to plan a book trailer, a brief video similar to a movie trailer, but about the main events of a novel. To create a book trailer, students must collect video clips and images that help tell the story. Use movie-making software to put these pictures together with music and recorded voice clips for the final book trailer. This activity also assesses each student's reading comprehension.
Idioms are phrases that are not meant to be taken literally, such as "it's raining cats and dogs." Without realizing that a phrase is figurative, reading comprehension is negatively affected; so, identifying and understanding idioms is an important reading strategy. Although they are fun at any level, idioms are an included element in eighth grade reading standards. To demonstrate an ability to interpret idioms, ask students to use image-editing software to create a poster illustrating the idiom.