Stinson ELA Teachers
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Summer Reading Program
Program Goal
The goal of the Summer Reading Program is to engage all students in reading high-interest novels (chapter books) of their choice. To foster a love for reading, students should choose books that interest them. Throughout the summer, students will read a novel and participate in a reading/writing connection activity during the first grading period.
Requirements
- Advanced ELA Students: Summer reading is required.
- All Other Students: Strongly encouraged to participate.
Book Selection Guidelines
- Choose a chapter book at your grade level from any source (home, public library, online, etc.).
- You may NOT select a picture book, a book you have previously read, or a book taught in your past ELA classes.
- Summer reading novels must be completed by the end of August 2024.
Free Resources
- Free San Antonio Public Library Card: Get a library card
- Free eBooks: Visit Sora
Novel Choices
Consider these suggested authors or popular novel lists for inspiration. Ask family members, friends, or teachers for more suggestions.
Suggested Authors
- Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander, Sandra Cisneros, Lynda Hunt, Alan Gratz, Suzanne Collins
- Marissa Meyer, Neal Shusterman, Veronica Roth, Gordon Korman, John Green, Joan Lowery Nixon
- Ally Condie, Jennifer Holm, Lauren Oliver, Robert Lipsyte, J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan
- Gary Paulsen, Jenny Han, Markus Zusak, Carl Deuker, Alex London, Tim Green
- Sarah Dessen, Sharon Draper, Caroline Cooney, Raina Telgemeier, Jerry Spinelli, James Patterson
Popular Novel Lists
- International Literacy Association: Young Adult’s Choice List
- Lone Star Reading List
- Summer Reading Book List by Genre
Contact Our Librarian
Email our wonderful librarian, Mrs. Stafford, at laura.stafford@nisd.net or visit the Stinson MS Library Catalog to see her curated collections of recommended books.
Assignments and Projects
There are no required assignments or projects to complete during the summer. However, when students return to school, their ELA teachers will have reading/writing connection assignments to cover the concepts of their novel. These will be graded as formative daily grades and may include activities such as news reports, cartoon/comic strips, brochures/pamphlets, webquests, illustrations, plot/character analysis, etc.
Organize Your Thoughts While Reading
Use this organizer to help you structure your thoughts as you read.
Please follow us on Twitter @nisdmsela to see all the amazing things happening in English Language Arts in middle school!
Northside MS ELA Vision
Every day, in every MS ELA classroom, every learner will experience opportunities to develop lifelong literacy and critical thinking skills in an engaging environment that fosters
respect, choice, and collaboration.
Academic ELA Grades 6 - 8
Middle School English Language Arts is aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Strategies for listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts are integrated daily to create a literacy-rich classroom which promotes engaging, student-centered learning. Through the communication of ideas, orally and in writing, students continue to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become independent readers, writers, and thinkers. The primary goals of this course are to cultivate independent learning, encourage in-depth inquiry and exploration of the content, and develop the habits necessary for academic success.
Advanced ELA Grades 6 - 8
These middle school courses are designed to prepare and motivate students for Advanced and Advanced Placement (AP) courses in high school. This is in addition to the grade-level expectations of the Middle School English Language Arts classroom. Students have multiple opportunities to develop communication and analytical skills in an academically challenging course of study. As a preparation for Advanced Placement English courses in high school, this course adds a focus on literary analysis in reading, writing, and speaking.
There is a Summer Reading requirement for Advanced ELA; however,all students are encouraged to engage in free choice summer reading. With guidance from their MS ELA teachers, students in grades 6-8 explore their interests and self-select books for summer reading.
Advanced ELA 6-8 Summer Reading Guidelines
Middle School ELA District Calendar
The suggested pacing for all grades can be found on the: All-Level MS ELA Year-At-A-Glance.
This district calendar outlines the suggested pacing for the units in middle school ELA.
Middle School ELA District Grading Policy
The district grading policy for middle school ELA is as follows:
40% Formative
60% Summative
Formative assessments include minor daily quizzes, class work, homework, and other in-class and district-administered assessments. Summative assessments include unit exams, major pieces of writing, and projects.
MS ELA Textbook
Middle school ELA students use the myPerspectives textbook published by Pearson (Savvas).
Students are also able to access an online version of the textbook, which includes options to have the book read aloud to the student. The online platform, known as Savvas Realize, also has digital lessons and interactive lessons and can be accessed through the student’s NISD portal. Look for the following icon:
Grades 6 - 8 STAAR
Middle school students prepare all year focusing on the mastery of the TEKS and then participate in a cumulative Reading Language Arts STAAR test at the end of their 6th, 7th, and 8th grade year. For more information regarding STAAR, please access this link for general resources: Texas Education Agency - STAAR Resources.
Parents and students can access the Texas Assessment Family Portal at texasassessment.gov to view and print released STAAR tests as well as login to access the online practice tests.
