Articles

7th and 8th Grade Writing: What to Expect

by Julie Williams

With luck, you’ve got a kid that just loves to write. With no nagging, your kid will get right down to work producing essays, stories, and projects so sparkling that they practically jump off the page. Everything will fall into place: clever ideas, apt phrases, and perfect punctuation.

With luck, that is. In real life, however, just about every twelve and thirteen year old still struggles with writing, whether that means ideas, sentence structure, paragraphs, or flat-out wacky spelling. How do you know your kid is on track?

For starters, you should make sure you check out your state standards, which are available on the website for your state’s department of education. Start by looking up writing in the section on English Language Arts; it also pays off to look in the Social Science section, since writing cuts across the curriculum. State standards do vary somewhat, but you can be sure that writing will be prominent. Here are some particular themes to expect:

Writing to make a point: By seventh grade, students should have had considerable practice with fundamentals like sentences, paragraphs, and simple essays. In elementary school, and to a lesser extent in sixth grade, they’ve also experimented with creative writing. Now they’re ready to expand those skills and practice more complex essay styles. Although specific jargon will vary, virtually all state standards expect a multi-paragraph essay that hangs together. This requirement usually starts appearing on standards lists by fourth grade; but by seventh, it’s considered a basic building block. Your child will be asked to make a coherent point, and to show decent evidence for it, too.