KidUniversity › Standards › Grade 7
Grade 7 reading and writing skills
The reading, writing and language skills in our grade 7 courses (English), listed against the Common Core ELA standards. This is a comparison, not a claim of alignment: 22 of 41 standards are covered, 15 partly and 4 not covered.
- 22covered
- 15partly covered
- 4not covered
Why some skills are only partly covered: lessons teach the parts of an essay or a story and check them with questions and short typed answers, but children don't write and hand in whole pieces in the app, and speaking and listening with others happens away from the screen.
Reading: Literature RL · 9 standards · 8 covered, 1 partly covered
- RL.7.1
CoveredCite several pieces of text evidence to support analysis
- Unit 9 · Close Reading Strategies: Citing Several Pieces of Evidence, Strong Inferences
- RL.7.2
CoveredFind two or more themes and write an objective summary
- Unit 9 · Close Reading Strategies: Objective Summaries
- Unit 10 · Character, Plot and Theme: Developing Two Themes, Theme Versus Topic
- RL.7.3
CoveredAnalyze how the elements of a story interact
- Unit 1 · Literature: Perspective and Setting: How Setting Shapes Plot, How Events Shape Characters
- Unit 10 · Character, Plot and Theme: Interactions of Story Elements
- RL.7.4
CoveredWork out word meanings and the effect of rhyme and repeated sounds
- Unit 5 · Poetry and Sound: Sound Devices
- Unit 11 · Word Study: Figurative Language in Context
- RL.7.5
CoveredAnalyze how a drama's or poem's form adds to its meaning
- Unit 5 · Poetry and Sound: Ballads and Sonnets, Structure and Meaning
- Unit 17 · Drama and Performance: Dramatic Structure
- RL.7.6
CoveredAnalyze how an author develops and contrasts points of view
- Unit 1 · Literature: Perspective and Setting: Point of View and Perspective
- RL.7.7
CoveredCompare a story or play with its audio, film or stage version
- Unit 5 · Poetry and Sound: Reading Versus Hearing a Poem
- Unit 17 · Drama and Performance: Comparing Script and Film
- RL.7.9
CoveredCompare a fictional portrayal of a time or place with a historical account
- Unit 6 · Fiction and History (whole unit, 4 lessons)
- RL.7.10
Partly coveredRead grade 6–8 literature proficiently
Passages in lessons are excerpts; whole novels aren't assigned in lessons (the Library has classics).
- Unit 9 · Close Reading Strategies (whole unit, 9 lessons)
- Unit 18 · Novel Study (whole unit, 7 lessons)
Reading: Informational Text RI · 10 standards · 8 covered, 1 partly covered
- RI.7.1
CoveredCite several pieces of text evidence from nonfiction
- Unit 9 · Close Reading Strategies: Citing Several Pieces of Evidence
- RI.7.2
CoveredFind two or more central ideas and write an objective summary
- Unit 2 · Informational Texts and Argument: Two Central Ideas
- Unit 9 · Close Reading Strategies: Objective Summaries
- RI.7.3
CoveredAnalyze how people, events and ideas influence each other
- Unit 13 · Nonfiction Deep Dive: How People and Events Interact
- RI.7.4
CoveredAnalyze how word choice affects meaning and tone
- Unit 13 · Nonfiction Deep Dive: Word Choice in Nonfiction
- RI.7.5
CoveredAnalyze how sections of a text build its ideas
- Unit 2 · Informational Texts and Argument: Text Structure
- Unit 13 · Nonfiction Deep Dive: Section Structure
- RI.7.6
CoveredFind the author's point of view and how it differs from others'
- Unit 13 · Nonfiction Deep Dive: Author's Point of View, How Authors Set Their Position Apart
- RI.7.7
Not coveredCompare a text with its audio, video or multimedia version
Not taught for nonfiction in grade 7.
- RI.7.8
CoveredTrace and evaluate an argument and whether its reasoning is sound
- Unit 2 · Informational Texts and Argument: Rhetoric and Persuasion
- Unit 13 · Nonfiction Deep Dive: Evaluating Reasoning
- RI.7.9
CoveredAnalyze how two authors present the same topic differently
- Unit 13 · Nonfiction Deep Dive: Comparing Authors on One Topic
- RI.7.10
Partly coveredRead grade 6–8 nonfiction proficiently
Short passages in lessons.
- Unit 13 · Nonfiction Deep Dive (whole unit, 7 lessons)
Writing W · 10 standards · 0 covered, 8 partly covered
- W.7.1
Partly coveredWrite arguments that acknowledge counterclaims and use credible evidence
Each part is taught and practiced with short answers; students don't write and hand in whole essays in the app.
- Unit 4 · Writing: Claims and Counterclaims
- Unit 14 · Argument Writing Workshop (whole unit, 7 lessons)
- W.7.2
Partly coveredWrite informative and explanatory texts
Taught step by step and practiced with short answers; no full pieces are written in the app.
- Unit 15 · Informative Writing Workshop (whole unit, 6 lessons)
- W.7.3
Partly coveredWrite narratives with a clear point of view, dialogue and pacing
Taught step by step and practiced with short answers; no full pieces are written in the app.
- Unit 4 · Writing: Narrative Point of View
- Unit 16 · Narrative Writing Workshop (whole unit, 6 lessons)
- W.7.4
Partly coveredWrite clearly, with organization and style that fit the task
Practiced through short answers and examples.
- Unit 4 · Writing: Transitions and Cohesion
- Unit 14 · Argument Writing Workshop: Formal Style in Arguments
- W.7.5
Partly coveredPlan, revise, edit and rewrite
Practiced on sample writing, not the student's own.
- Unit 8 · The Research Paper: Outlining
- W.7.6
Not coveredUse technology to publish, link and cite sources
- W.7.7
Partly coveredDo short research projects
Lessons explain how; projects happen away from the app.
- Unit 8 · The Research Paper (whole unit, 4 lessons)
- W.7.8
Partly coveredGather sources, judge their credibility, quote or paraphrase and cite
- Unit 4 · Writing: Citing Sources
- Unit 7 · Media Literacy: Checking Claims
- Unit 8 · The Research Paper: Integrating Quotations, Works Cited
- W.7.9
Partly coveredUse evidence from texts to support analysis and research
Practiced with short answers.
- Unit 10 · Character, Plot and Theme: Analyzing a Short Story
- Unit 18 · Novel Study: Responding to a Novel
- W.7.10
Not coveredWrite routinely, over short and extended time frames
The app doesn't include regular free writing.
Speaking and Listening SL · 6 standards · 0 covered, 5 partly covered
- SL.7.1
Partly coveredTake part in collaborative discussions
Discussion skills are taught; discussions themselves happen away from the app.
- Unit 19 · Speaking and Listening: Discussion Norms, Responding to Others, Acknowledging New Information
- SL.7.2
Partly coveredAnalyze main ideas presented in different media
Taught with reading lessons.
- Unit 7 · Media Literacy: News, Opinion and Ads, Headlines and Images
- SL.7.3
Partly coveredFollow and evaluate a speaker's argument
Taught from written examples.
- Unit 19 · Speaking and Listening: Evaluating a Speaker's Argument
- SL.7.4
Partly coveredPresent claims and findings with clear delivery
Presenting is explained; students don't present in the app.
- Unit 19 · Speaking and Listening: Presenting Claims
- SL.7.5
Not coveredAdd multimedia and visual displays to presentations
- SL.7.6
Partly coveredAdapt speech to the situation, using formal English when it fits
Explained, not practiced.
- Unit 14 · Argument Writing Workshop: Formal Style in Arguments
- Unit 17 · Drama and Performance: Reading Aloud With Expression
Language L · 6 standards · 6 covered
- L.7.1
CoveredUse phrases and clauses, sentence types and correctly placed modifiers
- Unit 3 · Language: Phrases and Clauses, Sentence Types, Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
- Unit 12 · Sentences With Style: Independent and Dependent Clauses, Compound-Complex Sentences
- L.7.2
CoveredUse commas between coordinate adjectives; spell correctly
- Unit 12 · Sentences With Style: Coordinate Adjectives
- Unit 20 · Grammar and Usage Clinic (whole unit, 7 lessons)
- L.7.3
CoveredChoose precise, concise language and cut wordiness
- Unit 11 · Word Study: Precise Word Choice
- Unit 12 · Sentences With Style: Sentence Combining
- L.7.4
CoveredUse context, Greek and Latin affixes and roots, and reference works to find meanings
- Unit 11 · Word Study: Greek and Latin Affixes, Roots in Science Words, Context Clues in Hard Texts
- L.7.5
CoveredUnderstand figurative language, allusions, word relationships and connotations
- Unit 3 · Language: Connotation
- Unit 11 · Word Study: Figurative Language in Context, Allusions in Everyday Speech, Shades of Meaning
- L.7.6
CoveredUse grade 7 academic and subject words
- Unit 11 · Word Study: Roots in Science Words
- Unit 15 · Informative Writing Workshop: Domain-Specific Vocabulary
See the lessons for yourself
Unit 1 of every course is free, with no credit card. The free check-up shows what your child already knows.
Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved. The standard descriptions on these pages are KidUniversity's own short summaries, not the official text; read the full standards at thecorestandards.org. KidUniversity is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NGA Center or CCSSO.