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Reading Comprehension Worksheets for Middle School

This is our collection of fiction and nonfiction passages written for middle school students in 7th and 8th grades, or any students reading at those levels. These printable articles and stories have comprehension questions to check students' reading comprehension skills.

Middle School Reading Comprehension Worksheets

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Homework in Middle School: Building a Foundation for Study Skills

In the middle school years, students begin to experience the benefits of homework, though it is difficult to determine how much good it does, particularly at a given age. And there is some debate on how much homework students need to receive that benefit.

Duke University’s Harris Cooper, one of the leading researchers on homework, says students enjoy genuine academic benefits from homework, including better comprehension and retention of subject matter. However, while the benefit is clear for high school students and beyond, the degree to which homework helps middle school students is a matter of some contention.

Homework starts to prove its value for middle school students.

  • It’s difficult to tell if homework helps high achievers do well, or if they do their homework because they are high achievers.
  • It’s challenging to determine how much homework students actually do. Most homework studies rely on self-reported data, which means students can easily misstate the quantity of time they spend on homework.
  • Many studies use test scores to measure academic success, which, as many researchers point out, is an inherently problematic form of measurement.

Teachers should assign an appropriate amount of homework

While there is still much discussion on the effectiveness of homework, research asserts that the 10-minute rule per grade level holds true for middle school students. This means that students might receive anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes of homework each evening.

In middle school, students’ higher academic achievement starts to correlate with completing homework. However, this correlation fades if homework lasts longer than that.  Indeed, giving more than 90 minutes of homework has been shown to have detrimental effects on students.

Students need time away from their studies to relax and engage in social, extracurricular and family activities. When given too much homework, students lose this time and suffer the effects of stress and sleep deprivation, which has proved to reduce academic performance.

Purposeful assignments

Teachers who give homework must consider the purpose and value of the assignments. While elementary school homework can build confidence and engage students in the subject matter, middle school homework needs a more specific purpose.

Certain subjects require practice homework, such as vocabulary, which often requires drills. Other homework requires reading or more complicated skill work. Still, there is a growing belief among researchers that even when homework serves a clear and distinct purpose, less is more.

Homework should be clearly connected to learning outcomes and shouldn’t overwhelm students so much they are unable to actively participate in their lives beyond the walls of the classroom. Teachers should carefully consider how much practice students need and design homework to effectively meet those goals within the shortest duration possible.

Ultimately, even if the benefit margin is small for middle school students, there are other advantages of completing homework. Some researchers argue that at least anecdotally, students develop important study skills that will benefit them in high school and college, and they learn the value of time management and responsibility.

Caitrin Blake has a BA in English and Sociology from the University of Vermont and a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Colorado Denver. She teaches composition at Arapahoe Community College.

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Maximizing Middle School Instructional Time with Reading Homework

Krystle Gleason

by Krystle Gleason

Maximizing Middle School Instructional Time with Reading Homework

every child is capable of greatness.

Posted in: Aha! Blog > Wit & Wisdom Blog > Implementation Support > Maximizing Middle School Instructional Time with Reading Homework

I remember flipping through the Wit & Wisdom ® Teacher Edition for the first time six years ago. I relished the thoughtful organization and consistency of each lesson and the stunning artwork in each module. Although I found the curriculum impressive, I had concerns about using the curriculum in my Grade 8 classroom.

During the first year, which was a pilot for the Grade 8 teachers, I resolved many initial concerns as I learned how to use the preparation protocols to unpack each module, Focusing Question arc, and lesson. But one concern remained: assigning homework. Why was I choosing not to assign the reading homework?

During the first year of implementation, 45 minutes were dedicated to teaching Wit & Wisdom . It was impossible to teach the full lesson in a class period, and our pacing suffered. In year two, the district restructured our schedule and provided language arts classes with 90-minute blocks. For many reasons, that still didn’t seem like enough time to get through an entire Wit & Wisdom lesson. In my second year of implementation, my students were experiencing Wit & Wisdom for the first time—they hadn’t participated in the pilot in Grade 7. The students’ lack of familiarity with the curriculum led the department to continue to read entire texts in class, often as read alouds, and it consumed too much of the 90-minute instructional block.

Initially, it seemed logical to have students complete the reading homework in class. They hadn’t received that much homework before, and the rigor of the curriculum itself was a big change for my students. I also thought I could ensure that students read, and understood, every page of our texts if I read them aloud. Throughout the second year, students spent a lot of the instructional time completing assigned homework readings during class.

During year two, pacing was a regular topic of conversation at departmental meetings. All of the Grade 8 teachers were working hard to improve their use of instructional time, but teaching a lesson in a day still seemed challenging in some modules, especially those with significant reading homework. At the end of that year, the Grade 8 teachers decided that we would assign the homework with fidelity the following year to improve our pacing.

As I prepared to make this shift, I worried whether any of the students would complete the homework assignments and how the lesson might unfold if no one completed the reading. I wondered whether parts of the lesson that depended on students reading specific passages for homework would be less effective if students didn’t complete it. I considered what I would need to prepare to support the students who didn’t complete the homework.

Despite these concerns, I moved forward with plans to assign the homework with fidelity in year three. I still remember the mantra that everyone in the department adopted as we embarked on what seemed like a radical choice to start assigning all the homework as homework : “Trust the curriculum.” To help with homework organization, students received three-prong, two-pocket folders. Each folder included any needed handouts and a chart that detailed the daily homework assignments. It became apparent that assigning that homework, especially reading assignments, for completion outside class would become one of the most important choices for maximizing instructional time.

Instead of putting information in a pocket folder, I now post that information on Canvas®, an online classroom management tool our school uses for blended learning. In Canvas, I provide a link to an audio version of the text that students use to complete reading assignments for homework. Interestingly, some students prefer to follow along while listening to a read aloud, while others prefer to read independently. I don’t need to check every students’ homework because the accountability for completing homework is incorporated in the lesson. I learn a lot about student understanding during lessons, and I document what I notice as the class progresses through the module. The focus of my notes relates to the knowledge and skills needed for upcoming assessments like Focusing Question Tasks and the End-of-Module Task.

Now, in year six of implementation, most students complete the assigned homework, and I have learned to let go of my worry when a student occasionally doesn’t. Often, the homework is a first read of a text that students revisit in a lesson. Any given lesson offers a variety of student activities, and they are not solely dependent on whether a student completes a homework assignment. Yet the curriculum also provides enough accountability that students receive natural consequences for failing to complete a reading, such as not being able to participate in a discussion or needing more time to locate text evidence. Most students learn that doing the reading helps them to be successful in class.

WW Maximizing Middle School Instructional Time Blog Wrap

Assigning a first read as homework also reflects the Wit & Wisdom Content Stages in an age-appropriate way. It is unrealistic to expect students to read a portion of a complex text once and immediately progress to the Reveal stage in an analytical discussion with their peers. Instead, students start at the Wonder Stage as they wrestle with the text for the first time as homework. Then, as students engage with the text again, they can progress to further stages of understanding. The Wit & Wisdom Content Stages support middle school students in reading longer, more complex text with greater independence—a skill they will need to draw on in high school and beyond.

I can see with clarity now that by assigning homework, I set high expectations. I expect students to share in the effort necessary to reach their potential. And with students completing assigned readings outside class, pacing has improved: I can teach a whole lesson and a Deep Dive in one 90-minute block. Now, I always encourage new Wit & Wisdom teachers to “trust the curriculum” and assign the homework to students, even during the first year of implementation.

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Krystle Gleason

Krystle Gleason

Krystle Gleason is an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Mad River Local Schools in Dayton, Ohio. She has had the opportunity to teach Wit & Wisdom in her classroom for six years (fifteen years overall), and in that time, she has seen how the curriculum has changed her students and the teachers in her department. Her students are more engaged and excited to learn, and the teachers have enjoyed a more collaborative environment where ideas and teaching materials are readily shared. Krystle has always been passionate about helping her students reach their potential, but now she is excited to share her passion with other Wit & Wisdom teachers. Krystle began working this summer as a PD Facilitator for Great Minds, and she will continue with this work as a PD Fellow during the school year.

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Units of Study in Reading

A workshop curriculum for middle school grades, what do our middle-grade readers need.

We want our middle grades students to become flexible, resilient readers who read for pleasure as well as for academic purposes. We want them to have a toolkit of strategies for dealing with difficulty, and we want them to know when and how to use those strategies.

How Can We Best Meet Those Needs?

To accomplish such ambitious goals, we must reconsider how we think about our classrooms and our curriculum. We can no longer conceive of the curriculum as a few books kids will master. We now recognize the value and importance of teaching a repertoire of skills and strategies to help students be more powerful in any book.

Why is the Reading Workshop So Effective?

The simplicity and predictability of the workshop frees the teacher from constant choreographing so that he or she has time to observe, to listen, to assess, and to teach into specific student needs. For the bulk of time during each day, students read, and as they do, they draw upon an ever-growing repertoire of skills, tools, strategies, and habits.

The 10 Essentials of Reading Instruction

Units of Study Essential 1

1. Above all, good teachers matter.

Learners need teachers who demonstrate what it means to live richly literate lives, wearing a love of reading on their sleeves. Teachers need professional development and a culture of collaborative practice to develop their abilities to teach.

Units of Study Essential 2

2. Readers need long stretches of time to read.

A mountain of research supports the notion that teachers who teach reading successfully provide their students with substantial time for actual reading.

Units of Study Essential 3

3. Readers need opportunities to read high-interest, accessible books of their own choosing.

Students need access to lots of books that they can read with high levels of accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. They need opportunities to consolidate skills so they can use skills and strategies with automaticity within fluid, engaged reading.

Units of Study Essential 4

4. Readers need to read increasingly complex texts appropriate for their grade level.

A consensus has formed around the resolve to accelerate students’' progress so they can read increasingly complex texts. Teachers can find ways to scaffold instruction to provide students with access to these texts when they cannot read them independently.

Units of Study Essential 5

5. Readers need direct, explicit instruction in the skills and strategies of proficient reading.

The National Reading Panel strongly supports explicit instruction in comprehension strategies, suggesting that the teaching of even one comprehension strategy can lead to improved comprehension, and that teaching a repertoire of strategies can make an even larger difference (National Reading Panel 2000).

Units of Study Essential 6

6. Readers need opportunities to talk and sometimes to write in response to texts.

Talking and writing both provide concrete, visible ways for learners to do the thinking work that later becomes internalized and invisible.

Units of Study Essential 7

7. Readers need support reading nonfiction books and building a knowledge base and academic vocabulary through information reading.

The strength of a student's general knowledge has a close relationship to the student'’s ability to comprehend complex nonfiction texts. Students who read a great deal of nonfiction gain knowledge about the world as well as about vocabulary.

Units of Study Essential 8

8. Readers need assessment-based instruction, including feedback that is tailored specifically to them.

Learners are not all the same, and learners do not all need the same things to progress. Teaching, then, must always be responsive, and our ideas about what works and what doesn'’t work must always be under construction.

Units of Study Essential 9

9. Readers need teachers to read aloud to them.

Read-aloud is essential to teaching reading. Teachers read aloud to open the day, using stories and poems to convene the community and to celebrate what it means to be awake and alive together. They read aloud to embark on shared adventures, to explore new worlds, and to place provocative topics at the center of the community.

Units of Study Essential 10

10. Readers need a balanced approach to language arts, one that includes a responsible approach to the teaching of writing as well as reading.

The National Reading Panel’'s recommendations in 2000 supported the need for children to have balanced literacy instruction. Pressley and his colleagues conducted research in balanced literacy, seeking out examples of exemplary teaching in the primary grades and studying the approach to instruction. In every case, whenever they found a classroom with high literacy engagement, they found balanced teaching in place (Pressley et al. 2002). (Adapted from A Guide to the Reading Workshop , primary and intermediate editions)

Download Guide Chapter

Read More . . .

To read more about how you can work with colleagues to articulate the vision guiding reading instruction at your school, download the sample chapter for your grade level, excerpted from A Guide to the Reading Workshop, Middle School Grades .

One Suggestion for Sequencing Units Across Grade Levels

  • A Deep Study of Character
  • Tapping the Power of Nonfiction
  • Social Issues Book Clubs  
  • Investigating Characterization: Author Studies
  • Essential Research Skills for Teens
  • Historical Fiction Book Clubs
  • Dystopian Book Clubs
  • Literary Nonfiction
  • Critical Literacy: Unlocking Contemporary Fiction
  • A Book Club Unit of Choice

In order to provide the greatest flexibility for middle school classrooms, the Units and the Guide are all sold separately. You may choose a different sequence based on your school’s curricular needs, but also keep in mind that there is a layering of complexity across the units that you will want to consider as you plan.

Note: publication of the previously-announced Poetry unit has been postponed indefinitely.

Series Components

Units of Study

There are 9 individual units for middle school reading, each available for separate purchase. Each unit includes all the teaching points, minilessons, conferences, and small group work needed for the reading workshop.

A Guide to the Reading Workshop

Details the architecture of the minilessons, conferences and small-group strategy sessions, and articulates the management techniques needed to support an effective middle school reading workshop. (Available separately for administrators and coaches)

Online Resources

Each unit includes downloadable, printable files for anchor charts (English and Spanish versions) and other charts, read-aloud texts, samples of student work, bands of text complexity, links to videos, tools for learning, and homework assignments.

Comprehensive Overview

For more information, download the comprehensive overview!

CCSS Correlations

Check out the alignment to Common Core State Standards

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

An introduction to the middle school reading units, reading workshop in the middle grades, research base, getting started/planning, diversity and social justice, english learners.

Classroom Videos from TCRWP

Purchasing Options

Guide to the reading workshop.

reading homework middle school

A Guide to the Reading Workshop: Secondary Grades Lucy Calkins Mary Ehrenworth

Each Unit with Trade Pack

Purchase Recommendation: In order to provide the greatest flexibility for middle school classrooms the units and guide are all sold separately. For a sequencing suggestion, see above. Choose the bundle with the Trade Book Pack if your library does not already include the mentor texts referenced in the Unit.

reading homework middle school

Critical Literacy: Unlocking Contemporary Fiction with Trade Book Mary Ehrenworth et al.

reading homework middle school

Investigating Characterization: Author-Study Book Clubs with Trade Pack Mary Ehrenworth et al.

reading homework middle school

Literary Nonfiction with Trade Pack Katie Clements et al.

reading homework middle school

A Deep Study of Character with Trade Pack Mary Ehrenworth Lucy Calkins

reading homework middle school

Tapping the Power of Nonfiction with Trade Pack Katie Clements Lucy Calkins

reading homework middle school

Social Issues Book Clubs: Reading for Empathy and Advocacy with Trade Pack Audra Robb et al.

reading homework middle school

Dystopian Book Clubs with Trade Pack Katy Wischow Lucy Calkins

reading homework middle school

Historical Fiction Book Clubs with Trade Pack Mary Ehrenworth et al.

Each Unit without Trade Pack

reading homework middle school

Critical Literacy: Unlocking Contemporary Fiction Mary Ehrenworth et al.

reading homework middle school

Essential Research Skills for Teens Mary Ehrenworth et al.

reading homework middle school

Investigating Characterization Mary Ehrenworth et al.

reading homework middle school

Literary Nonfiction Katie Clements et al.

reading homework middle school

A Deep Study of Character Lucy Calkins Mary Ehrenworth

reading homework middle school

Tapping the Power of Nonfiction Lucy Calkins Katie Clements

reading homework middle school

Social Issues Book Clubs Lucy Calkins et al.

reading homework middle school

Dystopian Book Clubs Lucy Calkins Katy Wischow

reading homework middle school

Historical Fiction Book Clubs Mary Ehrenworth et al.

Related Book Club Shelves

reading homework middle school

Nonfiction Book Clubs Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

Below Benchmark Nonfiction Book Clubs Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

On Benchmark Social Issues Book Clubs Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

Below Benchmark Social Issues Book Clubs Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

Fantasy and Dystopia Book Clubs Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

Below Benchmark Fantasy And Dystopia Book Clubs Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

On Benchmark Historical Fiction Book Clubs Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

Below Benchmark Historical Fiction Book Clubs Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

reading homework middle school

Investigating Characterization Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

reading homework middle school

Below Benchmark Investigating Characterization Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

reading homework middle school

On Benchmark Literary Nonfiction Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

reading homework middle school

Below Benchmark Literary Nonfiction Shelf, Grades 6-8 Lucy Calkins et al.

  • Homework Help
  • Article Directory

Middle School Reading Strategies and Homework Help

  •  / 

As you continue to go through school, reading homework assignments will be given to you on a regular basis. To help you with this, five tips are provided below to aid you in improving your reading skills. Keep reading to learn about them.

Strategies to Help Middle School Readers

Preview the book.

Often, kids overlook all of those headings, pictures and captions that authors provide in the works they write, but not you. Or, at least, you won't anymore after reading this tip hopefully. Why? Quite simply, those items give you a head start on comprehending the material you're about to read. When you preview the book, you're able to prepare your mind for the information you're going to read about and be focused. When you're focused, you'll do better with your reading and any homework that is assigned to you based on reading.

Read Over the Key Vocabulary List

Reading assignments that are given for homework often have a set of key vocabulary words that are found in the reading material. Many of these words may be new to you. Therefore, it is a good idea to take the time to review these words before you begin reading. Looking over the words first will help you when you encounter them while reading later. This will not only help you understand the material better, but it will also help you proceed through the reading without having to stop because of an unfamiliar and difficult words.

One of the best strategies to use when you're reading is to take notes. You can do this in the margins, on scratch paper or in a notebook. Taking notes helps you keep track of the information you are reading about and gives you a roadmap of what you've covered in case you get confused or lost while reading. When you take notes, you're also engaging with the material, which helps with overall understanding.

Take the Time to Summarize

Make sure you stop occasionally to summarize what you've read so far. When you practice summarizing, you're able to check your level of understanding of the material. You're also able to see if you've been paying attention to what you're reading. If you have been, you'll be able to give a solid summary of the information you've learned. If you've lost focus while reading, coming up with a summary will be difficult and you'll need to reread.

Answer the Questions

Depending on the assignment, you may or may not be given a list of questions to answer. However, many reading assignments have comprehension questions given at the end. Even if they haven't been assigned, it is great practice to answer the questions anyway. Sometimes the answers may be available for you to check at the back of the book. Other times, you may have to ask your teacher to check the answers for you. Either way, taking the time to answer the questions will help you improve your reading comprehension and will help you be prepared when you do have questions assigned for other homework assignments.

Other Articles You May Be Interested In

One way to encourage your child's interest in reading is to suggest books that are not only appropriate for his or her age level, but also are entertaining for your child. This article explains the benefits of reading, and lists some popular middle school level books and gives a bried subject description.

Studies have shown that access to literature is an important element in a well-rounded education. In reading classrooms, teachers are looking for supplemental materials to integrate into the curriculum. This article provides suggestions for implementing a variety of literature into reading programs.

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Why Should You Integrate Reading Into Your Science Curriculum?

Many middle school students struggle with reading comprehension at their age.  When I was in middle school, I had a heck of a time reading an article and then comprehending what I had just read.

It’s no secret the more you practice this skill, the better you become at it, but it often gets overlooked in the science class.  Reading comprehension is such a crucial skill for students.  Textual analysis unlocks their ability to understand information in the future.  You’re doing your students a huge favor by integrating informational reading into your curriculum.

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What’s Included In The Science Reading Comprehension Resource?

The full bundle   comes with 40 reading passages and includes all of the features listed below.

  • The science passages are appropriate for grades 6 – 8 middle school (and higher-level 5th graders).
  • Lexile levels: 1100-1300 (2 leveled articles for each topic)
  • Each science article has corresponding questions and a mini-activity.
  • There are typically 5-7 questions for each reading passage.
  • The mini-projects are hands-on and interactive.
  • Students can annotate the text with highlights, underlines, circles, and stars to identify their answers in the informational text and improve critical thinking skills.
  • Cornell notes template included for students if needed.
  • Detailed student directions are included on the activity page.
  • Engaging, colorful graphics that can easily be printed in grayscale.

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The science reading passages now include files for your remote learning environments such as Google Classroom. Each article now includes:

  • Online Student Answer Sheet (using Google Forms) for every reading passage
  • Distance learning directions PPT and video tutorial
  • PDF of each on-level reading passage without the answer key (can be sent to students)
  • PDF of each modified-level reading passage without the answer key (can be sent to students)
  • PDF of Student Answer Sheet (can be sent to students) for use with PDF editors when Google Forms aren’t allowed

How Could You Use Science Reading Passages In Your Classroom?

This is where the reading passages shine.  They are versatile and can be used in a myriad of ways.  Here are a few of the ways I would use the articles in class:

  • Whole-Class Instruction   – The reading passages can be integrated into your current unit and be used with your whole class to enhance the topic you’re covering.
  • Sub Plans   – Are you ever absent from school?  These articles are perfect for you.  I would print out a few class sets and leave them in your desk for a sub.  You’ll never have to worry about planning when you’re sick again.
  • ISS or Detention   – The stress of getting to school and seeing an email that you need to send work down to ISS for six students can be overwhelming.  The reading passages are a quick win when you’re put into a bind.  Print them out and send them down.  If you’re a 1:1 school, you can also assign the science articles to them in your LMS.
  • Absent or Missing Work   – In science, it’s sometimes a challenge to have students make up a demo or lab that they missed.  The reading passages are great to supplement for any missed work.

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Interesting Science Articles for Students

The science articles you assign to your students don’t have to be boring.  Below is the comprehensive list of all the articles included in the   Science Reading Comprehension Bundle .  Each are also available for purchase separately.

  • Acoustical Instruments   – Students study the properties of sound by reading a nonfiction article about acoustical instruments. They then complete comprehension questions and create their own percussion instrument using common household items.
  • Aurora Borealis   – Students study auroras by reading a nonfiction article about the relationship between the magnetosphere and sunspot activity. They then complete comprehension questions and create a travel brochure for the northern lights.
  • Autonomous Vehicles   – Students study autonomous (self-driving) vehicles by reading a nonfiction article about this new form of transportation. They then complete comprehension questions and design their own autonomous vehicle for a competition.
  • Bay of Fundy   – Students study the Bay of Fundy by reading a nonfiction article about this natural wonder of the world. They then complete comprehension questions and design a pamphlet for a school field trip to investigate the bay.

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  • Becoming an Astronaut   – Students study astronauts by reading a nonfiction article about the effects humans experience on extended visits to space. They then complete comprehension questions and design a brochure for their own space camp.
  • Can You Hear Me Now?   – Students study hearing by reading a nonfiction article about the workings of the human ear. They then complete comprehension questions and create an interactive adult coloring sheet of several components of the human ear.
  • Cave Food Pyramids   – Students study food pyramids in caves by reading a nonfiction article about the fascinating organisms that live inside a cave. They then complete comprehension questions and create a 3D version of a cave food pyramid.
  • Childhood Obesity   – Students study childhood obesity by reading a nonfiction article about food choices and exercise. They then complete comprehension questions and use nutritional facts to design a healthy food and drink vending machine.
  • Cloning Extinct Species   – Students study cloning by reading a nonfiction article about woolly mammoths. They then complete comprehension questions, create a Venn diagram about cloning, and write a persuasive essay about cloning and society.
  • Creatures from the Deep   – Students study deep-sea animals by reading a nonfiction article about deep-sea life and marine explorers. They then complete comprehension questions, invent their own deep-sea animal, draw a sketch, and write about it.
  • Dinosaur Sue   – Students study Dinosaur Sue by reading a nonfiction article about her discovery and journey to her current home. They then complete comprehension questions and write a career research essay on the Black Hill Institute.

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  • Electric Cars   – Students study electric cars by reading a nonfiction article about the advantages and disadvantages of this technology. They then complete comprehension questions and map out a route for a road trip in an electric car.
  • Exoplanet Hunter   – Students study the exoplanets by reading a nonfiction article about the Kepler Space Telescope and discovering distant objects in space.They then complete comprehension questions and create a test based on the solar system.
  • Exotic Animals   – Students study exotic animals by reading a nonfiction article about the dangers of keeping them as pets. They then complete comprehension questions and create a poster on their stance on the purchase of wild animals.
  • Flying High   – Students study hot-air balloons by reading a nonfiction article about the principles and design elements that make them work. They then complete comprehension questions and design their own unique hot-air balloon.
  • Forensic Science   – Students study forensic science by reading a nonfiction article about processes used to solve crimes. They then complete comprehension questions, create a movie plot, choose their cast, and design a billboard poster for it.
  • Fossil Formation   – Students study fossils by reading a nonfiction article about paleontology and three ways fossils are formed. They then complete comprehension questions and create a teaching activity for their class about an extinct animal.
  • GMOs   – Students study genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by reading a nonfiction article about their benefits and issues. They then complete comprehension questions and design an organic farm-to-table menu for a local restaurant.
  • Hawaiian Hot Spots   – Students study hot-spot volcanoes by reading a nonfiction article about the Hawaiian Islands. They then complete comprehension questions, create instructions for building three volcanoes, and write a short synopsis.

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  • Hurricane Harvey   – Students study heroic acts during natural disasters by reading a nonfiction article about when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. They then complete comprehension questions, design a fundraiser, and create a poster for it.
  • Inherited Traits   – Students study inherited traits by reading a nonfiction article about phenotypes, genotypes, and DNA. They then complete comprehension questions and create an imaginary family tree to trace traits through three generations.
  • Inmate Firefighters   – Students study inmate firefighters by reading a nonfiction article about a program in California. They then complete comprehension questions and write a letter to local government lobbying their position on using inmates.
  • Keep Austin Batty   – Students study bats by reading a nonfiction article about the Mexican free-tailed bat population in Austin, Texas. They then complete comprehension questions and create a presentation on a species of bats.
  • Killer Whales   – Students study animal cooperation by reading a nonfiction article about killer whale pods. They then complete comprehension questions, recall a time when they worked as a team, and create a teamwork challenge.
  • Life Cycle of Salmon   – Students study salmon by reading a nonfiction article about the stages of their life cycle. They then complete comprehension questions and create a detailed diagram of a salmon’s life cycle for a textbook company.

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  • Mapping the Ocean Floor   – Students study oceanography by reading a nonfiction article about the challenges of mapping the ocean floor. They then complete comprehension questions and predict what might found on the ocean’s floor in the future.
  • Mars: The New Frontier   – Students study Mars by reading a nonfiction article about the challenges faced by humans exploring or living on Mars. They then complete comprehension questions and design a house suitable for living on Mars.
  • Microhabitats   – Students study microhabitats by reading a nonfiction article about fascinating microhabitats found in a forest. They then complete comprehension questions and document, sketch, and analyze a nearby microhabitat.
  • Monarch Butterflies   – Students study monarch butterflies by reading a nonfiction article about their life cycle and migration. They then complete comprehension questions and create an adult coloring sheet of the monarch lifecycle.
  • Neil DeGrasse Tyson   – Students study Neil DeGrasse Tyson by reading a nonfiction article about his life and accomplishments. They then complete comprehension questions, choose another scientist, and write their own biography.

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  • Rainforest Medicines   – Students study the rainforest by reading a nonfiction article about its medicinal plants. They then complete comprehension questions and write a letter to the government about the importance of rainforest protection.
  • Super Athletes   – Students study super athletes by reading a nonfiction article about their common physical characteristics. They then complete comprehension questions and write interview questions to ask their favorite athlete.
  • Surviving Lightning   – Students study lightning by reading a nonfiction article about surviving a lightning strike. They then complete comprehension questions and design a community recreation area for a location with frequent lightning strikes.
  • The Power of Likes   – Students study the effects of social media by reading a nonfiction article about Pavlov’s conditioned stimulus concept. They then complete comprehension questions and design a new social media app for Apple.
  • Use it or Lose It   – Students study neurochemicals in the brain by reading a nonfiction article about neuroplasticity. They then complete comprehension questions and create an activity that promotes the release of positive neurochemicals.
  • Water Pollution   – Students study the Great Lakes by reading a nonfiction article about water pollution. They then complete comprehension questions, research and summarize the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and create a short quiz.
  • Where Does Your Trash Go?   – Students study where trash goes by reading a nonfiction article about the process of building landfills. They then complete comprehension questions, research local recycling programs, and brainstorm how they can reduce waste.

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Where Does Your Water Come From?   – Students study where water comes from by reading a nonfiction article about the hydrologic (water) cycle. They then complete comprehension questions and create a public service announcement on keeping our water clean.

Yellowstone   – Students study volcanoes by reading a nonfiction article about the geologic activity of Yellowstone National Park. They then complete comprehension questions and create a virtual tour presentation of a national park.

Zombie Brains   – Students study the human brain by reading a nonfiction article about two neuroscientists and their research on zombie brains. They then complete comprehension questions and write a career research paper on neuroscientists.

These 40 science articles can be implemented in your classroom starting tomorrow.

Purchase the science reading comprehension bundle or individual articles here.

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Using Choice Boards to Boost Student Engagement

Giving students options for how they demonstrate their learning is a good way to ignite their curiosity.

Group of high school students discussing project at school.

How do you make learning effective, engaging, and student driven when students aren’t physically in the classroom? That’s been the question on our minds for quite some time now. One team of education leaders in North Carolina found a solution that drastically changed instruction throughout the state, and it’s something you might already be familiar with.

As teachers and students transitioned to fully remote instruction, the English language arts (ELA) team created choice boards that teachers could copy and adjust to meet the needs of their students. The boards—which could be assigned virtually or printed out in packets—were organized by grade band and filled with standards-aligned activities as well as scaffolds that enabled children to be able to complete the work alone. Check out the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s ELA choice boards here .

Choice boards improved remote learning in our virtual classrooms, increasing student engagement and ownership, and even making our students more eager to dig into their assessments and homework.

Here are some tips to get started with implementing choice boards—whether students are in person, learning remotely, or a mixture of both—as well as some lessons learned along the way.

Assessments

Choice boards add a new dimension to your classroom, offering an alternative to standard assessments and empowering students to choose how they show their mastery of a topic. Additionally, they provide educators with a variety of ways to check for student understanding. If you’ve ever had your eyes glaze over as you regarded the night’s looming stack of 120 freshmen essays to grade, this could be the refreshing twist you’re looking for.

Imagine that you’re working with your middle school English class on analyzing complex characters in The House on Mango Street . You can unpack the standard with your students and create a rubric with them (or we love this idea of success criteria), then brainstorm ideas for activities.

Try incorporating your students into the process and get their input on how they’d like to demonstrate what they’ve learned. For example, students might suggest developing a movie trailer to illustrate their mastery of the standard, drafting a series of diary entries from the main character, or creating a series of podcast episodes. Allowing for student involvement in the creation of the choice boards increases their ownership and follow-through.

A few pointers:

  • Keep in mind, some learners do prefer traditional assessments, so leave those as an option in the choice board.
  • You don’t have to start from scratch; there are free choice board templates available online.

Choice boards can be used in place of a homework packet—giving students the autonomy to choose how they practice skills they learned during the school day.

But choice boards can also serve as a way to engage with parents and caregivers. A family homework choice board can encourage education-centered family time at home, while simultaneously informing caregivers about topics and skills their child is learning at school.

What might this look like? Let’s say you are teaching a third-grade class and a parent has asked you for the homework. Share the optional homework choice board—activities might include finding three examples of this week’s syllable type in books from their book bin, reading high-frequency words to a family member, or practicing the high-frequency words on an online app.

  • Before sending home a homework choice board, allot time to guide your students through the process—practicing it in the classroom first. Think of it as a mini-lesson.
  • Evaluate limitations or access issues that may arise for some students when working at home. Things to consider include access to technology, access to materials, and time asked of the parents/caregivers in assisting.

Remote Learning

Remote learning days are far from a thing of the past. Whether these days are scheduled ahead of time in the school’s calendar or utilized as an alternative to closing the building for severe weather or recurring outbreaks of Covid, schools can be proactively prepared by creating district or schoolwide choice boards that teachers can easily access.

Ideally, these can be tweaked by teachers themselves easily so that students can complete them over and over again. Educators can switch out the text and activities at their discretion to update them.

  • Move from fluff to rigor by being intentional with learning outcomes and alignment to state standards. (Find tips at Aligning Curricular Decisions with Student Voice ). Make sure that you aren’t just creating busywork but are truly creating assignments that are standards aligned.
  • Get a team involved to make the lift lighter. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction had teams of educators work together to create a universal set of choice boards that could be accessed by teachers statewide—many hands make short work.
  • We’ve used choice boards not only with K–12 students but with our teachers in training as well. Offering people choice in assignments does equate to a lot more emails to answer from our graduate students. But that’s something we were more than happy to take on.
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10 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in Middle School

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Best Reading Comprehension Strategies for Middle School Students

Does your child often struggle with reading comprehension in school?

This can affect their grades, as well as their self-esteem. If your child is finding it hard to absorb the contents of their texts in class, they may need a few extra reading tactics.

These can help them digest materials and enjoy reading more. When they enjoy reading more, they’ll naturally improve their reading comprehension.

To find out which reading comprehension strategies for middle school can help your child, keep reading.

Active Reading

Active reading means becoming an engaged participant in the reading process rather than a passive observer. Encourage middle school readers to interact with the text actively.

Encourage them to underline key points, highlight important sentences, and jot down notes or questions in the margins. This process helps students not only keep information but also better comprehend the material.

When students actively engage with a text, it’s as if they’re having a conversation with the author. This interaction leads to a deeper understanding of the content. This fosters a more thoughtful and critical approach to reading.

Previewing the Text

Before delving into a text, students should preview it by examining the title, subheadings, and any bold or italicized words. This initial scan gives them an idea of what the text is all about. It’s like getting a sneak peek before watching a movie – it helps them prepare mentally and activate their prior knowledge.

As your middle school student previews the text, encourage them to think about what they already know related to the topic. This helps them make connections and gives them a head start in understanding the new material. Think of it as setting the stage for the main performance, making the reading experience smoother and more enjoyable.

Asking Questions

Asking questions while reading is a powerful strategy for enhancing comprehension. Teach them to inquire about the who, what, when, where, why, and how aspects of the text. These questions help guide their thinking and promote critical examination of the material.

When your child asks questions while reading, they’re actively seeking answers and engaging with the text. These queries can be as simple as “Who is the main character?” or “Why did the author say that?” By doing so, they’re actively exploring the content, leading to a deeper understanding.

Vocabulary Building

A strong vocabulary is essential for comprehension. Encourage students to keep a vocabulary journal where they record unfamiliar words and their meanings. This not only enhances their understanding of the current text but also builds a valuable skill for future reading.

Think of vocabulary as the building blocks of comprehension. When your middle schooler encounters a new word, it’s like discovering a new tool in their toolbox. This tool helps them unlock the meaning of the text and expands their ability to understand and communicate effectively.

Summarizing

After reading a section or a chapter, encourage students to summarize what they’ve read in their own words. This forces them to process the information and identify the main ideas and supporting details.

Summarizing helps your middle schooler distill the essential points from the text. It’s like making a condensed version of a long movie into a trailer.

This skill is particularly valuable when studying. It allows students to review the material more efficiently and understand it more thoroughly.

Visualizing

Visualization is a powerful tool for comprehension. Encourage students to create mental images of the scenes or concepts described in the reading. This can make the material more relatable and memorable.

When your middle school student visualizes what they’re reading, it’s like creating a movie in their mind. These mental images bring the text to life and help them connect with the content on a deeper level.

For instance, if they’re reading about a character in a story, they can imagine what that character looks like, where they live, and what they do. This visualization aids in understanding and retention.

Making Connections

Help students make connections between the text and their own experiences, other texts they’ve read, or current events. This enhances comprehension by providing reading context and relevance to the material.

Encourage your middle schooler to think about how the content relates to their own life. This could be as simple as connecting a character’s feelings to their own experiences. Making these connections brings the reading to life and makes it more meaningful.

Encourage students to predict what will happen next in a story or what the author’s main argument will be in an informational text. This keeps them engaged and encourages them to anticipate the direction of the text.

Predicting is like trying to guess the plot of a movie based on the first few scenes. When they do, they become active participants in the narrative. It’s not just about reading words; it’s about making educated guesses and being engaged in the storyline or the author’s argument.

Inferencing

Inferencing is the art of drawing conclusions based on evidence in the text. Middle school students should be taught to identify clues. They can use them to make educated guesses about character motivations, plot developments, or the author’s purpose.

When your child makes inferences while reading, they’re like detectives piecing together a puzzle. They gather clues from the text and use their reasoning skills to make sense of the information.

This not only improves comprehension but also sharpens critical thinking abilities. Reading tutoring can provide extra practice in making inferences, helping students become more adept at this skill. 

Critical Reading

Teach middle school students to read critically. This means analyzing the author’s tone, biases, and the credibility of the information presented. Critical reading promotes a deeper understanding of the text and encourages students to question what they read.

They’re not just accepting everything at face value. They’re evaluating the information and considering the source. This skill empowers them to be effective readers who can separate fact from opinion and identify potential biases.

Effective Reading Comprehension Strategies for Middle School Students

Reading comprehension strategies for middle school can help them excel. By using the strategies discussed, students can become more confident and independent readers.

So, let’s encourage our young learners to practice these strategies and watch them thrive in their reading abilities. Try incorporating these strategies in your classroom today! Please take a look at our blog for more educational articles.

Please take a look at our blog for more educational articles.

This article is published by NYTech in collaboration with Syndication Cloud.

Best Reading Comprehension Strategies for Middle School Students

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History of Science Reading Materials as Everyday Homework to Improve Middle School Students’ Epistemological Beliefs about Science

  • Published: 12 May 2022
  • Volume 20 , pages 69–92, ( 2022 )

Cite this article

  • Shih-Yeh Chen 1 ,
  • Cyong-Huei Chen 2 &
  • Shiang-Yao Liu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9763-0281 3  

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The history of science (HOS) has played an important role in science curricula for teaching about science. However, historical information in science textbooks is often de-contextualized, coupled with limited class time and teaching barriers, and thus fails to help students understand the dynamic process of scientific development. This research effort was then directed to design nontextbook, supplemental reading materials that include scientific historical vignettes and guiding questions to elicit views about nature of science (NOS). The homework notebook was designed as a carrier to provide students after-school learning opportunities with the HOS-NOS approach. In the large-scale implementation study, 18 middle school homeroom teachers voluntarily adopted the designed HOS-based notebook for the regular purpose of homework recording and teacher-parent communication over a semester. They were interviewed about homework policies. Their students’ scientific epistemological beliefs and individual interests in science and reading were assessed at the beginning and end of the semester to evaluate the effectiveness of the notebook. Quantitative results indicated that these 7th and 8th grade students had significant improvements in epistemic understandings of the source and the (un)certainty of scientific knowledge after using this notebook. Students’ individual interest in science and reading was interrelated with their epistemic views about the evolving nature of science and justification methods in science. Further explorations on the quality of students’ reflective writings in the notebook suggested that students’ reading experiences were affected by the homework policies and writing requirements their homeroom teachers adopted. This research provides implications on the design of reading materials for improving students’ scientific literacy.

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Chen, SY., Chen, CH. & Liu, SY. History of Science Reading Materials as Everyday Homework to Improve Middle School Students’ Epistemological Beliefs about Science. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 20 (Suppl 1), 69–92 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-022-10285-3

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‘squad’ member jamaal bowman once put a convicted cop killer up on a middle school’s ‘wall of honor’ — and stands by move.

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US Rep. Jamaal Bowman once put a fugitive convicted cop killer on a Bronx middle school’s “Wall of Honor” while he worked there as principal — and now he’s standing by the move.

The Democrat member of Congress’ “Squad” was recently questioned about honoring Joanne Chesimard aka Assata Shakur — a black militant on the FBI Most Wanted list who was convicted with two others in the execution-style slaying of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973 before she escaped jail and fled to Cuba.

“Who are you to tell anyone on how they should engage in their own history and the people in their history?” Bowman said at a Feb. 21 Yonkers Third Precinct Community Council meeting .

Rep. Jamaal Bowman stood by his choice to put a convicted cop killer on his school's "Wall of Honor."

Bowman was responding to a question from Marty Dolan, one of two Democrats challenging the two-term incumbent in a party primary this year, who asked the congressman whether he thought it was a mistake “to teach the children in your school that a cop killer should be on ‘The Wall of Heroes'” at the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action.

“My school included black and Latino students,” Bowman, who is black, railed to Dolan, who is white. “We tried to teach as much of our black and Latino history as possible — the good, the bad and the ugly.”

Bowman, who represents part of the Bronx and Westchester County in New York’s 16th congressional district, noted that Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the US and a co-signer of the Declaration of Independence, was a slaveholder.

When Dolan asked if Bowman refused to denounce the inclusion, the incumbent doubled down.

“I will refuse to denounce,” Bowman said. “I’m answering the question the way I want to answer it. We, our kids in my school learned the history of a people off the walls — and many other people and so, that’s what we did. Period.”

Bowman was asked the question by one of his Democratic opponents Marty Dolan.

Part of the extremist group the Black Liberation Army, Chesimard was one of three people accused in a May 2, 1973 shooting that broke out when they were stopped in their vehicle for a motor vehicle violation on the Jersey Turnpike. A second trooper was also wounded in the shooting. 

At the time, Chesimard was wanted for her role in several other felonies, including a bank robbery.

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Chesimard, was found guilty of first degree murder, but escaped from a Clinton, New Jersey prison on Nov. 2, 1979 and resurfaced in Cuba, where she is still believed to be residing.

She is on the FBI’s Most Wanted List , which is offering a $1 million reward for her return.

Joanne Chesimard was convicted of first degree murder.

After Bowman’s fiery defense of Shakur at the hearing, a woman then followed up Dolan’s question. “What did [Assata Shakur] accomplish that would put her in the same realm as Thomas Jefferson?”

Bowman noted that Chesimard was a member of the Black Panther Party, which he said did some good things.

“You can have critiques of this person but there are critiques of many American heroes that we have,” the congressman said.

Dolan, 66, a financial strategic adviser, on Sunday blasted Bowman’s defense of “using taxpayer dollars to teach our kids to glorify a cop killer.”

Aside from Dolan, Bowman faces a spirited primary challenge from Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who has the backing of Jewish activists including the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, who denounce what they view as Bowman’s anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian positions.

Chesimard isn’t the only controversial figure who was included in Bowman’s schools’ Hall of Honor.

Black militant Mutulu Shakur — the stepfather of the late rapper Tupac Shakur — who served a lengthy prison sentence for armed robberies and died last July year of cancer after being released — was also honored, as was former Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.), an antisemitic conspiracy theorist, according to the Huffington Post, which first reported on the wall.

The Wall of Honor is just the latest controversy from the past dogging Bowman.

He also recently came under fire for reposting outlandish Sept. 11, 2001 conspiracy theories on his blog, which he later condemned.

Bowman last year also pleaded guilty to one count of falsely pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon Office Building in DC ahead of a congressional vote to avert a partial government shutdown. He paid a $1,000 fine but denied he intended to disrupt the proceedings.

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Rep. Jamaal Bowman stood by his choice to put a convicted cop killer on his school's "Wall of Honor."

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