This course equips students with the essential language arts skills needed throughout their academic careers Students read and analyze a variety of informational and fictional texts. Instruction and reading strategies accompany reading selections to help engage students in the text and sharpen their comprehension. Students express their ideas and knowledge using standard (formal) English in written and oral assignments. Writing expressive, analytical, and procedural compositions helps students develop communication skills necessary in today’s world. Vocabulary is taught explicitly and through an array of vocabulary acquisition strategies that give students the tools to independently increase their vocabulary. Students study grammar, usage, and mechanics, and practice sentence analysis, sentence structure, and proper punctuation. The course includes discussion activities that engage students in the curriculum while creating a sense of community.