Dear Future 8th Graders

Dear future 8th graders.

As you may know, 8th grade is your last year in middle school! Next year you will be in high school, and challenges will occur. However, do not let this discourage you. The ELA skills that I will present to you will be very helpful and beneficial not only for this year but for years to come. Now in order to succeed in your 8th-grade year, you must: know basic writing skills, know how to get your ideas across, and have good inference skills.

Basic writing skills are essential for passing the 8th grade. For instance, in my 8th-grade year, I was required to write a plethora of essays and short stories. One of these was the 100 Word Challenge. This assignment required me to write a story within 100 words. The tricky part was keeping my story short without adding to much “fluff”. The basic writing skills came in handy because it gave me an easier time structuring my story and adding an economy of words but still getting my point across. Which leads me to my next point.

Getting your ideas across will help you very much in 8th Grade. It will give your readers a sense of what you have to say. For example, in debate, you must introduce your claim with an easy wording and phrases so the audience understands. When I used to do debate, I always expressed my ideas from the heart. This was very helpful on topics I wanted to talk about because it allowed me to express what I had on my mind in a respectful manner.

Thirdly, in order to be successful in 8th grade, you must have good inference skills As an example, in Worldly Wise section “E”, some of the questions stated make you mind dig deep to achieve the right answer. Luckily, if you develop this skill before your 8th-grade year, it will make challenges like these very easy for you. But do not worry, if you have not practiced this skill in your previous grades, going to Khan Academy will get you leveled out fast.

All points stated, by using the skills I have stated, you will have a successful year. It may seem scary at first, but do not worry, it will get easier along the way. So I say, do your best, stay motivated, and you will finish your 8th-grade year strong.