What does a student learn in StateIllinois,GradeGrade 9,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students back up their ideas about a story or poem with specific lines or passages from the text. They also read closely enough to draw conclusions the author implies but never states outright.

Students identify the main idea or theme of a story or poem, trace how it builds across the text, and summarize the key details that support it.

Students trace how characters, events, and ideas shift and connect as a story unfolds. They explain what drives those changes and how each part of the story shapes what comes next.

Students figure out what words really mean in context, including hidden feelings a word carries or a comparison the writer is making. Then they look at why the author chose those words and how that choice shifts the mood of the whole passage.

Students look at how a story or poem is built, tracing how one paragraph sets up the next and how individual sentences shape the piece as a whole.

Students examine how a narrator's or author's perspective changes what gets included in a story and how it's told. A war story narrated by a soldier reads differently than the same story told by a civilian left behind.

Students compare what a story or argument says in words to how the same idea is shown in a film, image, or chart. They judge whether the different format adds something, changes the meaning, or leaves something out.

Students break down an argument in a story or essay, then judge whether the reasoning holds up and whether the evidence actually supports the claim.

Students read two or more texts on the same theme or topic, then compare how each author handles it. The focus is on what choices each writer made and what those choices reveal.

Students read full-length novels, stories, and poems on their own, without step-by-step guidance. The goal is handling challenging texts independently by the end of tenth grade.

Students read an article or essay carefully, then back up their claims with specific lines or passages from the text. The goal is to show that conclusions come from what the author actually wrote, not just a general feeling about it.

Students read a nonfiction text, identify the central idea, and trace how it builds across paragraphs. Then they summarize the key details that support it, in their own words.

Students trace how a person, event, or idea changes across a nonfiction piece and explain why those changes happen. The focus is on how one part of the text shapes what comes next.

Students figure out what specific words mean in a nonfiction passage and why the author chose them. Word choice can shift the whole feel of a piece, and this standard asks students to notice when it does.

Students look at how a piece of writing is built: how one paragraph sets up the next, how a single sentence can shift the whole argument, and how the parts work together to make the full piece land.

Students read an article or speech and figure out how the author's purpose or perspective shapes what gets included and how it's written. A writer arguing a position covers the same event very differently than a reporter trying to stay neutral.

Students compare what a written article says to what a chart, photo, or video about the same topic shows. They decide whether the different formats agree, add new detail, or leave something out.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's argument holds up. They check if the reasoning makes sense and if the evidence actually supports the point being made.

Students read two texts on the same topic and compare how each author frames the subject. The focus is on what each writer chooses to include, what they leave out, and how those choices shape what readers learn.

Students read long, challenging articles, essays, and nonfiction books on their own without needing step-by-step help. The goal is real independence with the kind of dense reading they'll meet in college or a job.

Students write a paper that takes a clear position on a real topic or text, then back it up with solid reasoning and evidence from credible sources. The argument has to hold up, not just sound convincing.

Students write essays or reports that explain a complex topic clearly, using well-organized details and evidence. The goal is to help a reader understand something, not to argue a side.

Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear sequence of events and details that make the experience feel vivid and specific.

Writing should fit the situation. Students match their organization and word choices to the assignment, whether they are making an argument, explaining a topic, or telling a story.

Students plan, draft, and revise their writing until it actually says what they mean. That might mean editing a few sentences or scrapping a draft and starting over.

Students use word processors, online documents, or publishing tools to write and share their work. They also use those same tools to give feedback to classmates and collaborate on writing projects.

Students pick a focused question and research it, using what they find to show they actually understand the topic. This applies to both quick assignments and longer projects.

Students find information from more than one source, judge whether each source can be trusted, and weave the details into their own writing without copying.

Students pull quotes and details from what they read to back up their own analysis or argument. In grades 9 and 10, this applies to both fiction and nonfiction.

Students practice writing regularly, both in quick assignments and longer projects, adjusting what they write based on who will read it and why. The goal is to make writing feel like a normal part of schoolwork, not a rare event.

Students read or review material ahead of a discussion, then build on what classmates say instead of just waiting for their turn to talk.

Students pull together information from sources like videos, charts, and speeches, then judge whether that information holds up. The goal is making sense of a topic when the evidence comes in different forms.

Students listen to a speech or presentation and judge whether the speaker's argument holds up: Is the reasoning sound? Is the evidence real? Are persuasion tactics being used to paper over weak logic?

Students organize a spoken presentation so the main point is clear and each piece of evidence connects to it. Listeners should be able to follow the argument without asking what the point was.

Students choose charts, images, or video clips to back up a point in a presentation. The goal is a clearer argument, not just a flashier slide.

Students shift how they speak depending on the situation, using formal language for a class presentation or debate and a more casual tone when the setting calls for it.

Students apply the rules of standard English grammar when they write essays, give presentations, or speak in class discussions. That means using correct verb forms, sentence structures, and pronoun agreements without having to be reminded.

Students apply standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in their writing. This means knowing when to capitalize, where to put a comma or semicolon, and how to spell words correctly without relying on a spellchecker.

Students learn to read a sentence and ask why it works, then use that same thinking in their own writing. They practice choosing words and structures that fit the situation, whether a formal essay or an everyday conversation.

Students figure out what an unfamiliar word means by reading the sentences around it or by breaking the word into its root, prefix, or suffix.

Students read and explain figures of speech like metaphors and idioms, and notice how small differences in word choice change what a sentence actually means.

Students learn words that show up across subjects and in formal writing, then use those words correctly in their own work. This covers both everyday academic language and the specific terms tied to a subject area.