Abeka Literature - Grade 8

The goal: provide enjoyable, high-quality literature that reflects Christian principles, builds character, and enriches lives. As such, selections in this Abeka® literature text are carefully chosen, and may be edited slightly to ensure reader appropriateness. Readings include adaptations from larger works like the Hiding Place, Life on the Mississippi, The Song of Hiawatha, The Story of John Paton’s Thirty Years among South Sea Cannibals, Up from Slavery, and Mama’s Bank Account. For nine of the selections, the curriculum recommends continuing to read the full works. In addition, poetry and short stories provide genre diversity. The 12 units arrange selections by theme. These include creation, adventure, serving Christ, mountains, sea, Christmas, animals, and more. Students are encouraged to summarize their reading, remember specific lines of text, and learn and apply literary terms. Teacher engagement can vary from medium to low, depending on your student. You’ll engage with them in literature discussion about 10 minutes daily, listen to oral reading, grade short quizzes, evaluate unit essay exams with rubrics—all with a goal of strengthening a student’s reading comprehension and enjoyment.

This course includes a student reader, two teacher edition volumes, test booklet with comprehension quizzes, test answer key, and a text question answer key. Each selection in the student text (409 pgs, pb) provides new vocabulary with definitions, a “check your speed” chart and word count per story. Story excerpts range from 4,194 words at the start to over 8,700 by course end. In addition, Think It Through questions and periodic full-color illustrations engage the reader. Use the Tests with Speed/Comprehension Quizzes (48 pgs, consumable) to gauge comprehension, typically with 1-2 quizzes per unit, and 1 test per unit. Grade with the Teacher Quiz/Test Key (48 pgs, pb). Teacher’s editions come in two spiral-bound volumes. These provide a scope and sequence, guidance and answers for literature study and discussion. You’ll find wrap-around student pages, filled with lesson objectives, reading themes, summaries, and more. The Text Question Answer Key (27 pgs, stapled pb) provides answers for only the Think it Through questions. For a complete language arts program, combine this course with a composition/grammar component. ~ Ruth