Online Enrichment for
English Language Arts (ELA)

We designed Piqosity’s English Language Arts (ELA) courses to be used in-school as part of the core curriculum or after-school for enrichment. Compared to a classroom or learning center environment, Piqosity essentially offers multiple books in a more personalized, digital format:

1. Writing Handbook
2. Reading Manual
3. Anthology of Reading Passages
4. Classic Novels

Piqosity’s ELA courses contain more than 40 hours of material for the average student. During a typical 1-hour study sessions, most students will read 2-3 reading passages from the Anthology or 1 chapter from a novel and work the accompany questions.

Reference our Quick Start guide for more tips and step-by-step directions

Children entering the 8th grade are typically around 13 or 14 years old, and our course is ideal for students at that age. However, Piqosity’s courses can be used in a variety of ways. If you have a younger child looking for a challenge, an 11 or 12-year-old could take our course of enrichment purposes. Meanwhile, an older 14-year-old or a 15-year-old who needs to review previously learned concepts could use our course for remediation purposes.

You can learn more about how to effectively use our ELA courses for a variety of scenarios in our helpful user guide.

At this point, the world of literature has really opened up for your child. Depending on their skill level, your 8th grader may be comfortable reading everything from more advanced books in the “middle grades” section, to Young Adult novels, to certain classics (Frankenstein, The Count of Monte Cristo, the Lord of the Ring trilogy, etc.). There are endless numbers of book lists online, but for parents, the important thing to keep in mind is to let their children pursue the type of literature that most engages and intrigues them; that’s the best way to encourage a life-long love of reading.

Parents of 8th graders may struggle to know exactly how to help their child improve their ELA skills. We are frequently asked questions such as “How do I improve my 8th grader’s reading and writing skills?” or “How do I improve my 8th grader’s vocabulary?” 

Now that your child is older, it is best to encourage the development of your child’s ELA skills via more independent means. For example, if your child likes to write, encourage them to keep a diary (with a promise that you won’t read it) or pursue their own writing projects. To develop their critical thinking skills, try to maintain an open dialogue about your teens opinions regarding what their reading, watching, or seeing in the news. Check in with your child to see if they need help maintaining a healthy homework schedule. And finally, continue to maintain a culture of reading within your home; take visits to the library or bookstore and encourage reading together as a family activity. 

If you desire more structured ELA practice, consider using Piqosity’s 8th grade ELA course. 

ELA teachers expect 8th graders to be able to perform a variety of more advanced tasks related to reading, writing, grammar, and speaking. Among other things, your 8th grader should be able to: 

• Read full-length texts, including complex novels and nonfiction texts. 
• Efficiently find main ideas, summarize a text, synthesize information from more than one source, and compare and contrast more than one text. 
• Be able to identify and discuss tone, mood, point of view, symbolism, figurative language, and other narrative elements. 
• Maintain consistent subject-verb agreement and use complex punctuation correctly, including quotation marks, commas, ellipses, and dashes. 
• Use both context and Greek and Latin roots to identify unfamiliar words.
• Research, draft, write, edit, and provide sources for a variety of writing projects, including narratives, essays, presentations and reports, poems, cover letters, emails. and more. 
• Show proficiency in typing and using online collaborative software, including the Microsoft and Google suite of tools. 

Children entering the 5th grade are typically around 10 or 11 years old, and our course is ideal for students at that age. However, Piqosity’s courses can be used in a variety of ways. If you have a younger child looking for a challenge, an 8 or 9-year-old could take our course of enrichment purposes. Meanwhile, an older 11-year old or a 12-year-old who needs to review previously learned concepts could use our ELA course for remediation purposes.

You can learn more about how to effectively use our ELA courses for a variety of scenarios in our helpful user guide.

The answer to this question is highly dependent on your child’s reading level, habits, and interests. In general, your child should be comfortable reading a variety of text types, including more complex chapter books. However, we strongly recommend encouraging your child to pursue their own reading subject material. Visit your local library or bookstore and let them pick out age-appropriate books in the “middle grades” section. Don’t forget that your child may also be interested in graphic novels and poetry.

Parents of 5th graders may struggle to know exactly how to help their child improve their ELA skills. We are frequently asked questions such as “How do I improve my 5th grader’s reading and writing skills?” or “How do I improve my 5th grader’s vocabulary?” 

One of the best things you can do for your 5th grader’s reading, writing, and vocabulary skills is to encourage them to read outside of the classroom. To do this, we recommend helping them to find books related to their interests and involving your child in your local literary community (think bookstores, libraries, book clubs, and theatres). Try to establish a culture of reading within your home by reading together.

If you desire more structured ELA practice, consider using Piqosity’s 5th grade ELA course.

ELA teachers expect 5th graders to be able to perform a variety of tasks related to reading, writing, grammar, and speaking. Among other things, your 5th grader should be able to:

• Read and understand a variety of text types, including longer chapter books and non-fiction materials.
• Find main ideas, summarize a text, synthesize information from more than one source, and compare and contrast more than one text.
• Write basic structured paragraphs and sentences for a variety of purposes, including simple reports, persuasive essays, and narratives, etc.
• Use basic punctuation and capitalization correctly.
• Understand and be able to identify a variety of grammar elements, including synonyms, antonyms, and conjunctions, as well as use different verb tenses correctly.
• Use context clues to identify unfamiliar words.
• Research information using the internet and books.