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Texas Standards

7th Grade ELA TEKS

All 63 Texas English language arts standards for 7th grade, each explained in plain English. The official wording is one click away under each one.

63 standards

Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking--oral language

4 standards
The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.
7.1(A)
Listen closely to understand what a speaker means and ask questions that clarify and add to classmates' ideas.
Official wording
listen actively to interpret a message and ask clarifying questions that build on others' ideas;
7.1(B)
Understand and give detailed spoken directions to complete a task, answer a question or solve a problem, like explaining a science procedure.
Official wording
follow and give complex oral instructions to perform specific tasks, answer questions, or solve problems;
7.1(C)
Give a spoken critique of a book, movie or play, using eye contact, good pacing, volume, clear speech, varied gestures and correct grammar.
Official wording
present a critique of a literary work, film, or dramatic production, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, a variety of natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively; and
7.1(D)
Join in thoughtful discussions, offering helpful feedback to others and accepting their feedback in return.
Official wording
engage in meaningful discourse and provide and accept constructive feedback from others.

Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--vocabulary

3 standards
The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively.
7.2(A)
Check a dictionary or online reference to find a word's definition, syllable breaks, pronunciation, history and part of speech, like for protagonist.
Official wording
use print or digital resources to determine the meaning, syllabication, pronunciation, word origin, and part of speech;
7.2(B)
Figure out unknown words from nearby clues that show contrast or cause and effect, like a word set against its opposite after but.
Official wording
use context such as contrast or cause and effect to clarify the meaning of words; and
7.2(C)
Use Greek and Latin roots like omni, log, gen, vis, phil, luc and sens to work out and use academic words, like omnivore, dialogue and lucid.
Official wording
determine the meaning and usage of grade-level academic English words derived from Greek and Latin roots such as omni, log/logue, gen, vid/vis, phil, luc, and sens/sent.

Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--fluency

1 standard
The student reads grade-level text with fluency and comprehension.
7.3
Shift reading pace and phrasing to match the reason for reading, like skimming for one fact versus reading a poem aloud.
Official wording
adjust fluency when reading grade-level text based on the reading purpose.

Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--self-sustained reading

1 standard
The student reads grade-appropriate texts independently.
7.4
Pick reading material independently and stay with it alone for extended periods, like a series read over a semester.
Official wording
self-select text and read independently for a sustained period of time.

Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts

9 standards
The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.
7.5(A)
Set a clear goal before reading any text, assigned or picked independently, like gathering details for a debate or following a mystery.
Official wording
establish purpose for reading assigned and self-selected texts;
7.5(B)
Pose questions at every stage of reading, from previewing to finishing, to dig deeper and gather information, like asking what a heading term means.
Official wording
generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information;
7.5(C)
Make predictions from text features, genre traits and structure, like guessing a mystery's culprit, then confirm or fix them as reading goes on.
Official wording
make and correct or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of genre, and structures;
7.5(D)
Build mental pictures from descriptive details to understand a text more fully, like visualizing a battle in historical fiction.
Official wording
create mental images to deepen understanding;
7.5(E)
Relate texts to personal life, other readings and the world, like connecting a novel about immigration to a family story or a news report.
Official wording
make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society;
7.5(F)
Draw logical conclusions about what a text suggests and support them with evidence, like inferring a narrator's hidden motive.
Official wording
make inferences and use evidence to support understanding;
7.5(G)
Judge which details carry the most weight in a text to pin down its key ideas, like separating central evidence from side notes.
Official wording
evaluate details read to determine key ideas;
7.5(H)
Pull together information from a text and what is already known to reach a fresh insight, like combining two accounts of an event.
Official wording
synthesize information to create new understanding; and
7.5(I)
Keep track of comprehension while reading and repair confusion with strategies like rereading, recalling background knowledge or annotating.
Official wording
monitor comprehension and make adjustments such as re-reading, using background knowledge, asking questions, and annotating when understanding breaks down.

Response skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts

9 standards
The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed.
7.6(A)
Share personal connections to a range of sources, from articles to films to self-chosen novels, like relating to a character's tough choice.
Official wording
describe personal connections to a variety of sources, including self-selected texts;
7.6(B)
Show understanding of texts in writing, including comparing sources of the same or different genres, like a novel and a news story on one topic.
Official wording
write responses that demonstrate understanding of texts, including comparing sources within and across genres;
7.6(C)
Support a response with fitting evidence drawn from the text, like citing details that explain why an event happened.
Official wording
use text evidence to support an appropriate response;
7.6(D)
Restate and summarize texts in original words while preserving the meaning and the logical sequence of ideas.
Official wording
paraphrase and summarize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order;
7.6(E)
Work actively with sources through notes, annotations, quick freewrites or illustrations, like jotting reactions in the margins of an article.
Official wording
interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating;
7.6(F)
Put recently learned words to work in spoken and written responses, like calling a setting desolate or a plan ingenious.
Official wording
respond using newly acquired vocabulary as appropriate;
7.6(G)
Discuss and write about stated and unstated meanings in texts, like what a poem's images hint about loss.
Official wording
discuss and write about the explicit or implicit meanings of text;
7.6(H)
Adjust formality, vocabulary, tone and voice when responding aloud or in writing, like using academic language in a literary essay.
Official wording
respond orally or in writing with appropriate register, vocabulary, tone, and voice; and
7.6(I)
Reconsider and update responses in light of new evidence, like adjusting a claim after a classmate points to another passage.
Official wording
reflect on and adjust responses as new evidence is presented.

Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--literary elements

4 standards
The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts.
7.7(A)
Work out several themes in one text or across texts, backing each with evidence, like belonging and identity in two coming-of-age stories.
Official wording
infer multiple themes within and across texts using text evidence;
7.7(B)
Analyze how characters' traits shape what happens and how the conflict is resolved, like a stubborn hero refusing help.
Official wording
analyze how characters' qualities influence events and resolution of the conflict;
7.7(C)
Analyze how foreshadowing and suspense push a plot forward, like early hints of danger that build tension before the climax.
Official wording
analyze plot elements, including the use of foreshadowing and suspense, to advance the plot; and
7.7(D)
Analyze how where and when a story happens affects its characters and the way the plot unfolds, like a remote island isolating survivors.
Official wording
analyze how the setting influences character and plot development.

Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres

6 standards
The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts.
7.8(A)
Show what makes each genre distinct, from realistic and historical fiction to adventure, mystery, humor, myth, fantasy and science fiction.
Official wording
demonstrate knowledge of literary genres such as realistic fiction, adventure stories, historical fiction, mysteries, humor, myths, fantasy, and science fiction;
7.8(B)
Analyze how rhyme patterns, rhythm and visual choices like punctuation and capital letters shape the effect of many kinds of poems.
Official wording
analyze the effect of rhyme scheme, meter, and graphical elements such as punctuation and capitalization in poems across a variety of poetic forms;
7.8(C)
Analyze how a script builds characters through lines of dialogue and stage directions, like a pause or exit that reveals feelings.
Official wording
analyze how playwrights develop characters through dialogue and staging;
7.8(D)
Analyze an informational text's central idea and evidence, features like references, and how it sorts several topics into categories and subcategories.
Official wording
analyze characteristics and structural elements of informational text, including:ithe controlling idea or thesis with supporting evidence;iifeatures such as references or acknowledgements; andiiiorganizational patterns that support multiple topics, categories, and subcategories;
7.8(E)
Analyze an argument by pinpointing its claim, explaining how evidence and attention to other viewpoints support it, and identifying the target audience.
Official wording
analyze characteristics and structures of argumentative text by:iidentifying the claim;iiexplaining how the author uses various types of evidence and consideration of alternatives to support the argument; andiiiidentifying the intended audience or reader; and
7.8(F)
Analyze how multimodal and digital texts work, like how a podcast or interactive news page blends audio, text and visuals.
Official wording
analyze characteristics of multimodal and digital texts.; and

Author's purpose and craft: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts

7 standards
The student uses critical inquiry to analyze the authors' choices and how they influence and communicate meaning within a variety of texts. The student analyzes and applies author's craft purposefully in order to develop his or her own products and performances.
7.9(A)
Explain what an author aims to do in a text and the message behind it, like an article meant to persuade readers to recycle.
Official wording
explain the author's purpose and message within a text;
7.9(B)
Analyze how an author's choice of structure serves the purpose, like a timeline in a biography or compare and contrast in a review.
Official wording
analyze how the use of text structure contributes to the author's purpose;
7.9(C)
Analyze how print and visual features such as headings, sidebars and diagrams help an author achieve particular goals.
Official wording
analyze the author's use of print and graphic features to achieve specific purposes;
7.9(D)
Describe what an author accomplishes with figures of speech such as metaphor and personification, like a city that never sleeps.
Official wording
describe how the author's use of figurative language such as metaphor and personification achieves specific purposes;
7.9(E)
Identify literary devices in a text, including a narrator who shares opinions and feelings versus one who reports only the facts.
Official wording
identify the use of literary devices, including subjective and objective point of view;
7.9(F)
Analyze how an author's language sets the mood and shapes voice and tone, like sarcastic wording that reveals a narrator's attitude.
Official wording
analyze how the author's use of language contributes to mood, voice, and tone; and
7.9(G)
Explain why writers use devices like addressing readers directly or asking rhetorical questions, and fallacies like loaded words or sweeping generalizations.
Official wording
explain the purpose of rhetorical devices such as direct address and rhetorical questions and logical fallacies such as loaded language and sweeping generalizations.

Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--writing process

5 standards
The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions.
7.10(A)
Prepare a draft by deciding which genre fits the subject, goal and audience, and gather ideas through discussion, research reading or one's own interests.
Official wording
plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for a particular topic, purpose, and audience using a range of strategies such as discussion, background reading, and personal interests;
7.10(B)
Develop a draft into a unified piece with an opening, transitions, flowing paragraphs and a conclusion, backing a thoughtful idea with facts, details and examples.
Official wording
develop drafts into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing by:iorganizing with purposeful structure, including an introduction, transitions, coherence within and across paragraphs, and a conclusion; andiideveloping an engaging idea reflecting depth of thought with specific facts, details, and examples;
7.10(C)
Rework a draft to improve clarity, development and organization, and polish its style, word choice and mix of sentence types.
Official wording
revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety;
7.10(D)
Edit for sentence errors, steady tenses, pronoun agreement, conjunctions, capitals, commas and semicolons, and mix-ups like affect and effect.
Official wording
edit drafts using standard English conventions, including:icomplete complex sentences with subject-verb agreement and avoidance of splices, run-ons, and fragments;iiconsistent, appropriate use of verb tenses;iiiconjunctive adverbs;ivprepositions and prepositional phrases and their influence on subject-verb agreement;vpronoun-antecedent agreement;visubordinating conjunctions to form complex sentences and correlative conjunctions such as either/or and neither/nor;viicorrect capitalization;viiipunctuation, including commas to set off words, phrases, and clauses, and semicolons; andixcorrect spelling, including commonly confused terms such as its/it's, affect/effect, there/their/they're, and to/two/too; and
7.10(E)
Publish polished writing for the right readers, like submitting an essay to a school magazine or a letter to a local paper.
Official wording
publish written work for appropriate audiences.

Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres

4 standards
The student uses genre characteristics and craft to compose multiple texts that are meaningful.
7.11(A)
Create literary writing such as narratives, short fiction and poems, using genre features and writer's craft like pacing and imagery.
Official wording
compose literary texts such as personal narratives, fiction, and poetry using genre characteristics and craft;
7.11(B)
Compose multi-paragraph essays and other informational writing with a clear thesis, genre features and craft, like an essay explaining how volcanoes form.
Official wording
compose informational texts, including multi-paragraph essays that convey information about a topic, using a clear controlling idea or thesis statement and genre characteristics and craft;
7.11(C)
Compose multi-paragraph arguments that use the features and craft of persuasive writing, like a claim, evidence and a strong conclusion.
Official wording
compose multi-paragraph argumentative texts using genre characteristics and craft; and
7.11(D)
Compose business or friendly letters that state an opinion, raise a complaint or request information, like asking a museum about field trips.
Official wording
compose correspondence that reflects an opinion, registers a complaint, or requests information in a business or friendly structure.

Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts

10 standards
The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.
7.12(A)
Generate questions to investigate, both self-chosen and teacher-guided, for formal projects and quick informal inquiries.
Official wording
generate student-selected and teacher-guided questions for formal and informal inquiry;
7.12(B)
Create a plan for a research project and adjust it as needed, like changing the timeline when a source falls through.
Official wording
develop and revise a plan;
7.12(C)
Narrow or adjust the central research question if needed, based on what follow-up questions turn up.
Official wording
refine the major research question, if necessary, guided by the answers to a secondary set of questions;
7.12(D)
Locate and gather information that fits the research question from varied sources, like databases, articles and experts.
Official wording
identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources;
7.12(E)
Distinguish firsthand sources from secondhand ones, like an eyewitness interview versus an encyclopedia entry.
Official wording
differentiate between primary and secondary sources;
7.12(F)
Pull together facts and ideas from multiple sources to build a fuller picture of a research topic.
Official wording
synthesize information from a variety of sources;
7.12(G)
Distinguish honest paraphrasing from plagiarism when using sources, like rewording an idea and crediting it versus copying sentences.
Official wording
differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism when using source materials;
7.12(H)
Evaluate how reliable, credible and biased sources are, and flag flawed logic like overstatement, appeals to feelings and stereotypes.
Official wording
examine sources for:ireliability, credibility, and bias; andiifaulty reasoning such as hyperbole, emotional appeals, and stereotype;
7.12(I)
Credit sources with proper academic citations and use borrowed material ethically, like quoting accurately and naming the source.
Official wording
display academic citations and use source materials ethically; and
7.12(J)
Present research findings in the best format for the audience, whether a paper, an oral report or a multimedia project.
Official wording
use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results.

The official Texas documents

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, 19 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 110, adopted by the Texas State Board of Education.

The plain-English lines are EMStudio's own explanations, shown beside the official wording. They are not part of the standards.