What your child learns in 8th grade in Texas
8th grade prepares students for high school. Math covers linear relationships, scientific notation and the Pythagorean theorem. Social studies is United States history from the colonies through Reconstruction, and students take STAAR in reading, math, science and social studies.
8th grade subjects in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
Math
Focus areas
- Number and operations: real numbers and scientific notation
- Proportionality: slope, linear and proportional relationships, functions, and dilations
- Expressions, equations and relationships: equations with variables on both sides, the Pythagorean Theorem, volume and angles
15 units, including Big, Small & Real Numbers, Squares, Cubes & Roots, Tessellations & Transformations, Congruent Shapes.
English Language Arts
Focus areas
- Foundational language skills: Greek and Latin roots such as path, mand and duc
- Comprehension, response and genres: theme, irony, narrators and informational text structures
- Author's purpose and craft, and composition: analogy, juxtaposition, bandwagon and circular reasoning, and revising
14 units, including Close Reading, Literary Devices, Word Study, Irony, Satire & Allusion.
Science
Focus areas
- Classifying matter, acids and bases, and conservation of mass
- Newton's laws, and waves of the electromagnetic spectrum
- Stars, galaxies, weather, hurricanes and climate
13 units, including Elements & Compounds, Chemical Change, Forces, Motion & Momentum, Light & Radiation.
Social Studies
Focus areas
- United States history to 1877: the colonies, the Revolution and the Constitution
- The new nation: early presidents, expansion west, Indian removal and the Mexican-American War
- Sectionalism, slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, with the amendments that followed
10 units, including Founding Ideals, Rights & Amendments, Factories & Reformers, Reconstruction.
Printable 8th grade sheets
One free practice sheet for each subject, with an answer key. Print them, or work through them on screen.
- 8th grade MathBig, Small & Real Numbers, Squares, Cubes & RootsOpen the sheet →
- 8th grade English Language ArtsClose Reading, Literary DevicesOpen the sheet →
- 8th grade ScienceElements & Compounds, Chemical ChangeOpen the sheet →
- 8th grade Social StudiesFounding Ideals, Rights & AmendmentsOpen the sheet →
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on managing a heavier workload, showing steps in math and supporting an argument with evidence from a text.
Texas has no statewide report-card scale in 8th grade, so Gradelings describes practice in four steps: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. See what each level means.
8th grade students also take the Texas state tests (STAAR). Read the state tests guide.
The TEKS process skills apply in every grade. Read about Process skills.
The four practice steps in 8th grade
- Beginning
- Practice shows a first understanding of the learning standards. Most answers still need a hint or a second try.
- At home: Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Practice shows a partial understanding of the learning standards. Some answers are right on the first try.
- At home: Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Practice shows a solid understanding of the learning standards. Most answers are right on the first try.
- At home: Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Practice shows a deep understanding of the learning standards, including harder, unfamiliar questions.
- At home: Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Ready for 8th grade?
8th grade builds on what your child practiced in 7th grade. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: Add & Subtract Integers, Multiply & Divide Signed Numbers, Fractions, Decimal Operations, Proportional Relationships
- English Language Arts: Literary Devices, Tone & Mood, Persuasive Power, Clauses & Sentences, Modifiers & Parallelism
- Science: Atoms & Elements, Physical or Chemical?, Solutions & Separating, Motion, Forces & Newton’s Laws, Moving Heat
- Social Studies: Eras of Texas History, Natural Texas & Contact, Spanish Colonial Texas, Mexican National Texas, The Texas Revolution
Common questions
8th grade covers math, English language arts, science, social studies in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). 8th grade prepares students for high school. Math covers linear relationships, scientific notation and the Pythagorean theorem. Social studies is United States history from the colonies through Reconstruction, and students take STAAR in reading, math, science and social studies.
Texas has no statewide report-card scale in 8th grade, so Gradelings describes practice in four steps: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. Students in 8th grade also write the Texas state tests (STAAR), which is separate from the report card.
Practice shows a solid understanding of the learning standards. Most answers are right on the first try. At home: Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
8th grade builds on 7th grade. In math, that means Add & Subtract Integers, Multiply & Divide Signed Numbers, Fractions. In English language arts, that means Literary Devices, Tone & Mood, Persuasive Power.
About 15 minutes a day of short practice works better than long sessions, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Look for fractions, decimals and percentages in sale signs, sports statistics and recipes. Read what they are interested in: graphic novels, sports pages, series. Then talk about it. Praise effort, and stop on a success.
Practice 8th grade skills with Gradelings
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