FTCE Middle Grades English 5-9 (014) study plan
FTCE Middle Grades English 5-9 (014) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Knowledge of English language and literacy (content domains not enumerated in the source)
Build a one-page reference sheet mapping the major English language systems (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, orthography) and label each with two concrete middle-grades examples.
Segment and classify 20 words by morpheme type (free, bound, derivational, inflectional) and write a one-sentence rationale for each classification.
Diagram the constituent structure of 10 sentences of varying complexity, including at least two with embedded clauses and one with a compound predicate.
Distinguish and exemplify the eight traditional parts of speech plus the major phrase types, noting at least three places where school grammar labels oversimplify.
Your checkpoint
A completed language-systems reference sheet plus a 20-item morphology log and 10 labeled sentence diagrams, all self-checked against a style manual or linguistics glossary.
Knowledge of English language and literacy (content domains not enumerated in the source)
Transcribe 15 words in IPA and mark primary stress, then explain how the transcription differs from common spelling.
Explain and give two examples each of the major orthographic patterns English uses (silent-e, vowel teams, doubling rules, syllable types) and identify which are reliable versus exception-ridden.
Analyze five common spelling errors as rule-based, developmental, or memory-based, and propose an instructional response for each.
Describe the historical layers of English vocabulary (Anglo-Saxon, Norman French, Latin/Greek) and connect them to predictable spelling and meaning patterns.
Your checkpoint
A 15-word IPA and stress chart with a written error-analysis table classifying five spelling errors and naming an instructional response for each.
Knowledge of effective writing and rhetoric (content domains not enumerated in the source)
Identify and write an original example of each of the four sentence structures (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex) and each of the four rhetorical modes.
Draft a 400-word persuasive paragraph that uses at least three distinct appeals or evidence types, then annotate your own draft to label them.
Revise the same paragraph twice, once for organization and once for sentence variety, and record what changed between drafts.
Apply a editing checklist covering agreement, pronoun reference, modifier placement, parallelism, and punctuation, and log every error you fix.
Your checkpoint
A three-draft portfolio (initial, organization-revised, sentence-revised) of one 400-word persuasive paragraph with an annotated appeals map and a completed editing log.
Knowledge of effective writing and rhetoric (content domains not enumerated in the source)
Write a 600-word expository essay with a clear thesis, signposted organization, and at least two integrated source references in a consistent citation style.
Construct a rubric with four criteria and three performance levels, then score your own essay against it and justify each score in writing.
Explain the difference between summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting, and demonstrate each with the same short passage.
Identify and correct five deliberately planted rhetorical weaknesses (vague thesis, unsupported claim, faulty parallelism, abrupt transition, weak conclusion) in a sample paragraph you write yourself.
Your checkpoint
A 600-word expository essay with a self-scored four-criterion rubric, plus a summary/paraphrase/quote demonstration sheet using one shared passage.
Knowledge of literature and literary analysis (content domains not enumerated in the source)
Define and give a middle-grades example of at least 15 literary terms spanning narrative, poetic, and dramatic devices.
Analyze a short story's plot, characterization, setting, point of view, and theme, and explain how at least two elements reinforce each other.
Scan and mark meter and rhyme scheme in three poems of different forms, then state how form affects meaning in each.
Compare how two genres (for example, a poem and a short story) treat a shared theme, citing specific textual evidence.
Your checkpoint
A 15-term literary device glossary with original examples plus a two-page comparative analysis of two texts on a shared theme, including quoted evidence.
Knowledge of literature and literary analysis (content domains not enumerated in the source)
Place at least 12 major works or authors into their literary periods and state one defining characteristic of each period.
Identify recurring archetypes, allusions, and mythological patterns in two texts and explain how recognition of them deepens interpretation.
Evaluate two young-adult or middle-grades texts for developmental appropriateness, noting themes, complexity, and potential sensitivity points.
Write a 250-word literary interpretation that advances a defensible claim supported by three pieces of textual evidence.
Your checkpoint
A literary-period timeline of 12 entries plus a 250-word evidence-based interpretation of one middle-grades text.
Knowledge of pedagogy and assessment in middle grades English (content domains not enumerated in the source)
Design a three-lesson mini-unit aligned to a reading or writing standard, stating measurable objectives and formative checks for each lesson.
Construct a 10-item assessment blueprint that maps items to objectives and cognitive demand levels, then write the items.
Describe three differentiation strategies for a mixed-ability classroom and specify the exact student group each serves.
Explain how to use running records, rubrics, and writing conferences as formative data, and state what decision each data source should drive.
Your checkpoint
A complete three-lesson mini-unit package containing objectives, activities, formative checks, and a 10-item assessment with a blueprint table.
Knowledge of English language and literacy (content domains not enumerated in the source) & Knowledge of effective writing and rhetoric (content domains not enumerated in the source) & Knowledge of literature and literary analysis (content domains not enumerated in the source) & Knowledge of pedagogy and assessment in middle grades English (content domains not enumerated in the source)
Take two full-length timed practice tests under exam conditions and record scaled scores and domain-level error counts.
Categorize every missed item by domain and root cause (content gap, misreading, or process error), then rank gaps by frequency.
Re-teach your three weakest subskills using your earlier notes and produce a corrected worked example for each.
Assemble a one-page exam-day strategy sheet covering pacing, question-elimination tactics, and constructed-response planning.
Your checkpoint
A two-test score log with a ranked gap analysis, three corrected worked examples, and a finished one-page exam-day strategy sheet.
Milestones
Week 2: Can define and exemplify all major language systems, transcribe 15 words in IPA with correct stress, and explain at least three orthographic rules without notes.
Week 4: Can produce a thesis-driven 600-word essay that scores at the top level on your own rubric and correctly distinguishes summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting.
Week 6: Can define 15 literary terms from memory, place 12 works in their periods, and write a claim-plus-evidence interpretation in under 30 minutes.
Week 8: Practice-test scaled scores meet or exceed your target, and every domain-level error category has a documented remediation step completed.