Year 8 is a non-NAPLAN year which means students get the chance to build on existing skills before they move ahead to become high school seniors. Here’s our guide for a successful Year 8.
What to expect
In Year 8, your teenager will have the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge and further develop their critical thinking skills. It’s a non-NAPLAN year, which means students will spend their time building on existing skills before they move to the next stage of their education.
In the early Secondary School years, students continue to study English and Mathematics and the other core subjects. As they progress, they can select other subjects and begin to specialise in certain areas of learning. There will also be plenty of extracurricular activities for them to get involved in if they wish, such as debating, performance, and sports competitions.
This year’s curriculum covers many of the same topics from Year 7, which will be further explored. As their workload increases, it’s important to encourage your child to create schedules and plan to make their schoolwork more manageable. Organisational skills and time management are essential skills for teens to thrive in secondary school.
What does your child learn in Year 8?
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) outlines what children will learn each year. The national curriculum, with its eight specific learning areas, is designed to help young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed members of society.
The areas of learning are:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Health & Physical Education
- Humanities & Social Sciences
- The Arts
- Technologies
- Languages
The content descriptions of each learning area specify what students will learn, and achievement standards describe the depth of understanding, knowledge and skills that are expected of them by the end of each of the school years.
You can find a full description of the content descriptions of the Australian Curriculum in Year 8 here.
This year’s Math program covers many of the same topics from Year 7, asking your child to tackle more difficult equations. Students will also begin statistics, introductory probability and single variable data analysis. Year 8 Maths is a great opportunity to fill any knowledge gaps identified in the previous year's NAPLAN test and prepare for senior studies.
Students will consolidate their algebraic skills in Year 8 and develop more complex ways to represent and communicate their understanding of mathematics. They cover the key curriculum components of financial mathematics, ratios and rates, linear and non-linear relationships, data, circles and cylinders and properties of geometrical figures.
In Year 8, the Math curriculum includes:
Number and place value
- Index notation and index laws
- Computation with integers
Real numbers
- Terminating and recurring decimals
- Percentage change
- Rates and ratio problems
Money and financial mathematics
Patterns and algebra
- Expand and factorise algebraic expressions
- Simplify algebraic expressions
Linear and non-linear relationships
- Graph straight lines on the cartesian plane
- Solve linear equations using algebraic and graphical techniques
Using units of measurement
- Conversion of units
- Perimeter and area of special quadrilaterals
- Circle terms
- Circumference of a circle
- Area of a circle
- Volumes of right prisms
- Time
Geometry
- Congruence
- Establish properties of quadrilaterals
Chance
- Two-way tables and Venn diagrams
Data representation and interpretation
- Data types
- Effect of outliers
Problem solving skills
- Skills and strategies
- Developing the problem-solving toolkit
- Application of problem-solving strategies
Find out how Cluey can help your child with Maths: https://clueylearning.com.au/year-8-maths/
Students learn about complex language features in Year 8 with varied sentence structures and they will further expand their vocabulary. Their reading fluency increases, with greater skill to recognise high-frequency sight words and decode unfamiliar words phonically. Their own texts are expected to demonstrate progressive control over language for meaning and effect.
English tuition in Year 8 involves a range of texts - novels and newspapers, poetry and plays, digital media and indigenous Dreamtime stories. Students are likely to be introduced to Shakespeare via a range of interactive approaches and performances. New kinds of vocabulary and assessments will be introduced, plus a range of new perspectives from around the world.
The content for English this year includes:
Writing
- Essay writing
- Creative writing
- Persuasive, reflective, discursive, informative and other writing
Language
- Reading and Vocabulary
- Syntax, grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Media and advertising
Text analysis and comparison
- Novels and short stories
- Shakespeare and drama
- Poetry and song
- Film, television and animation
- Biographies, journalism, speeches, essays
- Picture books, graphic novels, cartoons, websites
Presenting
- Speeches, readings and performances
- Multimodal and tutorial presentations and viva voces
Find out how Cluey can help your child with English: https://clueylearning.com.au/year-8-english/
Tips for managing screen time
A common problem between parents and teenagers is the time spent on technology. Phones are a major distraction for teens and adults alike. If they are a distraction for us, they are even more distracting for kids, whose executive function skills won’t be fully mature until their mid-20s. Household rules for teens are necessary, and bedtimes and screen limits are the two most important boundaries you can have.
Of course, electronic devices are an unavoidable part of everyday life and useful for learning, but if you feel your teenager’s use if technology is interfering with their schoolwork or family time, you should put a plan together for family tech usage and stick to it. The plan can be based around minutes, data or context.
You can expect them to protest, but a great way to help reduce conflict around screen time limitations is to give your child input and some control in the process. If they have participated in the decision, they’ll be more likely to follow through with the plan.
If you want family dinners and homework to be tech-free zones, agree to that ahead of time. You could set up a charging station in a central location where the whole family keeps their phones to avoid them taking their phones to bed at night.
Whatever you decide, it’s important to lead by example as children do what we do, not what we say. If your child sees that you work distraction-free in an environment that promotes focus, they are more likely to do the same.
Things you can do to help your child in Year 8
We’re all familiar with the challenges of studying in a high school. It can be one of the most stressful periods in any teenager’s life, having to stay focused and concentrate on studies when there’s so much else going on. However, research shows that students tend to do better grades, are more motivated and less likely to drop out when their families are involved in their education.
Keep in mind that a successful experience in school is not only about report cards. Kids today have such high expectations to meet, and the pressure can take a toll. Once you communicate that you understand the stress that they are under, they will appreciate that you’re noticing that and are willing to help.
Here are some dos and don’ts for making sure your teen starts on the right foot in Year 8 and keeps their enthusiasm and momentum high throughout the school year.
Do:
- Encourage your child to self-advocate
- Help them find balance
- Keep a long-term perspective
- Create effective positive routines
Don’t:
- Overschedule
- Focus only on grades and achievements
- Compare kids to one another
- Judge then based on their performance
How Cluey's tutoring can help your child succeed
To make sure students are assured of success in Year 8 English, the Cluey Education Team has an ever-expanding bank of resources as well as units ready to support essays, oral presentations, creative and persuasive writing – and grammar and spelling to give that final polish.
Cluey’s Maths programs for Year 8 are mapped to the Australian National Curriculum and tailored to your child’s unique individual needs. Our approach to secondary Maths focuses on developing students’ numeracy skills with algebraic techniques and properties of geometrical figures.
Online tutoring with Cluey will give your teenager a great opportunity to fill any knowledge gaps identified in the previous year's NAPLAN test and prepare for senior studies. If you’re looking for assistance or extension in Year 8, our tutors are ready to get started. From catching up, building confidence and excelling in school, we’ve helped thousands of Australian students thrive.
Find out more about our high school support and tutoring.
And discover what parents all across Australian are saying about Cluey - read our Google reviews
