Coach: students complete the benchmark independently: read the story and the editorial below, answer the questions with evidence, and write a short CCECC paragraph. Review results together and celebrate with certificates.

Benchmark Texts (by Learning Lab)

Story: Amir had always been the class clown, cracking jokes whenever a lesson got hard. When his grandmother moved in after her stroke, she struggled to say even simple words. Amir tried a joke; she didn't laugh. That night, he found her old photo album and began asking about each picture, waiting patiently as she searched for words. By spring, she could tell whole stories, and Amir had stopped hiding behind jokes. "Listening," he wrote in his journal, "is harder than talking, but it's worth more."

Editorial: Our city must fund more speech therapy programs for stroke survivors. According to the Brain Recovery Foundation, patients who receive consistent therapy regain significantly more language ability. Critics argue the programs are too expensive. However, helping survivors return to work and independence saves the city money on long-term care. Every resident deserves the chance to find their words again.

How does Amir change? Cite evidence from the beginning and end.
What is the story's theme?
What is the editorial's purpose, counterclaim, and rebuttal?

Answer key / listen for:

From using jokes to avoid hard things ("cracking jokes whenever a lesson got hard") to patient listening ("stopped hiding behind jokes").
Patient listening can heal and connect people more than talking.
Purpose: persuade the city to fund therapy; counterclaim: too expensive; rebuttal: it saves money on long-term care.