This guide outlines a minimal expectations program which provides for a competency-based language arts education for the seventh, eighth, and ninth grader. The book is divided into the following main sections: language--listening, reading, word study, semantics, language structure, and speaking; literature--fiction and non-fiction; and composition--expository writing and creative writing. Each major section contains the following information: (1) teacher objectives, (2) student objectives, (3) minimal performance expectations, (4) suggested activities and ideas, and (5) suggested resources. The appendix contains a description of various teaching techniques, descriptions of four organizational patterns, samples of pre- and post-tests for diagnostic purposes, evaluation suggestions, an outline for a lesson plan, a student attitude inventory, and a list of adopted texts for language arts, grades 7-12. (LL)