This curriculum guide was devised as part of the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) school district's "Blueprint for Academic Achievement," which called for the identification of essential learning for each grade. This guide covers the key competencies in reading and language arts--reading, writing, listening, and speaking--for grades seven through twelve. With each competency are behavioral objectives which can be used to evaluate mastery of the competency. The competencies are coded to reflect grade level and are sequenced to provide a perspective of learning over a period of time. (HOD)