What we are working on this week (week of February 19)
6th graders at Driggs are differentiated for their language arts instruction. This means they are grouped according to their needs and provided with targeted instruction to help them make progress. I will be working with students who are above grade level in reading and writing. Your child’s language arts teacher will be providing you some specific information about the expectations for that class.
We will be using the program Wonders by McGraw-Hill Education. This comprehensive language arts program contains instruction in spelling, vocabulary, reading, writing, and grammar. It is a well-constructed program that we will use as a learning tool throughout the year. Students will also be participating in book clubs using texts from Wonders as well as trade novels.
For students in my language arts class, I expect 30 minutes of daily reading for homework. I have quite a few books in our classroom library that the students help to organize in the first week of school. This allows them to know what is available in our library and to begin to spark interest. Your children will be able to borrow books from our classroom library and bring them home. I encourage students to read a variety of books, some that are easy (which we call holidays), some which are just right, and some that are challenging. If they come upon a book that they just don’t enjoy, they should abandon it and find something they can get excited about. I will be taking a status of the class daily and asking students where they are in their books of choice. I am looking for approximately 20 pages of minimum progress daily.
I am here to help your child find books they love. I want them to look forward to reading. In the beginning of the year, I will be asking your child about their interests so I can help them find books that align with their interests.
As students complete books, they will record what they have read on a list that is kept in their reading folders here in class. The lists ask students to record the title of the book, the author, the genre, what they would rate it on a 10-point scale, and whether it was a holiday, just-right, or challenging book.
Every month, your child will be expected to share a book that would rate a 9 or a 10 on a 10-point scale. This is called a book talk, and the schedule for book talks will be posted on my web site (see above). The components of the book talk can vary (it is like a commercial for the book) but should generally include a brief description of the main character, the main character’s problem, maybe a theme of the book, what made us love the book, and a numerical rating. The book talk should take little preparation and should be about two minutes in length.
In addition, students will be expected to write regularly in response to their reading. This response writing will take place in class.
In addition to writing in response to reading, students will participate in a regular writer’s workshop. During writer’s workshop, students will learn the elements of effective writing and will have the opportunity to write in a variety of genres. They will take a piece to publication (completion) approximately once every month.
- Objectives for this week: I am learning to read fluently with expression, speed, and accuracy. I am learning to write an argumentative essay. I am learning to write a narrative poem.
- We will be performing a reader's theatre piece this week to build reading accuracy, speed, and expression.
- Students are six-paragraph argumentative essays on one of the following topics: should children have cell phones? Is social media appropriate for teens? Should young people be able to take hover boards anywhere? What is better--video games or board games? The students read two source articles to use as text evidence for their essays. The essays are due this Friday.
- We have been reading a lot of poetry. Students will be reading poems for fluency this week. They will also be writing their own narrative poems.
- Two of our Future Problem Solving Team qualified for the state competition. Congratulations Jamison, Simon, Preston, Aubrey, London, Noah, Beau, and Isabelle!
- Students will take a language arts unit test this week.
- Coming soon: debate! Students will take their argumentative skills into debate. We will have some students competing in the district competition in March!
6th graders at Driggs are differentiated for their language arts instruction. This means they are grouped according to their needs and provided with targeted instruction to help them make progress. I will be working with students who are above grade level in reading and writing. Your child’s language arts teacher will be providing you some specific information about the expectations for that class.
We will be using the program Wonders by McGraw-Hill Education. This comprehensive language arts program contains instruction in spelling, vocabulary, reading, writing, and grammar. It is a well-constructed program that we will use as a learning tool throughout the year. Students will also be participating in book clubs using texts from Wonders as well as trade novels.
For students in my language arts class, I expect 30 minutes of daily reading for homework. I have quite a few books in our classroom library that the students help to organize in the first week of school. This allows them to know what is available in our library and to begin to spark interest. Your children will be able to borrow books from our classroom library and bring them home. I encourage students to read a variety of books, some that are easy (which we call holidays), some which are just right, and some that are challenging. If they come upon a book that they just don’t enjoy, they should abandon it and find something they can get excited about. I will be taking a status of the class daily and asking students where they are in their books of choice. I am looking for approximately 20 pages of minimum progress daily.
I am here to help your child find books they love. I want them to look forward to reading. In the beginning of the year, I will be asking your child about their interests so I can help them find books that align with their interests.
As students complete books, they will record what they have read on a list that is kept in their reading folders here in class. The lists ask students to record the title of the book, the author, the genre, what they would rate it on a 10-point scale, and whether it was a holiday, just-right, or challenging book.
Every month, your child will be expected to share a book that would rate a 9 or a 10 on a 10-point scale. This is called a book talk, and the schedule for book talks will be posted on my web site (see above). The components of the book talk can vary (it is like a commercial for the book) but should generally include a brief description of the main character, the main character’s problem, maybe a theme of the book, what made us love the book, and a numerical rating. The book talk should take little preparation and should be about two minutes in length.
In addition, students will be expected to write regularly in response to their reading. This response writing will take place in class.
In addition to writing in response to reading, students will participate in a regular writer’s workshop. During writer’s workshop, students will learn the elements of effective writing and will have the opportunity to write in a variety of genres. They will take a piece to publication (completion) approximately once every month.
Autobiographical sketch--Lena | |
File Size: | 38 kb |
File Type: |