In Language Arts the students continued to practice point of view. We did a practice activity independently, then we worked with a partner to help us with this skill. The students also created their first interactive word wall in class today. This is a way to help learn new vocabulary terms in the texts we are reading.
Homework:
In Language Arts today the students continued to work on identifying point of view. We discussed how we can properly use evidence to support our thinking once we identify a literary component of a text. The students also started setting goals for themselves for reading. These goals will be kept in their interactive notebooks and their NWEA scores for reading were added to their planners. If I did not meet with your child today, I will be doing so shortly.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Happy Monday! In Language Arts today the students focused on identifying point of view. We took notes on point of view, learned a song to help us remember how to identify point of view, and we practiced identifying it in a story. This is something we will continue to work on throughout the course of the week. I have attached the powerpoint we used in class today to this blog post. I have also added a link to the POV song if students were interested in watching it at home.
The students were also given time to go to the library today and select new good fit books. If a student did not have their former library book to return, they were not allowed to check out a new one. These students must also find some time this week to go and return their books. Class time will not be given to return forgotten books.
Lastly, the students spent time answering the big question on our classroom bulletin board. This is used as a reflection piece for students. At the beginning of a unit, I will ask students a question that relates to the unit and can be applied to skill building in literacy. The students will answer the same question again at the end of the unit and then reflect on their former responses to determine how much they have learned.
Have a wonderful evening!
Homework:
https://www.flocabulary.com/point-of-view/
Author’s Point of View Powerpoint (1)
In Language Arts today the students reviewed the job of a student and the job of a teacher during read to self, work on writing, and word work. These are the three main components of Daily 5 that will be focused on in our class. Listen to reading and read to someone will take place sporadically throughout the school year.
During work on writing time, the students focused on responding to their summer reading homework. They were given the choice between summarizing a book they read or giving a quote from their favorite moment in the book and explaining that quote. This assignment will be graded as summative and be put on parent connect by the end of the week.
Have a fantastic long weekend!
Homework:
Today in Language Arts the students did a book swap activity in class. Various books were collected from our school and classroom libraries for the students to explore and discuss with their classmates while moving around the classroom. If a student found a book he/she would like to read this year, they added it to their 6th Grade Wish List in their interactive notebooks. We also practiced reading to themselves for the first time today.
Our class began building our Daily Five board during class. We will begin conferring and selecting strategies to help with our reading after the break.
A reading log was sent home with every child today for homework. Each Monday they will be given a reading log and on Fridays I will collect these logs. The students are responsible for reading 100 minutes each week. How they choose to divide this up is completely up to them. I recommend 20 minutes 5 times each week. If students read over the weekend, they may count these minutes on the logs I give out on Monday. Parent signatures must be on the logs for students to receive credit. Each Friday in class, the Success Starter on the board will ask the students to respond to a question about what the students have been reading. These logs are worth 8 formative points each week. It may seem like a small amount but in reality, this is roughly 48 formative points each marking period. It is vital that students are reading at home and getting these logs turned in each Friday. In the event that a student is absent or we do not have school on Friday, like this week, the log will be due on the day we return to school. This means that students will be expected to read at home while we are on breaks. If a reading log is ever lost, I keep additional copies in class the students may take. I have also attached two copies to this blog post so that the students may print at home if need be.
Have a wonderful evening!
In Language Arts today the students finished setting up their reading and writing interactive notebooks. We began using them by making a list of books we would like to read while in 6th grade. This list came from a series of books I pulled from the school and classroom libraries that the students were allowed to explore during class.
Our class also discussed what a Good Fit Book is and the importance of reading often. As part of the Daily Five framework used in Dearborn, the students will be given the option to read in class daily. They will also be expected to read 100 minutes at home each week. From this point forward, I will expect that the students have a book to read in class daily. This could be a book from our classroom library, the school library, or another source.
Have a wonderful weekend!
In Language Arts today the students began putting their reading and writing interactive notebooks together. We created covers, the table of contents, and numbered all the pages in each notebook. Tomorrow we will make our first entries!
Have a great evening!
Homework:
Today in Language Arts, the students took some time to get to know one another better. They played a game of seat ball and each time a student caught the ball, they needed to share something about themselves. The students also presented their All About Me posters to the class. This is the first grade of the school year. I will be posting these grades by tomorrow morning on Student Connect.
The students also went to the library for the first time today. The librarian gave them a tutorial on how to use the library as well as what can be found inside of it. Students were given the opportunity to check out books for the first time. Our class visits the library roughly every two weeks to check out books during class time.
I will not be posting to the blog for the next two days because the students will be NWEA testing tomorrow and Wednesday in class. The writing section will be tomorrow and the reading section will be on Wednesday. The results will be distributed to families with grades for the first marking in five weeks.
Have a great evening!
In Language Arts today the students wrote a personal narrative in order for me to obtain a baseline of their writing abilities. I will grade the essays and enter the scores in the gradebook as the first formative grade of the marking period. I will go over individual scores and set goals with the students based upon these essays within the first few weeks of the marking period. This was not designed as a test, but rather a way for me to see what the students know about writing at this point.
The students were also given time to work on their All About Me posters. We will present these in class on Monday.
Tomorrow is field day! The students should wear school appropriate play clothes in order to be prepared for the activities they will participate in. Due to these activities, I will not be posting to the blog tomorrow.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Homework:
During our first full day of school, the students spent time going over the syllabus and recommended materials for class. The list of materials went home with students and can be found attached to this blog post as well. These materials are not required but rather suggested in order to help students be successful in Sixth Grade Language Arts.
The students also came home with directions for an app that I use in my classroom called Remind 101. This app allows students to sign up to receive reminders about when homework is due. I do not use this app for every homework assignment that is given but I will use it at least once a week to help students remember to turn in their homework. Parents are more than welcome to sign up as well. The students do not need to have the app in order to be able to use it. They simply send a text with the number and code given in the directions. The student’s name will then appear on the app for me and I will be able to text them. The text is sent using a randomized phone number. I will not have the students phone number and they will not have mine. They will also be unable to text me back. If questions about the homework arise, emailing me is the best way to get in touch with me after school has ended.
Additionally, the students were sent home with a permission slip that allows them to watch PG movies at school. Occasionally a movie will be shown in the classroom that corresponds with the course material. For example, the students will read the novel, The Giver, this year in Language Arts. Once we finish reading, we will watch the movie and then compare the two. If parents do not feel comfortable letting their child watch movies at school, an alternate activity will be provided.
We spent the remainder of our class time creating an All About Me poster. This poster will be used to allow the students to learn more about one another. We will continue to work on this in class throughout the week.
I hope everyone is enjoying the class so far and I look forward to getting to know all of you better throughout the course of the year!
Homework: