In sixth grade, language arts students use a variety of materials to better develop essential college and career readiness skills and competencies. Focus areas are reading and skillfully interpreting fiction as well as nonfiction/informational text, writing for a variety of purposes and audiences, using language precisely, and participating effectively in speaking and listening situations. My personal goal, beyond this, is to create an active classroom community of readers. We are always reading and talking about what we read! We have a rich classroom library as well as an ongoing rotation of “book boxes” connected with our current literature titles and/or Social Studies units of study. Throughout the year, students will read a variety of materials and demonstrate understanding by actively participating in discussions as well as through individual written responses to prompts, comprehension activities, book projects, etc. In addition to analysis of these teacher-selected materials, students will be expected to maintain an at-home S.S.R. log documenting reading practice and personal choice areas of interest.
I am excited to know that our school district has chosen to try the new PARCC assessment this spring (instead of the previously-administered MCAS assessment). Our Burgess students are motivated to learn and we welcome the opportunity to see how well we are moving toward having abilities that will allow us to succeed and excel in this modern-day world. If you’d like to know more about the PARCC assessment or the Common Core Standards (being assessed there), please check out some of the links below:
PARCC website: http://www.parcconline.org/ (information, practice tests, resources, etc.)
Common Core website: http://www.corestandards.org/ (information)
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFkaXz0eiic (broadcast of a 9/12/13 webinar for “stakeholders”: parents, teachers, administrators hosted by Herff Jones Nystrom)
My handout: “What Does a Common Core Classroom Look Like?”
Need extra copies of classroom forms?
Click here for AT-HOME SSR LOG
Click here for BOOK PROFILE