What's New in 6th Grade ELA?!

Here we are, it's quarter three already! It's really hard to believe. Many students are off to a great start this quarter. There are only a few assignments in the gradebook, so if your student is missing something, please have them check Parent Portal for their grades and missing assignments. You can check their grades through the app or website anytime as well! In our ELA classroom, students know where to get an extra copy if they are missing paperwork. It's self serve, and they can get what they need at any time!

It's been great seeing some students take on a leadership role in ELA. Many students have found their comfort in our classroom and around their peers and starting to speak up more, participate more in class discussions, offer to read out loud, and ask for help when needed. These are all things that young, elementary students typically do not worry about, but in the middle school classroom, some students are more self-conscious, and reserved at times. They are afraid of making mistakes or speaking up to demonstrate their thoughts and answers, and they don't always like asking for help. We work really hard to make this a comfortable, nurturing, and encouraging place for our middle school readers and writers to to maximize their learning and classroom interactions---even if it is a bit out of their comfort zone. Ask your child what they have contributed to our class lately, encourage them to read and participate in discussions, and ask them what we are studying in class.

Even more specifically, you can ask them:

-What new vocabulary have you learned lately?

-Who is your Power Partner in ELA? How do you help your Power Partner? In what ways does your partner help you?

-What book are you reading for independent reading?

-What's your favorite circuit station before ELA class?

-Where's your favorite spot to sit/read in ELA?

MaGill and Olivia demonstrate how to label a poem to find rhyme scheme in their 4th and 5th hour classes. Way to lead out loud!

To give you some talking points for Q3, we have just started unit 5 - Literary Analysis, in which we will use a focus story, Scout's Honor, to analyze characters and notice how characters can reveal a theme in a narrative. Ask your 6th grade scholar about the story: the characters, the setting, and what the characters are trying to achieve. I have posted the text version and audio version of the story on our Google Classroom account. You and your child can log into their account at any time and see the posted materials, review the story together, etc.

Lastly, we continue to work on daily ELA skills. These are skills that we review and cycle through throughout the year. They focus on word study/vocabulary, text structure, reviewing skills from elementary school (3rd-5th grade), and figurative language. These daily skills should continue to be brought home every Thursday to review with families and prep for the independent test on Fridays. Many students are missing points on spelling words and vocabulary from these tests. There are only 3-4 spelling words each week, and a few vocabulary words to match with definitions. Students can practice and memorize the spelling words AND they can look them up in a dictionary on test day. I want students to be resourceful. When adults don't know how to spell words, we Google it. In the classroom, students can use the dictionary on the computers, ipads, or the dictionary in print/hard copy book. I'd like to see them make more of an effort to study these words and/or use their resources!

In 5th hour yesterday, we celebrated our new friend, Khiem! He has recently moved to Cadillac from Vietnam. We enjoy helping him learn the English language, and acclimate to his new surroundings. This class has been so kind, helpful, welcoming, and patient towards him. It was super fun to celebrate his first birthday in America! Happy Birthday, Khiem!

Let's rock out Q3! stay tuned for updates, Remind messages, and continue to check grades in Parent Portal. As always, feel free to call or email with any questions!

-Keri