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Reading- We utilize The Daily 5 and CAFE each day to help individualize the various needs of each reader. We will start the year focusing on individual reading conferences before meeting in small, strategy reading groups later on this month. The Daily 5 is a management system that allows students to be engaged in various literacy activities while I am working with individual students and small groups. The CAFE is a teaching and assessment system that allows students and teachers to define a reading goal in either Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency or Extend vocabulary. Once that goal is determined the students use various strategies from a CAFE menu to help reach their goal.
Writing/Language Arts- Utilizing the 6+1 Traits of writing, our class will complete units of study for writing personal narratives, essays, memoirs, informational, and fiction writing (to name a few). We will also be focusing on teaching critical thinking through non-fiction writing.
Teaching mechanics in isolation is avoided and usually addressed one-on-one. Mechanics will be focused on in individual writing conferences using our Trait Writing menu where students set goals and formulate a strategy to meet the goal. Whole group instruction for mechanics will be taught if it is noted that many are “using but confusing” a skill. This will usually be taught through copied examples of quality writing (in context).
The drive for the year is to approach writing as real writers would. Looking at the craft of written pieces to see how real writers start a piece? Yes. Looking at rich literature to see how writer’s use descriptive words to enrich their story? Yes. I am confident I will help your child be a stronger writer that enjoys living a writerly life!
Spelling- We will utilize Rebecca Sitton Spelling for spelling instruction this year. The premise is that students become life long spellers rather than just for the weekly Friday test. Students will be given individualized spelling lists as the year progresses. These are words that students have misspelled in their every day writing and on various Cloze spelling tests. These individual lists will be kept in a "Words To Learn" journal that students can bring home to practice their words. Students will also have a list of "No Excuse" words that they are expected to spell accurately 100% of the time. These "No Excuse" words will be added slowly and students will given time to proofread their work for these words before handing them in.
Math- We use the Everyday Math series. This is the same Math series that was used in the previous grades.
Social Studies/Science- These subjects will be taught using a variety teaching techniques. The activities will vary depending on the subject being taught. Non-fiction writing will be used in both of these subjects to help children with their critical thinking.
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