English/Language Arts Department
Grade 6
The English Language Arts Curriculum in grade six is guided by the Common Core State Standards and uses the Readers’ and Writers’ Workshop Model to deliver instruction. The curriculum thus includes guidelines for the authentic development of students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in order to prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century.
Readers' and Writers' Workshop
The workshop is a philosophy of instruction that provides students with opportunities to know and understand text and to read and write for “real-world” purposes. Students read independently, in small guided reading groups, and as members of literature circles. Students write for a variety of purposes and are guided to develop their writing abilities through whole-group and small-group instruction, as well as through individual conferences with teachers.
The Language Arts curriculum is organized into units of study. Woven throughout these units are areas of direct instruction that include the application of reading and writing strategies, the study and application of vocabulary and grammar, as well as opportunities for discussion to enhance understanding.
Among the most cherished tenets of the workshop model are:
reading and writing are complex and highly social activities
time in school to practice the crafts of reading and writing is essential
students should have ample opportunities to select their own books and writing topics
students should be frequently matched to books appropriate to their reading level
the study of many genres is essential in assisting students to make the reading-writing connection
Reading
Reading instruction is unit-based and organized according to genre. The units include historical fiction, narrative nonfiction, mystery, fictional narrative, and poetry. Thus, students explore the text structures embedded within the various genres as they discover universal themes such as courage, confrontation, and compassion through deep study. By examining works of literature and nonfiction, students are able to move beyond the “who, what, when, where, and why” of text to uncover the theme, message, and author’s stance. Approaching reading instruction in this way also allows for the accommodation of the range of reading ability levels to come together naturally and appropriately within a classroom. Click below to learn more about our texts.
Independent Reading at Gideon Welles
We encourage our students to enjoy independent reading throughout the entire year. Please check with your English/Language Arts teacher and/or Library Media Specialist for independent reading recommendations and resources.
Writing
Writing instruction places an emphasis on assisting students to write narrative and expository texts. Students are also provided with opportunities to develop their abilities to plan, revise, edit, and publish other types of text. The importance of the reading-writing connection is stressed as students are required to draw upon their knowledge of text structures and the author’s craft as they write to inform, explain and share their opinions. Students are also required to use text evidence as they write in response to print and digital media.
Speaking and Listening
Students are guided to develop a range of broadly useful oral communication and interpersonal skills. As participants in the workshop and members of the classroom community, students are provided with opportunities to work together, to express themselves and listen carefully to the ideas of others, to integrate information from oral, visual, quantitative, and media sources, to evaluate what they hear, to use media and visual displays strategically, and to adapt speech to context and task.
Language
The expectation is that students will understand and apply the essential “rules” of standard written and spoken English as a matter of craft and informed choice.