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Dear Parents,
Dear Parents,
I have been in your position, a parent of a 6th grader, I know how stressful and fulfilling it can be. When I find good information to help you though this year, I like to pass it on.
I have been in your position, a parent of a 6th grader, I know how stressful and fulfilling it can be. When I find good information to help you though this year, I like to pass it on.
I have two daughters. My oldest Sarah has successfully earned her degree in education at Slippery Rock University and is presently working at Blackhawk High School in PA. as an elementary emotional support teacher. She is married to a wonderful man - Walker. He is a music teacher and inspired musician. He also is our music director the SR Drama department.
I have two daughters. My oldest Sarah has successfully earned her degree in education at Slippery Rock University and is presently working at Blackhawk High School in PA. as an elementary emotional support teacher. She is married to a wonderful man - Walker. He is a music teacher and inspired musician. He also is our music director the SR Drama department.
My youngest daughter - Rachel graduated from Slippery Rock University with a degree in Business Management with a minor in Human Resources. She is in management for the Subway corporation. She as just recently got engaged over the summer, and we are working on a destination wedding to Dylan's family's home on the beach in North Carolina! Both girls had a successful and fulfilling education here at South Range, that prepared them and contributed to a wonderful college experience.
My youngest daughter - Rachel graduated from Slippery Rock University with a degree in Business Management with a minor in Human Resources. She is in management for the Subway corporation. She as just recently got engaged over the summer, and we are working on a destination wedding to Dylan's family's home on the beach in North Carolina! Both girls had a successful and fulfilling education here at South Range, that prepared them and contributed to a wonderful college experience.
I realized more than ever, how it is so important to instill those good study habits and communication with your child. Some of you are ready to set them free, let them do it on their own, others are still not so sure you can. Communication is the key to help nurture your child through is growing process.
I realized more than ever, how it is so important to instill those good study habits and communication with your child. Some of you are ready to set them free, let them do it on their own, others are still not so sure you can. Communication is the key to help nurture your child through is growing process.
Please stress with your child organization of materials and not putting off completion of work will help make this year run smoothly.
Please stress with your child organization of materials and not putting off completion of work will help make this year run smoothly.
I hope this information is helpful and makes for a great 6th grade year.
I hope this information is helpful and makes for a great 6th grade year.
Mrs. Sobota
Mrs. Sobota
These articles were taken from
These articles were taken from
http://www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles.
http://www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles.
There are many more on this site that may be of interest.
6th Grade Academics: What To Expect
6th Grade Academics: What To Expect
Students will be using more sophisticated thinking skills, interpreting and synthesizing the information they’re learning.
by Patti Ghezzi
Can you believe your child is halfway to graduation? It seems impossible that just six years ago, she was learning to write her name and to sit still during circle time. Now, in 6th grade, your child is barreling ahead, diving into statistics, research papers, and the scientific method. At many schools, grade 6 is also an opportunity to try out band, art, and even home economics (now commonly known as family and consumer sciences).
A major difference in middle school is that, in most cases, your child’s teacher will be certified in a particular area. “Elementary school teachers are prepared to be generalists,” says Al Summers, a former middle school science teacher who now directs professional development for the National Middle School Association. “In middle school, we’re trained in our subjects of expertise.”
In middle school, your child will have several teachers, all with different teaching styles and personalities. Ideally, all will have deep knowledge of their subject and a sense of the middle school child’s developmental needs. Although the curriculum varies widely from state to state and from school to school, there are some general concepts you can expect your child to cover in each subject.
Language Arts
Reading and writing has been a huge focus for your child since preschool, and now he will be expected to put all he’s learned to good use. Expect your child to be reading a lot, especially biographies, and putting more of his thoughts on paper than ever before.
Your child’s language arts teacher might give students more choices in what they read, more opportunities to select books from the library, and more latitude in finding a book that works for an assignment. In return, the student will be expected to actually read the book.
For some kids, reading is a struggle. They lack the focus, the motivation, and sometimes the basic reading skills. Parents should help their child figure out what the barrier is to successful reading and take steps to fix it. Expectations only increase as your child gets older.
Social Studies
Many of your child’s language arts lessons will also include a social studies component as he reads about other cultures, current events, and past leaders. At this age, your child will learn to distinguish between fact and opinion and will learn the importance of using multiple primary sources.
For millions of 6th graders, the curriculum will focus on ancient civilizations. While your child will be expected to recall some facts and timelines, today’s social studies teachers tend to emphasize interpretation. Your teacher will want to see your child relate what happened in the past to what is happening in the present.
Support your child by engaging him in conversation about what he’s studying in social studies. Just talking about such topics will help give your child the confidence to share his thoughts and opinions at school.
Mathematics
Math can be a source of stress in 6th grade, but most students will do fine as long as they mastered the concepts taught in elementary school. Your child may encounter practice problems that look a lot like algebra. Geometry, probability, statistics, percentages, and graphing will also appear. Teachers will present the content in a way that is age-appropriate and not overwhelming.
“Back in the day, math at this stage was more about arithmetic,” says Hank Kepner, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. “Today, we’re about collecting data, measuring, and problem-solving....It looks different because math used to be more compartmentalized.”
As are other subjects, today’s math curriculum is less focused on following a set path to the correct answer and more focused on encouraging students to figure out their own path to not only get the right answer but also understand the underlying concepts. Students will also be expected to apply their knowledge of math through complex word problems.
Teachers are more excited about an “aha” moment when a student grasps an abstract concept than 100 percent accuracy on a homework assignment. “It’s when they go ‘Oh, I see,’” Kepner says. “You can see that spark in their eyes.”
Parents may feel anxious about their child’s math homework, especially if they didn’t do well in math themselves or if they were taught using more traditional methods. The best way parents can help their child is to provide a place and a designated time to study but to resist the temptation to take over when their child needs help. Instead, try to solve the problem together and seek help from the teacher if necessary. Another strategy is for the parent to have the child explain, out loud, his thinking on how to solve a particular problem.
For students seriously struggling in math, parents and the teacher will need to backtrack to see where he got lost. He may have missed an important skill in elementary school. Once that skill is retaught, he may well be able to pick up again and never look back.
Science
Sixth grade is a huge year for science education, setting the pace for the rest of middle school, high school, and beyond. The curriculum is able to take advantage of a child’s increasing exposure to mathematical concepts and in turn introduce more complex science topics.
Your child may get exposed to lab science in 6th grade. Most states follow an inquiry-based model that encourages hands-on exploration. “Science is about discovery,” Summers says. “We want students to discover things the way scientists do....Kids learn most effectively by doing, by hypothesizing, by exploring.”
Parent can support their kids by talking about science at the dinner table. Endless ideas may be culled from newspapers, magazines, and the Internet.
Sixth grade is a year of changes for your child, from the school environment to the onset of puberty to a curriculum that demands active participation. Think of grade 6 as a springboard, launching your child into a middle and high school education that will carry her into the future.
For more information, read “6th Grade Social Changes: What To Expect”
6th Grade Social Changes: What To Expect
6th Grade Social Changes: What To Expect
This is a year of transitions, from the physical and emotional changes of adolescence to the new environment of middle school.
by Patti Ghezzi
Your child’s 6th grade year is likely to be a bundle of contradictions. He pushes you away, then criticizes you for not understanding him. She is less engaged at school but insists she doesn’t need your help.
“Go away!” your child says one minute.
“Don’t leave me!” she says the next.
Don’t be surprised if your involvement in the parent-teacher organization is suddenly a source of embarrassment. Your child may groan when you mention you’ll be at school later in the day when just last year she would have squealed with delight.
“It’s not that they want to rebel; it’s part of the change,” says Al Summers, a veteran middle school teacher who now directs professional development at the National Middle School Association. “Parents tend to look at that as ‘My kid doesn’t need me as much.’” In reality, your child needs you more than ever: “This is a development stage where the parent has to be involved with all aspects of the child’s life.”
Rapid Brain Development
The social characteristics of a 6th grader are hard to miss: Obsession with the opinions of peers, lack of interest in the opinions of parents, mood swings, tendency to keep thoughts and feelings secret from parents, intense desire to fit in with a crowd. Sixth-graders feel awkward. When they cry, they can’t explain why they are upset. The smallest wayward glance can prompt your child to get up from the table and race to her room. “Stop looking at me!” she might hiss.
“The research in this case is very, very clear, “ Summers says. “For young adolescents, it’s the biggest brain development stage next to birth-to-3. It’s also when hormones kick in, and kids don’t understand what’s going on.”
Early adolescence hits most kids around age 10 and lasts until about age 15. Yet children within that age range can vary widely in social development. Some girls are wearing makeup while others are still playing with dolls.
It’s also the year most kids transition from elementary to middle school—so after being the oldest kids in school, they go back to being the youngest. Class sizes are often larger in middle school, which may make it harder for your child to adjust and focus.
You can help your child understand the physical and emotional changes she and her friends are going through. You can be there to listen to her struggles and offer suggestions. But parents shouldn’t take it personally when their 6th grader rejects them as a confidante. “This is the age when they are beginning to look outside the family for meaning in life,” Summers says. “They are constantly doing a mental inventory of where they fit in.”
Summers recommends that parents consider compromising when it comes to school involvement. If your child is mortified at the prospect of you chaperoning a dance or field trip, offer to do something more discreet, such as assisting in the teacher workroom or signing up for a fundraising committee. Or instead of chaperoning every field trip, you might agree to attend just one per semester. Don’t feel hurt or turn your child’s normal adolescent development into a bigger drama than it is.
Stand your ground when it comes to rules you set up for your child’s safety, such as insisting on meeting his friends’ parents or requiring her to abide by a curfew. Look for ways to compromise that will send a message to your child that you are not going to pull back but you are willing to adapt.
Taking Charge of Learning
Don’t be surprised if your child is less engaged and motivated at school. Try different ways to help him become more interested in learning. For example, rent movies and library books that are tailored to his interests. Talk about current events. Ask to see his schoolwork just to check whether you remember it. (Don’t be surprised if you don’t—adolescence hasn’t changed much, but the school curriculum has.)
At this age, kids need to be responsible for their own learning. Encourage your child to speak up when she doesn’t understand something and ask for help before she gets completely lost. Encourage your child to set high goals for himself rather than waiting for you and the teacher to set goals for him.
Parents should be careful not to pass on to their children their own negative attitudes about learning—especially in subjects with a reputation for rigor, like math and science. Parents will sometimes enroll their child in the easier course rather than the more challenging one because of their own fears, says Hank Kepner, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
“When the parent says ‘I was never good at math,’ the kid gets the message that he won’t be, either,” Kepner says. Instead, he advises, offer to sit down with your child and tackle a tough math problem together.
Keeping a positive attitude during your child’s 6th grade year may not be easy, especially for parents who struggled when they were that age. But it’s important to embrace the changes as a part of your child’s normal transition to adulthood—even if you can’t bear the thought of your child becoming an adult. Consider it one more contradiction that is just part of 6th grade.
For more information, read “6th Grade Academics: What To Expect”
Journalist Patti Ghezzi covered education and schools for 10 years for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She lives in Avondale Estates, Ga., with her family, which includes husband Jason, daughter Celia, and geriatric mutt Albany.
20 Questions To Ask Your Child About School
20 Questions To Ask Your Child About School
Finding out how things are going in your child's life sometimes takes a bit of strategizing. These tips and questions can help you get the conversation started.
by Patti Ghezzi
One day your child tells you everything, from the consistency of the macaroni and cheese in the cafeteria to the hard words on the spelling test to the funny conversation she had with her best friend.
The next day...poof.
Parent: “So, what’s going on at school?”
Child: “Nothing.”
For many parents, the information they receive about what’s happening at school ebbs and flows, especially once their kids hit 10 or 11 years of age. Even younger children may be reluctant sometimes to share the details of school life.
It doesn’t mean that something’s wrong or that you’re somehow missing a key piece of the parenting puzzle. It may simply be that your child is asserting independence and craving a little privacy. “No one tells parents this,” says Peter Sheras, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia who specializes in adolescent relationships, family relationships, and stress. “Parents feel they are not very good at parenting.”
Of course, that’s not the case. You might just need to tweak your approach. Don’t interrogate, Sheras says. Kids don’t want to be grilled. Be subtle; be patient. Learn to listen intently to the words your child does offer. Watch your child’s body language and demeanor. Avoid yes-or-no questions if possible, and be specific. Try escalating—starting with simple questions and gradually delving into more sensitive topics.
If all else fails, wait it out. Try again later with a different approach, such as choosing a different time of day to start a conversation or taking your child out for a burger before asking questions. In a place where she’s comfortable, she might feel more talkative.
Don’t start the conversation with “We need to have a talk,” Sheras says: “That’s when a child dives under the table.”
Here are 20 questions that can help you get started.
“I know you were stressed out about that math test. How did it go?”
“I’m really proud of how well you’re doing in school. What are you studying these days that really interests you?”
“You seem to have some good teachers this year. Which one is your favorite?”
“If you could make up a teacher from scratch, a perfect teacher, what would he or she be like?”
“When I was your age, I really didn’t like social studies. I just didn’t see the point in studying how people in Russia lived or what kind of languages Native Americans spoke. What subject are you really not liking these days?”
“What’s your favorite time of day at school?”
“What do you think about your grades? How does your report card compare with what you were expecting?”
“We used to have the meanest boy in my class when I was your age. I still remember what a bully he was. Do you have anyone like that in your class?”
“I’ve been reading a lot in the news about kids picking on other kids. What about at your school? Is that happening?”
“I’m hearing a lot about bullying on the Internet. It sounds a little scary, but I really don’t know what it’s all about. Can you tell me about it?”
“I noticed a few new kids in your class. Which ones have you been able to get to know? What are they like?”
“I know it was hard for you when Kenny transferred to a different school. How’s it going without your best friend around?”
“Who did you sit with at lunch today?”
“I’m sorry you didn’t get invited to Sarah’s birthday party. I know you’re disappointed. How have things changed between you and Sarah now that you’re not in the same class?”
“I really like the way you choose such nice friends. What qualities do you look for in a friend?”
“I know you really like your new friend Caroline, but whenever I see her she’s being disrespectful to adults. Why don’t you tell me what I’m missing? What do you like about her that I’m not seeing?”
“I can tell it embarrasses you when I insist on meeting your friends’ parents before letting you go to their house, but it’s something I need to do as your mom. Is there a way I could do it that would make you feel more comfortable?”
“How’s it going with your activities and schoolwork? What would make it easier for you to manage your schedule and responsibilities?”
“I feel like I haven’t talked to you in ages. How about we go for a walk and catch up?”
“I’m sure I do things that embarrass you. What do I do that embarrasses you the most?”
Talking with your child should be an ongoing process. Keep the dialogue open, and be available so your child can find you when she feels like chatting.
One final piece of advice from Sheras: “Keep talking even when you think your kids aren’t listening,” he says. “Your children are listening whether they act like it or not.”
Journalist Patti Ghezzi covered education and schools for 10 years for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She lives in Avondale Estates, Ga., with her family, which includes husband Jason, daughter Celia, and geriatric mutt Albany.
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