Curricular Information
Spelling
The spelling curriculum comes from the Wonders Program. Lists are handed out by way of a pretest. Students use these lists to study words on their own.
On the days the lists are introduced, the students work on sorting the words based on the phonetical patterns. They then complete an activity that helps them to understand the meanings of the words.
If time, we will practice spelling during class. This is not a regular occurance, and students should plan to study their spelling words on their own during their independent work times - WIN or at home.
Lists are posted in Google Classroom. They remain in Google Classroom until the end of the quarter; then they are removed. Any worksheets or activities will be posted with the list. If a paper has been lost, students can print a new one, fill it out, and turn it in. Use the digital agenda to help you keep track of when papers are due and spelling tests occur.
Spelling Tests
Spelling lists are introduced on a Monday. Students will then have a week and a half to study the list. The test will take place the next Wednesday. Use the digital agenda to help you know when tests will occur.
Grammar
Our grammar curriculum also comes from the Wonders Program. These skills are practiced with the provided grammar activities and practice pages from Wonders, but also supplemented by additional activities to help provide students with enough time to master the skills.
Students are expected to incorporate their newly-learned grammar skills into their writing using provided prompts to practice. Their capabilities are evaluated by rubrics. After a skill is learned, practice, and evaluated, it is expected that the students will maintain this skill all writing activities.
WRiting
Once again, our writing curriculum comes from the Wonders Dashboard, but is also supplemented with additional activities by me to help students grasp the concepts more easily.
Students learn writing skills in the following areas:
Narrative
Expository/Informational
Argumentative
Research
Analytical - (More commonly referred to as TDA [Text-Dependent Analysis])
As you can see, our language arts curriculum is very dense for 5th grade students. This can be especially challenging for students, as it is their first year with a formal writing course. We cover more content than the previous grade levels, and it can be overwhelming for students in the beginning. Please reach out with any questions or concerns you may have about the progress your student is making.