English Language Arts

Josh Schaperjahn

ELA Core - The English Lanuguage Arts program in sixth grade supports the New York State Next Generation Learning Standards. We utilize the iReady English Language Arts Program as the "spine" of our curriculum. This program utilizes instructional strategies such as close reading, text-based evidence, building content knowledge and direct instruction. There is a gradual release of responsibility, where weekly instruction is scaffolded and students become more independent as they gain mastery of the standard.

Junior Scholastic Magazine has proven to be an excellent compliment to our ELA program. The students receive a monthly edition of this nonfiction magazine with current events and intriguing articles that we regularly incorporate into our curriculum.

In addition to iReady Reading and Junior Scholastic, we have a daily Vocabulary Bell Ringer. We focus on understanding and integrating middle school level words into our spoken and written vocabularies.

Reading Lab - The sixth grade developmental reading program is designed to build reading comprehension skills. A variety of novels and non-fiction text will be used. Some of the novels include Hatchet and The Egypt Game. A research project will be completed on a biography of choice. Students will also be immersed in a unit on Greek Mythology. Students will be asked to think critically about the reading and draw inferences based on specific information from the text. There will be writing and research assignments based on the readings. Stress will be placed on providing text-based support for ideas and opinions. The reading lab is taught by the students' home-base teachers.