Reading
Students will participate daily in silent reading and guided reading. This will give all the students a chance to read a book of their choice at their level. I will also conference with students to discuss their reading choice and how to help them grow as readers. In Guided Reading, they will be in a small group with other students that are near their reading level. Together, we will work through literature learning new vocabulary words and focusing on Comprehension. This year we are using our reading curriculum in 2 week cycles. The first week we will be introducing new comprehension skills with picture books and a lot of teacher led activities. The second week we will be using our Into Reading My Books for some harder literature for students to practice skills learned.
Our Vocabulary words will be based on Greek/Latin Roots. Students will have a list that they will be working with for 2 weeks. The goal in doing this is that students learn these roots and are able to apply the meaning to words that they don't know.
Spelling words will be coming home on Mondays and will have a test over them on Fridays. We will be breaking down the words and discussing the phonetic rule that goes with each list.
Science
In 5th grade we will be doing a lot of hands on science projects and integration of technology. Students will keep a Science notebook to keep track of observations and ideas.
Social Studies
Students will be working in a Pearson My World worktext online. They do not have a textbook or a workbook that they will physically be able to bring home. They will be able to access this website at home though! We also will be bringing in a lot of supplemental resources that we have found have helped students grasp these concepts with the use of paper/pencil activities. During the day, we will be reading and discussing each lesson. During our reading centers, students will have the opportunity to complete Pearson Portals. These are lessons that directly relate to what they learned in class. If a student falls behind, they will be able to access these from home.
Writing
This year the students will be digging deeper to make their writings come alive to their readers. We will be focusing on the proper way to write different genres and go through the entire writing process from drafting to publishing.
Students will keep a writing binder at school with different tabs including grammar, notes, projects, and free writes. This way they will be able to have their resources all in one place.
Math
During our math block, the students will learn and review math skills that will be needed in their daily lives. This block of time may include whole group, small group, and individual work. We will also utilize a math notebook to keep track of new math vocabulary and provide examples of how to work out problems. This is something that can come home nightly if needed. Students will have daily math homework with the exception of Fridays. Every day we will go over what their homework is and students will be responsible for writing this down in their assignment book so they know which page to tear out.