Language Arts
Storytown, Harcourt, 2009
Harcourt Language, Harcourt, 2002
Spelling , Harcourt, 2009
Fifth grade Language Arts instruction centers on the oral and written communication of students. A variety of approaches to reading, writing and spelling instruction may happen in the classroom at any given time. These include shared writing, interactive writing, guided writing, learning the Writing Process, Literature Circles, basal readers, novels, and a rich variety of resources that challenge your child to expand and improve his/her communication skills and views of the world around him/her. Sequence of events, cause and effect, making judgements, drawing conclusions, relating to unit themes, comparing several kinds of stories, and reading tables, maps and graphs are just some of the skills learned. Independent reading of 300 pages of an assigned genre is required each month. Documentation of this independent reading must be signed by a parent or guardian on the first school day of each month.
The teacher’s role is one of facilitator, helping students discover what they want to say and how to express it with clarity. Rich topics from a variety of books and articles, both fiction and non-fiction, help children learn how to read, question, make notes, meet, talk, and discuss. Grammar is incorporated as a useful and necessary tool in conjunction with writing. Spelling supports the reading vocabulary of the basal text as well as that of Social Studies and Science. Grading is derived from weekly spelling and comprehension tests, formal unit tests, rubrics, projects, and participation. As writing is a developmental skill, not all writing is formally graded.
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