Academics

Class Rules:

Rule Above All Rules: Respect Others

Rule 1: Follow Directions Quickly

Rule 2: Obtain Permission to Speak

Spalding Spelling Rules

Follow this link for helpful information to help your child become a better speller. We will write all year long, so your child needs to be a careful speller.

Each Friday we will copy the next week’s spelling list and mark the phonetic sounds in each word. We will do a couple exercises with each list each week before the test on Friday.

Our spelling lists will be here on the homework page each week (in case your child cannot read his/her own handwriting).

READING

We will focus on comprehension, inferences, and study skills. We will do several novel units during the school year.

First quarter: 5—From the Mixed Up File of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

6—Poetry

Second quarter: 5—The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

6—The Westing Game

Third quarter: 5—Nonfiction Selections

6—Medieval Unit

Fourth quarter: 5—Number the Stars

6—A Wrinkle in Time

WRITING

First quarter: 5—Poetry (Music; Lyrics)

6—Poetry (We will compile a poetry anthology.)

Second quarter: 5—Narratives (Character development)

6—Narratives (Setting development)

Third quarter: 5—Research (International Festival)

6—Research (Medieval Times)

Fourth quarter: 5 & 6—Current Events (Newspaper)

LANGUAGE

We will use Shurley English in fifth and sixth grade. We will identify all of the parts of speech, analogies, synonyms, antonyms, figurative language, etc.

Punctuation Rules

Capitalization Rules

Fifth grade will use vocabulary from the Shurley English materials each week.

Sixth grade will study Greek and Latin Root Words through Vocabulary. This is a strong building block for comprehension and a richer oral and written language.

SCIENCE

We will use Science, A Closer Look. Fifth grade will participate in the ACSI Science Fair and Sixth grade will participate in the Rocket Launch. It is my goal to add as many hands-on units as possible throughout our science curriculum. Some of our units of study include life science, earth science, and physical science.

We will begin the school year with a unit on our Earth’s resources and conservation. Since we are implementing a recycling program this year, it will be important to understand the use of our resources and our reasons to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Each student will maintain a science journal this year. Within the journal, he will record science experiments and vocabulary. We will use the journal at least three days a week. I will take random quiz grades on the completion of journal activities.