1. Welcome back, parents! Enhanced Language Arts Mrs. McLeod

2. About the Class… Language Arts has been changed from a 65 minute period to its current 46 minute period. Curriculum revision year /adoption of rigorous PA Core Standards Focus on fiction, poetry, literary analysis and personal narrative writing Nonfiction reading, informational and argumentative writing moved to Core Extension Reading and Writing 1307lg.jpg 250x341, 20k

3. ELA Expectations ELA students will complete the majority of the general 6 th grade LA curriculum. Additional reading selections are added, individually and as group/class projects. (3 rd summer reading book) More developed and varied styles of writing and creative technology-based individual and group projects

4. Homework Expectations Students are expected to read a self- selected book at or very near their reading level a minimum of 30 minutes each night. Please ensure they have a quiet place to read, away from distractions such as cell phones, tv, music with lyrics, etc. Study Island – one lesson per week, due each Monday (starting next week) Book Bingo – at least five books of various genres should be read each marking period (Book Bingo will be introduced next week; 3 rd summer reading book will count as first entry)

5. Absences and Late Work Students are responsible for turning in all missed assignments. If a student is absent, he/she is responsible for checking the website, checking with classmates and/or teacher, and turning in the assignment in a timely manner. Assignments turned in late (not due to absence) will lose points for each day they are late. Lack of an organized binder system is often a cause of late/missing work. Please help your child stay organized, especially here at the beginning of middle school.

6. My Goals as your Child’s Teacher… To provide a safe and comfortable environment that allows each student to learn. To stimulate intellectual curiosity and problem-solving abilities To help develop lifelong readers, learners, thinkers, and communicators Higher-order thinking skills are key.(Creating, evaluating, analyzing, etc.)

7. Time for a Quiz! True or False? A powerful barrier to education sits in the living rooms and bedrooms of most American homes. True

8. Reading IS Thinking

10. 208x255, 12k Vocabulary found in Click, Clack, Moo! Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin problemimpatient believefurious impossibledemand electric neutral party sincerelyultimatum typewriteremergency exchangebackground gathered The vocabulary of the average children’s picture book is greater than that found on prime-time television. True (Hayes & Ahrens, 1988) True or False?

11. The Battle for Your Child’s Brain

12. What You Can Do at Home Continue to value literacy!  Have books (ebooks count!) in your home and let your child see you reading.  Turn off the television, computer, and video games. Researchers recommend kids spend 30 minutes a day at home quietly reading a book of their choice. A quiet reading and writing corner is a great place to unwind and de-stress.

13. Talk About Books  Discuss books with your child. Ask them to tell you about the book they are reading. Ask questions about the characters and the problems they may be facing. You will learn a lot about your own child from their answers! (The weekly reading log assignments are designed to initiate these conversations.)  Tell your child about what you are reading, or better yet-read and discuss their favorite books with them!

14. Ways to Stay in Touch Teacher websites  Overview of class  Often contain links to extra copies of assignments, learning games, etc. Home Access Center (HAC)  Check grades, even on individual assignments, at any time  Find out which assignments are missing (hopefully, not any!)  Access through Springton Lake website

15. Please email or call with any questions or concerns! Jennifer McLeod jmcleod@rtmsd.orgjmcleod@rtmsd.org