6th Grade English and Language Arts Syllabus
Montford North Star Academy
Welcome to 6th grade English and Language Arts!
Parents, I know that this is an exciting and transition-filled time for you and your child. Please see me as a partner in your child’s education. Communication between parents and teachers is an extremely important part of the educational process. It is my goal to keep you informed throughout the school year. I will send home updates either via email, Canvas, or through our 6th grade Remind. Our 6th grade team will also have a website that parents are welcome to visit.
Students, please do not wait until the end of the nine weeks to seek help if you are having trouble. I am here to help you, and I want each student to be successful! However, this takes the effort of everyone involved. Please feel free to email me, and I will respond as quickly as possible.
I look forward to a wonderful year at Montford North Star Academy!
Samantha Covalt
Class Description
This year-long course is designed to create students who are metacognitive readers (students who are able to think about their thinking). Self-selected reading will increase students’ reading engagement and help them become lifelong readers. Through topical studies, Socratic seminars, and whole group class discussions, students will analyze literary texts as well as informational pieces. Students will learn to effectively express their ideas, understanding, and opinions of issues and topics through writing, class discussions, and multimedia presentations. Standard English usage and mechanics will be taught, and students will practice their grammar within the context of their writing. Academic vocabulary will be an integral part of this course, and students will be responsible for expanding their vocabulary by learning affixes and their origins (Greek & Latin). A variety of resources will be used to further develop comprehension, written expression, fluency, vocabulary, and critical thinking. Students will show mastery of standards through essays, projects, and assessments.
Comprehension Strategies
Various mini-lessons will be taught throughout the year to help students become metacognitive readers. Students will develop their skills on questioning, inferring, determining importance, predicting, summarizing, visualizing, making connections, and “fix-up” strategies.
Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately and quickly. Fluency includes the following components: automatic word recognition, rate of reading, and prosody (expression). The best way to obtain fluency is to practice. Our class will practice by listening to read alouds, presenting various read alouds, and participating in fluency activities (such as reader’s theater).
Needed Materials
Students will need their sixth grade zipper binder (that includes their ELA Homework Folder), three dividers, loose leaf paper, a composition notebook, and a pencil. They will bring these to class daily. They are also required to bring an independent reading book to class each day.
ELA Binder Sections
ELA Composition Notebook Sections
Yearly Plan
Unit 1: Laying the Foundation and Becoming a Metacognitive Reader
Unit 2: “Reading Like a Writer and Writing Like a Reader” - Narratives and Memoirs
Unit 3: “Modern Technology” - Informational Analysis and Argument
Unit 4: “Resilience in the Face of Adversity” - Literary Analysis
Unit 5: Tying it Together with The Giver - Research, Text Analysis (Informational & Literature), and Argument
Grading Policies (Information for assignments will be posted in Canvas. After assignments are graded, the grades for those assignments will be posted in PowerSchool - the online gradebook.)
Classwork and Homework
Weekly homework will be assigned on Monday and due on Friday of that same week. This will allow for regular practice of necessary skills. This homework will receive a grade in PowerSchool. Students will be expected to complete all assignments in a timely manner. Practice is the key to building motivated and proficient readers. Independent reading outside of class is essential for student growth. Emphasis will be placed on the self-selection of both fiction and nonfiction texts. Self-selected reading will increase students’ reading engagement and help them become lifelong readers. Students are expected to read outside of school with a novel of their choosing. A learning assessment will be given over their independent novels periodically. In addition, students will be given assigned reading. Students will be assessed over the assigned reading through class discussions, quizzes, etc. Students will also be asked to complete various tasks involving research, literary analysis, and narrative writing. In order to prepare the students for assessments, they will periodically practice the skills (grammar, essay structure, etc.) needed to be successful with these different tasks. *Note: Students will be required to record assignments in their agenda each day. Your child is responsible for completing homework even if a Remind text was not sent out for that day.
Late/Missing Assignments
Assignments are due on the due date, which is clearly stated in the agenda and on the assignment. Students have 5 school days to get the assignment turned in after the due date; students who turn in work after the due date (but within the five days) will receive a point deduction. After the 5 school days, the assignment will not be accepted, and students will receive half credit for the missing assignment.Consequences for late/missing assignments: Form of parent contact (through online gradebook updates, notifications of behavior, emails, etc.) with a chance to turn in assignment for late credit (10% deducted for each day that it is late). If this behavior becomes habitual, administrators will be contacted.
Make-Up Work
Students will be given 5 days upon return to complete make-up assignments. Students will be expected to make arrangements with each teacher to complete any make-up assignments and catch up on missed instruction. If students are absent, they will receive full credit on make-up work if completed within the 5 day time period.
Classroom Expectations
I ask that students follow all classroom procedures and be accountable and responsible for their learning and behavior. Great respect is REQUIRED in this classroom, so treat others as you want to be treated. Plagiarism will absolutely not be tolerated. *Discipline procedures can be found on the expectations/procedures page.
Our 6th grade ELA classroom works hard to promote a positive school culture. This culture will help strengthen students’ connection to others by building healthy relationships with both their teachers and peers. We practice developing a self-managing classroom to decrease discipline issues and increase respect. Each class will create a social contract as a group, and each student will be held responsible for following the contract they agreed upon.
Montford North Star Academy
Welcome to 6th grade English and Language Arts!
Parents, I know that this is an exciting and transition-filled time for you and your child. Please see me as a partner in your child’s education. Communication between parents and teachers is an extremely important part of the educational process. It is my goal to keep you informed throughout the school year. I will send home updates either via email, Canvas, or through our 6th grade Remind. Our 6th grade team will also have a website that parents are welcome to visit.
Students, please do not wait until the end of the nine weeks to seek help if you are having trouble. I am here to help you, and I want each student to be successful! However, this takes the effort of everyone involved. Please feel free to email me, and I will respond as quickly as possible.
I look forward to a wonderful year at Montford North Star Academy!
Samantha Covalt
Class Description
This year-long course is designed to create students who are metacognitive readers (students who are able to think about their thinking). Self-selected reading will increase students’ reading engagement and help them become lifelong readers. Through topical studies, Socratic seminars, and whole group class discussions, students will analyze literary texts as well as informational pieces. Students will learn to effectively express their ideas, understanding, and opinions of issues and topics through writing, class discussions, and multimedia presentations. Standard English usage and mechanics will be taught, and students will practice their grammar within the context of their writing. Academic vocabulary will be an integral part of this course, and students will be responsible for expanding their vocabulary by learning affixes and their origins (Greek & Latin). A variety of resources will be used to further develop comprehension, written expression, fluency, vocabulary, and critical thinking. Students will show mastery of standards through essays, projects, and assessments.
Comprehension Strategies
Various mini-lessons will be taught throughout the year to help students become metacognitive readers. Students will develop their skills on questioning, inferring, determining importance, predicting, summarizing, visualizing, making connections, and “fix-up” strategies.
Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately and quickly. Fluency includes the following components: automatic word recognition, rate of reading, and prosody (expression). The best way to obtain fluency is to practice. Our class will practice by listening to read alouds, presenting various read alouds, and participating in fluency activities (such as reader’s theater).
Needed Materials
Students will need their sixth grade zipper binder (that includes their ELA Homework Folder), three dividers, loose leaf paper, a composition notebook, and a pencil. They will bring these to class daily. They are also required to bring an independent reading book to class each day.
ELA Binder Sections
ELA Composition Notebook Sections
- Anchor Texts
- Returned Work
- Miscellaneous ELA
- Grammar/Affixes
- Activities/Notes
- Academic Vocab
Yearly Plan
Unit 1: Laying the Foundation and Becoming a Metacognitive Reader
Unit 2: “Reading Like a Writer and Writing Like a Reader” - Narratives and Memoirs
Unit 3: “Modern Technology” - Informational Analysis and Argument
Unit 4: “Resilience in the Face of Adversity” - Literary Analysis
Unit 5: Tying it Together with The Giver - Research, Text Analysis (Informational & Literature), and Argument
Grading Policies (Information for assignments will be posted in Canvas. After assignments are graded, the grades for those assignments will be posted in PowerSchool - the online gradebook.)
Classwork and Homework
Weekly homework will be assigned on Monday and due on Friday of that same week. This will allow for regular practice of necessary skills. This homework will receive a grade in PowerSchool. Students will be expected to complete all assignments in a timely manner. Practice is the key to building motivated and proficient readers. Independent reading outside of class is essential for student growth. Emphasis will be placed on the self-selection of both fiction and nonfiction texts. Self-selected reading will increase students’ reading engagement and help them become lifelong readers. Students are expected to read outside of school with a novel of their choosing. A learning assessment will be given over their independent novels periodically. In addition, students will be given assigned reading. Students will be assessed over the assigned reading through class discussions, quizzes, etc. Students will also be asked to complete various tasks involving research, literary analysis, and narrative writing. In order to prepare the students for assessments, they will periodically practice the skills (grammar, essay structure, etc.) needed to be successful with these different tasks. *Note: Students will be required to record assignments in their agenda each day. Your child is responsible for completing homework even if a Remind text was not sent out for that day.
Late/Missing Assignments
Assignments are due on the due date, which is clearly stated in the agenda and on the assignment. Students have 5 school days to get the assignment turned in after the due date; students who turn in work after the due date (but within the five days) will receive a point deduction. After the 5 school days, the assignment will not be accepted, and students will receive half credit for the missing assignment.Consequences for late/missing assignments: Form of parent contact (through online gradebook updates, notifications of behavior, emails, etc.) with a chance to turn in assignment for late credit (10% deducted for each day that it is late). If this behavior becomes habitual, administrators will be contacted.
Make-Up Work
Students will be given 5 days upon return to complete make-up assignments. Students will be expected to make arrangements with each teacher to complete any make-up assignments and catch up on missed instruction. If students are absent, they will receive full credit on make-up work if completed within the 5 day time period.
Classroom Expectations
I ask that students follow all classroom procedures and be accountable and responsible for their learning and behavior. Great respect is REQUIRED in this classroom, so treat others as you want to be treated. Plagiarism will absolutely not be tolerated. *Discipline procedures can be found on the expectations/procedures page.
Our 6th grade ELA classroom works hard to promote a positive school culture. This culture will help strengthen students’ connection to others by building healthy relationships with both their teachers and peers. We practice developing a self-managing classroom to decrease discipline issues and increase respect. Each class will create a social contract as a group, and each student will be held responsible for following the contract they agreed upon.