Term 4
In Term 4, we will continue to read daily with our Reader's Workshop sessions. Students are being encouraged to choose a variety of texts to read, both fiction and non-fiction. Many students are encouraging others to read new books and genres by sharing their favourites. Reading a Literature Circles book regularly will also continue to be a focus so that students are prepared to have a discussion with others each week, including a final book chat upon the completion of the book at the end of three weeks. Small teaching groups will discuss reading strategies and students are expected to use their sticky notes whilst reading to mark pages, which demonstrate their thinking as they read.
Our SMART Spelling program continues this term. We have been impressed with the questioning and discussion each week about whether particular patterns are split digraphs or not. We will continue to study our words each day at school and expect students to spend a few minutes at home daily, writing their words in their homework book. We are looking forward to analysing improvements in spelling ability when we have an end of year spelling test which measures growth, later in the term.
Students will also continue to focus on the whole writing process during our Writer's Workshop sessions. They are well trained in following each step of the process - creating a seed to develop thinking and ideas for topics, deciding on a purpose (to entertain, persuade or inform) and determining their intended audience. Once they know this, they will continue to pick the most appropriate text type (eg. a narrative, persuasive piece, or an information report) to then create a first draft. Careful editing of their work includes thinking about whether or not they have created the most interesting sentences and the best word choices. Students are being encouraged to set goals and try hard to reach them. Peer and teacher conferencing is helping them to see how other people (a real audience) see their work. Conferencing is a time to suggest changes to enhance a writing piece even further. A particular writing type that will be studied this term, is how to write science reports.
Our SMART Spelling program continues this term. We have been impressed with the questioning and discussion each week about whether particular patterns are split digraphs or not. We will continue to study our words each day at school and expect students to spend a few minutes at home daily, writing their words in their homework book. We are looking forward to analysing improvements in spelling ability when we have an end of year spelling test which measures growth, later in the term.
Students will also continue to focus on the whole writing process during our Writer's Workshop sessions. They are well trained in following each step of the process - creating a seed to develop thinking and ideas for topics, deciding on a purpose (to entertain, persuade or inform) and determining their intended audience. Once they know this, they will continue to pick the most appropriate text type (eg. a narrative, persuasive piece, or an information report) to then create a first draft. Careful editing of their work includes thinking about whether or not they have created the most interesting sentences and the best word choices. Students are being encouraged to set goals and try hard to reach them. Peer and teacher conferencing is helping them to see how other people (a real audience) see their work. Conferencing is a time to suggest changes to enhance a writing piece even further. A particular writing type that will be studied this term, is how to write science reports.
Term 3
In Term 3, our SMART Spelling program will continue to be followed. Students are making a great effort to learn each pattern and have become confident in determining graphs, digraphs and trigraphs. We will continue to have daily practice exploring the spelling pattern at school and students will be encouraged to practise writing the words at home.
Sharing Literature Circles will be a weekly focus. Each student will choose a book to read over a period of 3 weeks and will be allocated a specific reading role as homework as a way of focusing on different aspects of the books. Each Friday, students will come together with their group and discuss their understandings. We will also be focusing on non-fiction texts this term in our teaching groups. This will include how to read and interpret reference material, including visual diagrams.
During our Writers' Workshop sessions, students will be learning about a variety of types of writing such as information and explanation texts. They will continue to follow the process of drafting, editing and peer conferencing to make their writing the best that it can be. Teaching groups will focus on the creation of interesting sentences, using careful word choice.
Sharing Literature Circles will be a weekly focus. Each student will choose a book to read over a period of 3 weeks and will be allocated a specific reading role as homework as a way of focusing on different aspects of the books. Each Friday, students will come together with their group and discuss their understandings. We will also be focusing on non-fiction texts this term in our teaching groups. This will include how to read and interpret reference material, including visual diagrams.
During our Writers' Workshop sessions, students will be learning about a variety of types of writing such as information and explanation texts. They will continue to follow the process of drafting, editing and peer conferencing to make their writing the best that it can be. Teaching groups will focus on the creation of interesting sentences, using careful word choice.
Term 2
This term we continue with our SMART Spelling program, concentrating on graphs, digraphs, suffixes and prefixes. Our words will be discussed each Monday, followed by activities in class which help us to learn the spelling patterns visually (what they look like) as well as by their sound (the letters used to represent the sound). Meaning is also important, particularly when we look at how the meaning of a word is altered based on the suffix or prefix used.
In Reading this term we begin by concentrating on the reading strategy of 'summarising'. We will be working on our ability to read an article, book or text, take notes about the main points and then write a summary in our own words. It is important to be able to order our thoughts in the correct sequence and to be concise in our retelling. We also concentrate on understanding what the author's message is - what is the author trying to make people understand or believe by reading their piece? We will also be looking the reading strategies of 'Inferring' and 'Analysing' this term. Inferring is about studying what the author means without actually saying it. For instance, if a sentence was '...The girl stretched her arms high in the air and rolled her head back with a slow yawn', we can infer that she is tired, without the text needing to add that extra bit of information. The author is telling us the character is tired without needing extra words. When we begin analysing, we will be looking carefully at the words authors choose to use to make the meaning as clear as possible and to help them paint a really vivid picture in the reader's mind.
During Writing we will concentrate on learning the structure of persuasive pieces. This kind of writing tries to convince the reader to think or believe the writer's point of view. Persuasive pieces give clear arguments as to why we should be convinced of the point of view. Watch out, your children may get very good at arguing! We will also review how to write narratives or stories and will publish some pieces for our Writers' Gift. Poetry is also on the agenda for Term 2, particularly for the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards competition which the students have the option of entering.
In Reading this term we begin by concentrating on the reading strategy of 'summarising'. We will be working on our ability to read an article, book or text, take notes about the main points and then write a summary in our own words. It is important to be able to order our thoughts in the correct sequence and to be concise in our retelling. We also concentrate on understanding what the author's message is - what is the author trying to make people understand or believe by reading their piece? We will also be looking the reading strategies of 'Inferring' and 'Analysing' this term. Inferring is about studying what the author means without actually saying it. For instance, if a sentence was '...The girl stretched her arms high in the air and rolled her head back with a slow yawn', we can infer that she is tired, without the text needing to add that extra bit of information. The author is telling us the character is tired without needing extra words. When we begin analysing, we will be looking carefully at the words authors choose to use to make the meaning as clear as possible and to help them paint a really vivid picture in the reader's mind.
During Writing we will concentrate on learning the structure of persuasive pieces. This kind of writing tries to convince the reader to think or believe the writer's point of view. Persuasive pieces give clear arguments as to why we should be convinced of the point of view. Watch out, your children may get very good at arguing! We will also review how to write narratives or stories and will publish some pieces for our Writers' Gift. Poetry is also on the agenda for Term 2, particularly for the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards competition which the students have the option of entering.
Term 1
We begin this term by setting up classroom expectations of Readers' Workshop and Writers' Workshop sessions. Students will be given daily opportunities to practice their reading skills in a variety of contexts. Students will have a novel to keep at school to read for a sustained period of time, and will complete related comprehension and thinking tasks. They will have small group reading instruction with their teacher. Students will be expected to read fiction and non-fiction texts, as well as having exposure to articles, the Behind the News program and the Literature Circles program. Reading is an important aspect of the whole school program and we are keen to stimulate an interest in reading. We will be encouraging students to talk about their favourite books and authors, and be open to trying new reading material recommended by others. Students will be expected to borrow a variety of books from the library and establish a regular habit of reading at home.
Writing is another important aspect of our whole school program. Students will have daily opportunities to write for a variety of purposes. Students will be expected to think carefully about the purpose of their writing - are you writing to entertain, inform or persuade? The type of genre you choose results from your purpose. For example, if you are writing to entertain, then a poem or narrative story may be best. If you are informing people, an information or scientific report would be useful. Each type of writing has specific rules to follow with the setting out, the kind of sentences you use and the choice of words to make it powerful. Joined handwriting is an expectation at all times for Grade 5. We will be working on helping students to become fluent with this. The more practice you have, the easier and more fluent it becomes.
The whole school is beginning a new spelling program this year, which our 9th February Curriculum Day is devoted to. Specific spelling lessons will be delivered weekly to students. The program incorporates the important aspects of spelling - the visual (how a word looks), the phonics (the groups of letters used in spelling patterns), high frequency words and meaning (where a word derives from eg. 'tele' means 'far off or distant' such as in telecommunications, television, telegraph).
Writing is another important aspect of our whole school program. Students will have daily opportunities to write for a variety of purposes. Students will be expected to think carefully about the purpose of their writing - are you writing to entertain, inform or persuade? The type of genre you choose results from your purpose. For example, if you are writing to entertain, then a poem or narrative story may be best. If you are informing people, an information or scientific report would be useful. Each type of writing has specific rules to follow with the setting out, the kind of sentences you use and the choice of words to make it powerful. Joined handwriting is an expectation at all times for Grade 5. We will be working on helping students to become fluent with this. The more practice you have, the easier and more fluent it becomes.
The whole school is beginning a new spelling program this year, which our 9th February Curriculum Day is devoted to. Specific spelling lessons will be delivered weekly to students. The program incorporates the important aspects of spelling - the visual (how a word looks), the phonics (the groups of letters used in spelling patterns), high frequency words and meaning (where a word derives from eg. 'tele' means 'far off or distant' such as in telecommunications, television, telegraph).