Language Arts Newsletter 
Week of December 5th 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Instructional Cycle 2C Begins

Cycle 2C Instruction:

6th-grade focus standards:

6.RV.3.1

6.RV.2.1


The Big Ideas: 

* Figurative Language

* Context Clues

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7th-grade focus standards:

7.RL.2.2

7.W.6.2b


The Big Ideas:

*Punctuation - commas

*Theme

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8th-grade focus standards:

8.RL.2.2

8.W.6.2b


The Big Ideas:

*Theme

*Punctuation



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"In all love stories the theme is love and tragedy, so by writing these types of stories, I have to include tragedy."

  –Nicholas Sparks

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Don’t forget to check the Instructional Calendar for information on standards, “I can statements", and resources. It's just one click away.

Click here to be on your merry way to our ELA Portal!
 

"No word is absolutely wrong or dirty or insulting. It all depends upon context and intention "  

   — Janet Jackson 
 
 
 
 
A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside.    - Denis Waitley 
 

6th Grade: 

Cycle 2C Mini-Assessment: 

1. Analyze your data and identify students who need additional instruction. 

2. Look at resources/strategies for context clues. 


7th/8th Grades: 


Cycle 2C Mini-Assessment:

1. Analyze your data and identify students who need additional instruction. 


2. Share resources/strategies for teaching theme.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  • Cycle 2C mini-assessments have been linked to our instructional calendar and Weekly Focus Page in our LA Portal. Please feel free to contribute your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions —  together we make it better. 
  • SRI assessment window for Highland starts this week. The goal is to assess all students before winter break.  
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Five Strategies to Improve First Time  Instruction
 
1. Visuals and Realia: whenever possible include realia, or real life, physical objects in your lessons.

2. Modeling/Gestures: modeling and gestures help bring your words to life. Couple this with the use of supportive visuals and say hello to comprehension!

3. Connect to Background Knowledge: consider the background knowledge students have that you can connect with during your instruction when planning for the “hook” or introduction in a lesson. For example, you might show them a picture of something related to your lesson and ask them a question about it.

4. Graphic Organizers: charts and diagrams are useful in helping students organize their thinking. Keep them simple. Complex graphic organizers may hinder instead of helping students.

5. Sentence Starters: sentence framescan be a great support for struggling learners. (Especially for students who say, "I don't know what to write or how to begin!") 
 
 
 
 
Click here to visit the Language Arts Portal