Reading and writing are essential to all parts of the 5th and 6th grade curriculum. Literacy class is a combination of direct instruction and independent workshop time. Specific skills covered and content of literacy class include:

Writing:
 
Skills:      Students are taught prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing skills as a recursive process to produce written products.
Content:   Literacy Learning in the Classroom by Richard C. Owen and multiple Vermont Standards

Skills:      Students demonstrate writing conventions in independent writing by demonstrating command of appropriate English conventions
              through appropriate punctuation, grammar, and accurate spelling.
Content:   Mini-lessons correlated to State Standards from Daily Language Review and materials such as Write Source, Rebecca Sitton’s
              Spelling Sourcebook, and  Framing Your Thoughts, (The Basic Structure of Written Expression).  Students also write informally in a
              composition book.


Reading:

Skills:      Students develop grade appropriate reading strategies that include vocabulary and comprehension strategies, as well as
              accuracy and fluency.
Content:   Literature circles, Rebecca Sitton’s Spelling Sourcebook,  Daily Language Review correlated to State Standards and
              various mini-lessons. Whole group, small group, and independent reading are all ways reading at the instructional level takes place.

Skills:      Understanding of literary text, informational text, and analysis and interpretation of literary and informational text citing evidence.
Content:   Book projects that identify the story elements, reading, and responding to text in written summaries, lessons on nonfiction
              textbook reading and weekly written responses to literature. Whole group guided reading, as well as small group and independent
              reading.

Skills:      Students read extensively, widely, and in depth.
Content:   Students read an average of two books per month and from different genres, in whole group, small group, and independent
              reading.

Skills:      Students demonstrate participation in a literate community.
Content:   Students self-select reading materials in line with reading ability and personal interest.  Students participate in literature circles.
              Examples of some books utilized: Tuck Everlasting, Amos Fortune Freeman, Maroo of the Winter Caves, The 21 Balloons,
              Midnight Magic, My Brother Sam is Dead, and Watership Down.

Spelling:

Skills:      Formal spelling instruction takes place with a focus on spelling well in writing and not just spelling well on a test. Words studied come from a 1200 word bank of high-frequency words, as well as personal words and vocabulary from units of study across the curriculum.   
Content: Rebecca Sitton’s Spelling Sourcebook and Spellography.