Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
- What is contained in the Language Arts Curriculum?
- What is contained in the Math Curriculum?
- What topics are covered in Social?
- Where can I get more information on the curriculum?
- Why is there homework?
- How do we know what homework our child has?
What is contained in the Language Arts Curriculum?
I will be using a variety of approaches to teach the basic components of the
Language Arts program. There are four basic parts to my L.A. program. They
are Guided Reading, Self-Selected Reading, Writing and Working with words.
Home Reading
Students should be reading nightly, as this will improve areas such as word
recognition, vocabulary, comprehension and spelling.
Handwriting
Grade fives and sixes will be expected to use cursive writing for all work
unless otherwise indicated.
Spelling
The children will be working on various word lists depending on their needs.
We will be focusing on the pattern in words since Psychological theory suggest
that the brain functions as a pattern detector not rule applier.
What is contained in the Math Curriculum?
Math
This year I will be using a mathematics program called "Math Makes Sense." It is the
recommended resource for the new math curriculum. This program reflects current thinking by
national, provincial and local mathematics groups.
Students will work on projects as a class, in groups and individually. They will use concrete
materials, calculators and computers, and will write, draw, talk, make models and create graphs to
express their understanding.
Assessing progress requires more than paper and pencil tasks. I use many methods to assess
thinking, decision-making and understanding. I encourage students not to worry about making
mistakes, but rather to try. Sometimes they learn more if they are making a mistake than if they
simply did the question correctly. Please allow me to see your child's mistakes. If they are always
corrected at home I have no way of knowing what skills they require. Insist that your child try
every
question. Just saying I don't know and leaving it blank tells me nothing. However if I can see their
attempts I am able to better help them.
Finally and most important, I am striving to ensure that all students achieve success. I encourage
them to learn in their own ways and to develop their own methods and procedures.
What topics are covered in Social?
The grade five social studies program focuses on Canadian Identity.
I have broken the program down into a number of big ideas that we will be focusing on:
1. Identity
2. Canada's Physical Identity
3. Historical Events that shaped Canada's Multicultural Identity
4. Being Canadian
5. Refining Canada's Identity
6. Caring for Canada
Where can I get more information on the curriculum?
Grade 5
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/parents/handbooks/summaries/5bro.pdf
Grade 6
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/parents/handbooks/summaries/6bro.pdf
Why is there homework?
I would like to solicit your support in helping establish good homework habits.
I believe that homework is important because it is a valuable aid in helping
students make the most of their experiences in school. I assign homework
because it reinforces what has been learned in class, prepares students for
upcoming lessons, teaches responsibility and independence, and helps students
develop positive study habits. If at anytime you feel that your child has too
much homework please feel free to call and discuss this with me.
How do we know what homework our child has?
Students will be recording their homework each day in their "daytimer". I will
initial the students' entries at the end of the day and I ask that you also
initial the daytimer each evening over the "initials" blank so we know that
you have seen it. Please help your child get into the habit of carrying their
daytimer back and forth every day. There is a space under each date for
parent/teacher communication, and I�ll check it each morning for notes from you
as well.
If there is a legitimate reason (illness, for example) why a student is unable
to finish a homework assignment, the parent must send a note to me on the day
the homework is due, stating the reason it was not completed.
I feel that parents are the keys to making homework a positive experience for
their children. Therefore, I ask that parents make it a top priority providing
the necessary homework supplies and a quiet environment in which to study. I
recommend that parents set aside a specific time each day for homework to be
completed. Parents should provide praise and support for all homework efforts,
but should not allow children to avoid homework or to do it for them.