Sixth Grade Monthly Newsletter
September
Dear Parents/ Guardians and Family,
I am excited to start this new year in sixth
grade. The goal for your student is to develop
social and personal life skills such as asking
questions, learning organization, learning
responsibility, and working as a team member as
well as independently through the assignments
and projects assigned for each project.
We will also need parent support to help your
student. Please talk to your child about the
importance that his or her participation takes in
their own education. I will be sending homework
assignments and activities that will allow you to
interact with your student and know the things
he or she is learning in school.
Please feel free to e-mail me any questions,
as I am here to help guide you and your child as
they prepare for next year.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Carranza
http://www.graniteschools.org/mathvocabulary/vocabulary-cards/
MATHEMATICS
We will learn ratio reasoning to solve math
problems and how to use ratio reasoning to resolve
real-world problems.
As a project for, the students will have to pick their
favorite recipe, and convert the entire recipe for 5
people, 10 people, and for 100 people using ratio
reasoning. They will be doing this as a team in order
to foster cooperation and communication skills.
Support at Home
Talk about ratios. Help your student be aware of
the real-world use of ratios by using sentences like
there are three blankets to each bed. For every 10
pounds of watermelon we have to pay six dollars. I
will be sending a form home where they can write
ways they use ratios at home. Involve your student
when cooking and baking, so that he or she may learn
how measurements are used.
LANGUAGE ARTS
Our focus in Language Arts will be to understand
the vocabulary in a variety of contexts. We will start
by learning to use tools like dictionaries and thesaurus
to help us define single words. Students will learn
how to fill out their vocabulary notebook using their
own definitions and drawings. Students will learn
about schema and how this and context clues to help
them find meaning to academic and domain words.
 Home Support
Help your student learn the vocabulary by using
them in daily language. Use these words when doing
homework. Have fun making up songs, rhymes, or
pictures that will help your student remember their new
vocabulary words better. I will provide questions and
ideas to help the student elaborate, organize, and use
visual cues to obtain meaningful learning (Ormrod, 2014).
READING
Our reading focus will be the origin of folktales. They
will learn to read excerpts from around the world which
portray life from other cultures. Being culturally aware
will help them develop social skills. The first one we will
read this month is called The Cricket and the Jaguar
(Connect Ed, 2016), from Argentina.
As a project, I will hand out some short folktales that
your student can choose from. They are going to have to
memorize it and recite it in front of a small group of first
graders. This will also help them develop their
presentation and speaking skills in a fun, interactive way.
This will allow me to teach your student through the
multiple intelligences; visual, auditory and kinesthetic. It
is not how smart you are that matters, what really counts
is how you are smart (as cited by Terry, 2012, p. 44).
Home Support
I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to
take the time to read with your student; whether it is you
listening to him or her. It is also important for you to
know what he or she is reading to help them with their
homework. Ask them questions.
SCIENCE
We will be studying about the Sun, its energy, how it
affects life on Earth, and how the tilt of the Earth and the
Sun affect our weather. As a project, your student will
build a solar oven out of a pizza or donut box. We will be
learning about insulation and how the energy of the Sun
can be used for solar power.
Home Support
Talk to your student about the alternative
in creating energy and how pollution can
have a negative effect on our Earth. Discuss
different solutions to help with pollution and
littering. Discussing real world problems
with your student will help them to develop
cognitive thinking about abstract ideas. This
is the last step in cognitive development, as
childs thinking turns into adult-like
thinking, according to Piaget (Ormrod,
2014).
SOCIAL STUDIES
We will learn how the physical geography
of early civilizations affected their
development. As a project students, will be
assigned a region of the world and come up
with theories of where and how different
civilizations might have used the natural
resources available to the region. They will
discuss the theories with their team, and
present to the class.
Home Support
A list of books will be provided for
discussion about how civilizations are
impacted by rivers, mountains, flatlands,
weather etc.
TIPS
Vygotsky, a cognitive development
theorist, suggested that Children can
successfully learn and accomplish a task
when they are being supported and assisted
by someone more knowledgeable than they
(Ormrod, 2014). You are that knowledgeable
person who can assist your student as they
learn. Playing an active role in your child
will give them the confidence they need in
order to develop the social and personal
skills needed.
 References

ConnectED. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://connected.mcgraw-

hill.com/rd14t/dashboard.do;public=C55DBF86EA28034BEF847E0D341BF2C2-rd14

Ormrod, J.E. (2014). Cognitive and linguistic development. In J.W. Johnson (Ed.), Educational psychology:

Developing learners (8th edition). Available from http://lc.gcumedia.com/cwv101/the-beginning-of-

wisdom-an-introduction-to-christian-thought-and-life/v1.1/

Terry, L. (2012). Learning and intelligence styles. In D. Joyce (Ed.), University Success (2nd edition).

Available from http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/grand-canyon-university/2012/university-

success_ebook_2e.php

Utah Core Standards - UEN. (n.d.). Retrieved August 14, 2016, from http://www.uen.org/core/