Mrs. Gilbert's LA Page

Welcome to my web page! Below you will find lots of great information and resources to help make this a successful and fun year in 5th grade LA. Please click on words and pictures below to access information for each of the LA subject areas, plus helpful websites and extra resources.

Check out my photos under the Gallery listed on the main screen!

READING

LITERARY ELEMENTS (CLICK HERE)

This week we are reading "The Case of The Secret Message" in LITERACY PLACE - a collection of short stories in a textbook that we keep in class (class set). Students will take an open book test over the short story on Thursday, January 7th. We will continue to read stories from this book for the next several weeks as well as completing other short Reading Comprehension lessons.

Book Projects 2009-2010

(Click here for schedule)

Fantasy Dioramas and Summary Cards are due Friday. Please DO  NOT send them in early - I have nowhere to keep them all. Students will receive new guidelines for the next book project next week. Students will choose either a Non-Fiction or Biography book and the project will be a brochure.

Fantasy Book Project Guidelines

 WRITING

This week we have completed a poem for "Cures for a Boring Day" and students are working on Snowman Simile and Metaphor poems. In two weeks, we will begin Imaginative Stories.

SPELLING

I will be giving out two different lists that reflect the Spelling Level determined by the Spelling Inventory students took earlier this year. Eventually we will go to 3 groups as I am able to monitor their growth and progress. A new list will be given out in two weeks on Thursday, January 21st. The next test will be January 27th. This is due to the half days next week and the short week the following week. After that, we should be back on schedule with spelling tests every other week.

"Words Their Way" is a new program for us but many of our district Elementary Schools have been using it with great success. We are excited to have it available to use with our students at EIS this year. More information was provided about this program at Curriculum Night. Your child was given a Spelling Inventory Test to determine his/her Spelling strengths and weaknesses. This inventory will help us determine the proper word list/level for each child. It will take me several weeks to get the inventory grading done as it is very detailed (it looks at what types of mistakes the kids make - ex. prefixes, suffixes, blends, diagraphs etc. for EACH word the kids spelled - 31 words)

GRAMMAR

Next week on the half-days, I will be giving a Grammar Test over what we have learned so far this year - What is a sentence, Four Kinds of Sentences, Simple and Complete Subjects and Predicates, Nouns, Pronouns, Prepositions, and Action Verbs. Students will be reviewing tomorrow and Monday. A study packet will be provided. We will also take a practice test on Monday so the students will be familiar with the mulitple choice format. This will be shorter than the actual test but will allow them to feel more comfortable with the upcoming test. Hardin's Homeroom will take the test on Wednesday, January 13th, Gilbert's Homeroom on Thursday, January 14th and Hunt's Homeroom on Friday, January 15th.

You will notice the Grammar workbook coming home for homework a couple of times per week. This is to provide practice over new concepts that have been taught. Students will receive a completion grade of 100% for completing the HW. Then, in class, they will participate in checking and correcting their own work so that they may further understand the concepts taught. Further assessment (graded) will be done in the classroom in the form of tests, quizzes and projects. HW is intended to provide a deeper understanding through practice. Your child should not spend more than 20 minutes on his/her Grammar HW. I am always available to assist him/her the next day in class if he/she has reached the frustration level. I just ask that the student make an honest effort to complete the work.

 INTERNET RESOURCES AND EXTRA PRACTICE

 

 Don't forget to click here to check out great websites to improve Reading, Grammar and keyboarding!