Sixth grade Curriculum - Foreign Language

Sixth Grade Curriculum - Foreign Language

Ok, parents, by now , the sixth grade year, you have probably considered  adding a foreign language to your child's homeschool curriculum. Most high school and university curricula require a foreign language as part of graduation requirements. Because elementary school is a very general course of study it is often not where foreign language study is started. Now your student is in middle school and it is time to start the second language study. First, you should consider what language your child will learn. If there are family ties to a language other than English then your choice may be easy. If not, then the choice might be made with consideration to what foreign language the parents have studied. Consider that some courses of study will allow Latin as the second language, especially if your child is aiming toward a medical field. Another language that is becoming more accepted is American Sign Language. Some high school and university courses of study will accept ASL as a second language because it behaves like a language different from English. ASL has grammatical and syntactical differences from English. Before beginning ASL as a second language, check with the programs your child is most likely to enter later on to see if it will be accepted as a language credit. Sometimes learning the grammar of another language such as one of the Romance languages helps children who are having difficulty with grammar in English. Finally, remember that it is never too early to undertake the learning of a second language so get started!

Sixth grade Curriculum - Life in a digital age

Sixth grade curriculum - Life in a digital age

Regardless of whether your sixth grade curriculum is all text books and workbooks, hand written journals and chalk boards, there is one thing that your child will not be able to avoid forever and that is technology. Many students have already stepped into the technology era without hesitation. This may be one of the first generations where students are more dependent on the computer and the internet than on paper resources. I know that my daughter’s homeschool curriculum is online, and we do only the bare minimum of paper based schooling. With that being said, your child is going to need tools to deal with the technology. One of the things your student needs to be doing by the sixth grade is keyboarding. Being able to type effectively instead of “hunt and peck” typing is a skill that will serve your child well as they continue in their academic career. There are many programs and even some typing games that can help your child learn.  Another thing that is of great use to students, making research easier is to be able to search the internet effectively and safely. There is a world of videos, online lectures, resources, and printables available on the internet. For internet safety for kids, it is important that they spell search terms correctly, and are reminded not to share personal information over the internet. Remind them that anyone they meet online might not be who they seem, and that the “x” at the top of the screen is a way to get out of situations that might be inappropriate. In addition to giving your student technology tools, and reminding them of safety procedures, don’t hesitate to monitor their activity online.