Year 6 Home Learning Statements
Term Two
Reading
This term, students are focussing on the reading signposts. These are features in a text that alert readers to significant moments in a work of literature and encourage them to read closely. This allows for in depth analysis and comprehension.
The fiction signposts are:
- Contrast and contradictions
- Aha moments
- Tough questions
- Words of wisdom
- Memory moment
- Again and again
The non- fiction signposts are:
- Contrast and contradictions
- Number and stats
- Extreme language
- Quoted words
- Word gaps
- Three big questions
Students will continue to work on and practise their literature circle roles and engage in weekly meetings, participating in robust and insightful conversations about their assigned novel.
To support this learning at home:
- Question your child about any literature they are reading, ask them to give you a brief summary of the key events.
- Encourage your child to read a variety of literature.
- Have discussions with your child about what they have read and encourage them to ask questions and pose wonderings.
- Encourage your child to research and find the definition of unknown words.
- Discuss with your child what role they are currently assigned for Literature Circles and what that entails.
Writing
In writing this term, students are focussing on science fiction texts. Students will be analysing the elements included in a sci-fi setting, as well as the role the protagonist and antagonist characters play, and their importance to the storyline.
The important features of sci fi texts are:
- Must include elements of science and technology
- The story has a focus on a ‘what if’ question
- Includes an orientation, complication and a resolution
Throughout the term, students will plan, draft, edit and publish their science fiction narratives. Students will be given opportunities to work with their peers to provide timely, relevant and constructive feedback, which will assist with future goal setting and editing their texts.
To support this learning at home:
- Watch sci-fi movies and discuss what makes them part of the sci-fi genre.
- Encourage your child to read books of the sci-fi genre.
- Ask your child about the difference between sci-fi and fantasy.
- You may encourage your child to think of some ‘What if’ questions that match the sci-fi genre.
- You may encourage your child to write a sci-fi narrative at home.
Mathematics
In Number this term, students are focussing on multiplication, division, fractions and decimals.
Students will be continuing to strengthen their number process knowledge by practising and finding the most efficient strategies to solve multiplication and division problems, and explore how they are interrelated. Students will work on demonstrating equivalences in fractions and decimals and how to locate them on a number line. They will be given opportunities to solve decimal and fraction problems using the four number processes.
In Non-Number this term, students are focussing on data and graphing. Students will be given opportunities to develop their knowledge through the use of project-based tasks, which will follow a process of explore, explain and elaborate.
During these projects, students will work on developing themselves as mathematicians through problem solving. They will be given opportunities to:
- Work together to pose and refine research questions
- Develop a plan
- Conduct experiments to collect reliable data
- Explore trial and error
- Compare and interpret data and review their answers
To support this learning at home:
- Encourage your child to teach you a strategy they like to use to solve multiplication and division problems.
- Create a list of the timetables facts (even beyond 12) and have students practise them.
- Encourage your child to follow a recipe to cook. Get them to identify the fractions of quantities that are used for ingredients e.g. one third of a cup.
- Ask your child to calculate the total weekly shopping bill, focussing on the use of decimals in dollars and cents.
- Encourage your child to identify everyday situations where data is collected and used i.e., sports, economics, etc, and discuss interpreting the data. What can you learn/take away from that data?
- Ask your child to share with you their project question and discuss what their proposed plan is to solving their problem.
Term One
Reading
Students are focusing on establishing our Literature Circle processes. In groups, the students have selected a text and will meet weekly to share and discuss their understandings with a focus on higher level thinking skills. As part of this process students are assigned a role which helps them analyse the text in a meaningful way.
Throughout the literature circle meetings, students will develop their ability to cohesively work in a group and challenge each other’s thoughts and ideas. The Literature Circle roles are listed below. These assigned roles will change across the term.
- Summariser
- Questioner
- Literary Luminary
- Word Wizard
- Visualiser
- Connector
To support this learning at home:
- Question your child about any literature they are reading, ask them to give you a brief summary of the key events.
- Encourage your child to read a variety of literature.
- Have discussions with your child about what they have read and encourage them to ask questions and pose wonderings.
- Encourage your child to research and find the definition for words they are unsure of.
- Discuss with your child what role they are currently assigned for Literature Circles and what that entails.
Writing
In writing this term, students are focusing on debates. We began identifying the structure and use of persuasive devices that are used to sway opinion. As part of this unit, students will explore how a debate is structured and view different debates to gain an understanding of what makes a debate successful. Students will plan, draft, edit and perform debates on a given topic.
Important features of a debate:
- Organisation and clarity.
- Arguments are supported by evidence.
- Rebuttals.
- Presentation style – tone of voice, expression and body language.
Through the process of conferencing with the teacher and participating in a mock debate, individual goals will be set. Examples of these goals are; elaborating on arguments in greater detail, considering the other team’s point of view, developing confidence when arguing a topic, the use of text specific vocabulary, and working on structuring a rebuttal.
To support this learning at home:
- Encourage your child to verbally persuade you to let them do something (increase pocket money, play with a friend) with justifiable and valid arguments.
- Create a conversation around interesting topics, such as riding to school is better than driving. Have them list reasons for both sides of the argument.
- Discuss examples of persuasive texts in our everyday life e.g. advertisements on TV or print media.
- Discuss persuasive devices (alliteration, facts, opinions, repetition/ rhetorical questions, emotive words, statistics, triples) and ask them to give examples.
Mathematics
In number this term, students are exploring number properties and using efficient mental and written strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems. The areas we are focussing on include:
- Prime, composite, square and triangular numbers.
- Factors and multiples.
- Addition and subtraction strategies; split, compensation, bridging, jump and hop and the written algorithm.
- Positive and negative numbers.
In measurement, students are learning how to convert between different units of measurement (mm, cm, m, km). Students will develop their understanding of how to calculate the perimeter and area of everyday objects. This may include using formulas to assist calculations.
To support this learning at home:
- Encourage your child to mentally add the total cost of your shopping list.
- Create a ‘wish list’ of items your child could buy and estimate and round the total amount.
- Encourage your child to add and subtract the score of their favourite sporting games to find the totals and differences.
- Ask your child to teach you the warm up games they have been playing in class such as Target Number, Follow My Number and Numble.
- Calculate the perimeter and area of spaces around the house.
- Practise converting between different units of measurement, for example, measure the heights of your family members and convert those measurements to mm, cm and m.