Sample Lesson Video – Level 6

Level 6 – Sample PDFs

• LEVEL 6 SECOND EDITION TEXTBOOK SAMPLE
• LEVEL 6 ASSESSMENT/RESOURCE SAMPLE
• LEVEL 6 34-WEEK PLAN
• Alternative Instructional Strategies – PDF

Frequently Asked Questions About Level 6 Writing Curriculum

How old are level 6 students?

Level 6 students are usually 11 years old or 12 years old. Students may be older or younger depending on if the student is a gifted writer or a struggling writer.

What are the 6th level writing standards?

Level 6 writing standards will prepare students for middle school level writing. Level 6 solidifies foundational grammatical skills with more complexity and greater emphasis on application than the earlier elementary level. Students will cultivate new stylistic approaches such as developing a hook in the introduction and including dialogue in personal narrative writing to better elicit audience engagement and develop ideas with greater specificity. Students will practice working through the writing process in a variety of writing modes including narrative, persuasive, compare/contrast, descriptive, and research writing.

What is the 6th grade homeschool writing curriculum?

In homeschool, 6th grade writing curriculum consists of online video lessons, a student textbook/workbook, and an answer key. Parents use this homeschool writing curriculum to guide their students through grammar and writing for the 6th grade. Sixth grade students should already have a basic understanding of grammar, how to write sentences and a basic paragraph, and the basic concept of beginning, middle, and end in writing.

Why Choose Essentials in Writing?

6th Grade as a Full Writing Curriculum

* A full year of language arts instruction
* Grammar instruction
* Writing instruction
* Short lessons keep students engaged
* Student-paced allows for student independence
* Includes all graphic organizers and activities
* Includes sample answers for every step of the writing process including final composition samples for each composition
* Engaging instruction
* Watch the lessons as many times as needed
* No parent teaching necessary
* Pre-made lesson planning available

6th Grade Writing as a Tutoring Program

* Choose how much or how little the student completes
* Focus on specific writing deficits
* Watch the lessons as many times as needed to achieve mastery
* No parent teaching necessary
* Sample writing provided for each composition to compare the student’s work to

What is Included in the Workbook and Assessment/Resource Book?

6th Grade Writing Workbook

* Lesson content that accompanies the video lesson
* Lesson activities that accompany the video lesson
* Writing graphic organizers that accompany the video lesson
* Separate parent/teacher handbook
* How to use the program
* 34-week lesson planning option
* Writing icon descriptions
* Sample answers for each lesson

6th Grade Writing Assessment (A) / Resource Book (R)

* (A) Multiple choice, underline, fill-in-the-blank assessments for each mini section of the grammar unit
* (A) Composition assessments for each composition completed in the workbook
* (A) Unit One and Unit Two comprehensive assessments
* (R) Extra graphic organizers
* (R) Extra writing checklists
* (R) Additional word lists

Assessment/resource book will provide students the opportunity to show what information they are retaining. Although some parents/teachers use the assessments as actual evaluations, others use them as extra practice. The additional word lists are valuable in improving student vocabulary.

What if I have multiple students?

Additional 6th grade writing workbooks can be purchased to provide a workbook for another child/student. The workbook does not have additional information and is just another core workbook for another student so that each student has their own workbook to use.

What should a grade 6 homeschool student know by the end of the year?

Students completing 6th grade year successfully should have mastered a number of skills and writing techniques.

* Identify and apply basic parts of speech in writing
* Identify and correct common writing problems
* Use writing techniques to communicate effectively in written language
* Identify and use a number of clauses to develop quality sentence structures
* Apply and use common figurative language in written expression
* Follow the writing process to communicate in paragraphs, narratives, letters, and essays
* Know and understand how to write in descriptive, expository, and persuasive writing
* Know and understand how to use strong details and examples to support opinions in writing
* Identify audience and purpose
* Use graphic organizers effectively to organize writing content
* Know how to choose an appropriate writing form
* Understand informal and formal writing
* Know and understand effective writing skills: strong details, transitions, beginning/middle/end concept, logical sequence of events, variety of sentence structure, effective use of dialogue, and effective use of figurative language
* Research a topic, paraphrase content, and include multiple small compositions in a research project

What is included in unit one and two?

Unit One covers basic grammar instruction with activities where students learn to identify and apply parts of speech, to identify and correct common problems in writing, and to use parts of speech along with a variety of sentence structures and figurative language as tools for effective communication.

Unit Two covers the writing process for multiple compositions as well as how to communicate effectively in written language in a variety of styles and formats. The unit ends with a full research project.

Does each unit come with worksheets and tests?

Both units are included in the 6th grade writing curriculum workbook/textbook. This book contains instructional content as well as all worksheet activities related to both units (grammar and composition). An assessment/resource book is available for purchase to accompany the workbook/textbook and includes a variety of assessments in different formats as well as additional resources such as graphic organizers and word lists.

Does the workbook include a daily/weekly curriculum planner?

Each level of Essentials in Writing includes a 34-week suggested, yet optional, lesson planner.

How much time will students need to complete a course?

The time needed to complete the 6th grade writing curriculum is a typical academic year (I.e. 34 weeks). If students follow the 34-week plan included, they will complete individual lessons and activities five days per week; however, because the lessons are broken up into small, daily mini-lessons, students can double up on some lessons and activities and complete the entire course over an academic year on a four day school week.

How are tests and assignments graded?

An answer key is presented in the back of the included parent/teacher handbook. For compositions, sample answers of each step of the writing process and a final sample composition are presented to parents/teachers for comparison purposes. Checklists are included to be sure the student met the composition requirements. Parents/teachers use the checklists and sample compositions to “grade” their student’s work.