Language Arts with Mrs. Sayeed

 Welcome to Eighth Grade Language Arts. 
I believe that what defines us as an intelligent species is our ability to communicate our reasoning and ideas to others so that we all grow.  I passionately feel that communication skills used effectively and successfully will help our children create a world where they attempt- and succeed, to understand, connect and prosper as a world community.

Language is power and the better we are able to communicate with others, the more powerful we are as individuals.  I look forward to learning and working with your child as we explore and develop this invaluable skill!

The following are some of the ways we will hone our communication skills.  As you can see, reading, writing, art, and history are completely integrated in order to provide a deeper learning experience.  Different routines and methods will be used throughout the school year. 

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There are two, 40 minute periods of Language Arts each day (ten periods each week).  The instruction settings listed below will be integrated in a manner that facilitates a thorough, differentiated and engaging Language Arts experience.

Use the following information as a springboard for dialogue at home!

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Vocabulary:
One of the major differences between an adult and a child’s communication abilities is the sophistication and precision in their use of language.  Please ask your child to share their vocabulary notebooks with you!  As we read, we are authentically investigating words we want to integrate into our own vocabulary.  Students are doing everything from investigating etymology to drawing a visual representation of the word in order to remember the definition or spelling of the word.  Monthly tests will be given to show mastery of the words.

Reader’s Workshop:
Developing and maintaining the habit of relaxing and reading is absolutely essential!  We are providing about two class periods each week to facilitate the practicing of what proficient, sophisticated readers do in their heads as the read.  I conference with individual readers to discuss their favorite genres/texts, challenges in their personal reading, etc.

Our World Discussions:
Students are required to read newspapers about three times each week.  We each will have an article that we think is an issue that needs to be discussed.  Each student lays the foundation for the discussion so that the whole group may have an effective discussion experience.

Communication Through Art:
In today’s world, communication occurs through a variety of media.  Reading and writing are simply a part of this communication.  Each week, students engage in discussion on one piece of art.  Students use observations and background knowledge to deepen their understanding of the setting, events in the artwork, and the artist’s message.

Writing Workshop:
Students are writing to develop sophisticated communication skills.  We will focus on a different genre of writing during each trimester.  We use the six-trait model to develop thoughtful, thought provoking and high quality writing.  Our first piece of writing was a friendly letter that helped others understand us.  Next, we worked on a writing piece that flashes forward twenty years into our future and then flashes back to one memory that may have formed who we may be.  We used technology and put our narrative into a Photo Story to share with each other. 

During the second and third trimesters, students will be exposed to persuasive writing; editorial cartoons, book/movie reviews, controversial issues stance, etc., and expository writing in the form of news stories.

Students are expected to have access to word processing.  If they do not have access at home, laptops and PCs are available daily in the classroom or in the computer lab.

Literary Letters:
Students are using the text/novel they are currently reading to highlight and write about one literary concept.  Students may focus on the mood of the text, the author’s message/theme, irony, or try to analyze one of the characters.  Literary Letters help us deepen our understanding of the text and our connections to it.

Socratic Seminar:
We use a variety of texts within diverse genres to provide students with the opportunity for discussion.  Students are required to read and prepare for discussion. They then decide, as a group, which questions to ponder and how to run the discussion.  Written responses are due after the discussion.

Book Discussion Groups:
Text studies through discussions and tasks will be conducted two times throughout the school year.  Students will choose a text from a selection that connects literacy and Social Science.  Thy will then meet as a group with others who have chosen the same text.  Students will go through a series of discussions, individual tasks, and group assignments in order to deepen their understanding of the text, the author’s message, U.S. History during this time period, etc.

Book Discussion units may last for three weeks at a time.

Read Aloud:
Reading aloud is an important component of any effective Language Arts class. Teachers are able to model everything from fluency to what proficient readers do as they read.  We stop to think, ask questions, and wonder about the author’s message, etc. On top of all of this- everyone enjoys listening to a great story out loud at some point or another!

All homework and important Sayeed links are on blackboard.  You may reach Blackboard from the Kennedy homepage at http://www.ncusd203.org/kennedy.  Your child has the user info and password.

Please contact me at dilarasayeed@ncusd203.org or 630-420-3220 ext. 5622. 

You may also visit the STARS Team website at http://www.ncusd203.org/kennedy/teams/star/ for more information.