Language Arts Update: September 2025
Sixth Grade (Cilla)
This month, 6th graders have been sharing their reading histories. They exchanged memories of picture books and chapter books and made lists of their favorite titles.
Last week, students narrowed these lists down to their top ten texts. We discussed how the term text is broader than a book. It encompasses media beyond the written word, such as film, songs, poems, visual art, tv shows, and other performances.
This week, students are writing a short reflection on each text in their list, explaining its significance in their life. These will be illustrated on a “Textual Lineage poster” in recognition of Dr. Alfred Tatum, who developed the idea of textual lineage to acknowledge the lasting impact certain texts have in shaping our identity as readers and thinkers.
I love starting the year off with this project! Discussing our favorite books helps us get to know each other and inspires us to read more regularly.
For our all-class read aloud, 6A chose The House in the Cerulean Sea, and 6B chose Sal And Gabi Break the Universe. Students are keeping a reading log of their choice-books at the back of their Language Arts notebooks and will soon be choosing a 6th grade reading goal, perhaps committing to read more than they did in 5th grade, or to read a wider variety of authors or genres, or more challenging books.
Seventh and Eighth Grade (Lisa)
It has been so great to have our eighth-grade students back in class and to finally have the opportunity to hang out with seventh-graders regularly for the first time! After completing some pre-assessments and initial “get to know you” assignments in both grades, I’m getting a strong sense of who our students are as individuals and as EW students, and what sorts of academic challenges and supports will best serve them.
Next up, I’m excited to dive into our always-engaging Banned Books unit in 7th and to see how 8th graders grow their close reading and analysis skills in our Short Stories and Narrative Identity unit.
We’re off to a strong start, and I’d like to highlight ways families can support their language arts students as we dive deeper into the academic year at EW.
One of the most important things you can do for your students is to help them develop a regular reading practice if they don’t already have one. Regular time spent reading (audiobooks count!) is a strong predictor of student success in language arts. Although students gain impressive benefits from a robust independent reading practice, in recent decades, readership has gone down amongst young people. If you have a reluctant reader, check out these articles for ideas on how to nurture reading at home. There really is something for everyone out there!
If your student balks at sitting and reading, please give audiobooks a try. We can help - most books are available via our account on Learning Ally. Encourage them to listen while they walk the dog or do chores around the house. The sitting is often the hardest part for some students! Additionally, encourage your student to try several books to find something they engage with before giving up.
I love to give book recommendations, and you can also find lots of inspiration at library websites, such as “Your Next Five Books” at Seattle Public Library or the many, many book lists at King County Library. By the time they leave EW, our hope is that they can describe the kinds of books they enjoy and have the tools to seek them out on their own. And if your student doesn’t already have their own library card, please seek one out at your local library! It will allow them access to e-books and audiobooks they can use at school, as well as so many other resources.
Thank you for sharing your young people with us – I really have such a great job, and it’s because your students are so fabulous. Here’s to a great year!
