Rationale for a 6th grade Reading Curriculum
“No subject of study is more important than reading…all other intellectual powers
depend on it.” (Barzun, 1991, from Schmoker 2011)
Sixth grade students enter IS 52 with a variety of skills, talents, perspectives of the world,
and expectations about school. As they learn to negotiate a new school and new routines,
sixth grade students must also continue to grow academically. A reading curriculum
which is rich in classical literature encourages thinking, discussion, and self-awareness.
This curriculum serves a dual purpose: understanding and learning as well as to
encourage students to become global learners and thinkers.
The goal of this curriculum is to broaden students’ view of the world by exploring a
range of work that crosses different cultures, time periods, and genres. As our world
becomes increasingly connected through technology, there is a great need for students to
understand different perspectives and world views. Reading the literature of this
curriculum is intended to expand students’ insight of the world in which they live.
Through this curriculum students will learn to read texts in depth, explore literary
elements, and learn skills and strategies which will enable them to become independent
readers and thinkers. The ability to gain understanding from texts and critically evaluate
the information read will be modeled and taught. Making connections between what is
read and a student’s own prior knowledge will be encouraged. Students will be taught to
make inferences about the material they read and to think critically. They will learn to
support their thinking and arguments with evidence gleaned from their reading and
research. Students will be exposed to a variety of genres: poetry, short stories, drama,
and non-fiction. Performance tasks will be produced that require:
 Analysis of themes, characterization, important ideas of the text, and
structure of the text
 Interpretation of symbolism, quotes, and word choice
 Evaluation of arguments and information presented
 Generate their own point of view and be able to defend it
These learning goals and tasks will be scaffolded so that it will be accessible to all
students.
“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and
finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment
you die, is a process of learning. “ Jiddu Krishnamurti
Sources:
Beers, Kylene (2003) When Kids Can’t Read what Teachers Can Do
New York State Common Core Standards
Schmoker, Mike (2011) Focus