Common Questions about the Sixth Grade

Common Questions about the Sixth Grade

Kids aren't the only ones wondering about the upcoming school year. Here are some questions that parents often ask.

How much homework should my child expect?

Should my child be using a computer?

When should my child begin studying a foreign language?

Are field trips a good use of class time?

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What's the right size for my child's class?

Parents of children in the intermediate grades often ask how large or small the class should be. Parents have an intuitive sense that the class should be small during the earliest years of school, from kindergarten through third grade. But class size is also very important throughout the intermediate and middle school grades. Ideally, a sixth grade classroom should have fewer than 25 children. Class size should be designed to allow plenty of individual attention. The more attention the teacher can give to each child, and the more experiences the teacher can help each child have, the better. As class size goes beyond 25 students, the potential for individual interaction decreases considerably.

My experience is that as class size goes beyond 25 children -- which is too often the norm -- the classroom becomes a less rich environment for each child. Teachers and parents need to become more vocal about the importance of class size in these intermediate and middle school years.

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Copyright 1994 by Chelsea House Publishers, a division of Main Line Book Co. All rights reserved.