South Dakota ELA 6.L.3.b
The Standard
- 6.L.3
- Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Recognize variations from standard or formal English in writing and speaking, determine their appropriateness for the intended purpose and audience, and make changes as necessary.
South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students notice when wording differs from formal English in speech or writing. They decide whether it fits the audience and purpose, then revise it if needed.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can explain why 'Can u send it?' works in a text to a friend but not in an email to the principal. They can rewrite the request without changing its meaning.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may call a home dialect incorrect instead of asking whether it fits the situation. They may replace one slang word but leave the rest of a formal email too casual.
How to Assess It
- Ask students to rewrite 'Hey, can u send me the field trip form?' as an email to the principal. Have them explain one change they made.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Sort printed message cards by audience, such as a friend, principal, or story reader, then revise one card for a different audience.
Show two invitations to the same event and ask, 'Which belongs in the school newsletter, and what wording tells you?'
Play Audience Switch: draw a message card and an audience card, then rewrite the message to fit.
Compare a bus delay notice with a group chat about the delay, then write a version for families.
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