Fall Homeschool Writing Courses

While it might feel too early to plan for fall courses, I wanted to make sure families had a sense of some of my offerings before the fall is upon us.

These are some of the classes I am hoping to offer. I usually run classes if I can get at least four students to register.

DROP OFF ELA and THEATER PROGRAM


TUESDAY Mornings-Early Afternoon
Descriptions and Pricing Below


Schedule

3rd/ 4th Grade
9:15-10:45 Writing Class
11:00-12:00 Theater Class
2:00-12:30 Lunch

5th/6th Grade
11:00-12:00 Theater Class
12:00-12:30 Lunch
12:30-2:00 Writing Class

Moving from the perfect paragraph to the essay
Tuesdays 9:15-10:45
(12 week fall session total -Sept 27- -Dec 14)
$
40 per week - One-semester commitment.

Students (ages 9-11) in this course will work on sentence-level skills to craft perfect paragraphs with strong structure, flow, and voice. Students will use topics of their choice and be motivated by high-interest materials presented in class. By engaging young minds, this course prompts younger writers to want to tell the world what they know. From this motivation, we will begin to build paragraphs into longer pieces of 2-3 paragraphs - learning the basics of intro and conclusion paragraphs, but not making them central to our essay craft. Rather, the focus will be on how a writer moves from topic to topic within and between paragraphs. Students will focus on fun topics while learning the essentials of sequence, compare & contrast, and description. As we focus on structure of larger pieces, we will also cover the essential grammar and syntax for strong craft. Shorter exercises will help students practice skills in isolation that they will move into their longer pieces.

THEATER COMPONENT TO ELA CLASS:
11am-12pm Tuesdays
$50 a month to take part in theater portion of the class

In order to give the kids a chance to build community, the class will also include theater and lunch. The theater class will be taught by another homeschool mom, Dana Moore. Dana is new to Boston, but ran a homeschool group for 4 years in CA, which incorporated plays related to academic subjects. The play for the first half of the year is called "The Pirates of Grammar Island" and will reinforce the topics from writing class. The plays are very humorous and low-key, but are a great way to give the kids a chance to collaborate and have fun together! The theater portion of the class will be combined with both age groups, 2nd-5th grade, with a small performance for the families midyear. Here is a link to a sample of the play: https://www.badwolfpress.com/pirates-from-grammar-island-musical-play

Moving from the Perfect Paragraph to the Essay
Tuesdays 12:30-2:00
(12 week fall session total -Sept 27- -Dec 14)
$
40 per week - One-semester commitment.

Students in this course will practice many of the same skills as the morning group of younger writers; however we will move bit more quickly through paragraph structure as a review and launch into larger pieces more quickly even as we continue to work on sentence level skills. Emphasizing strong structure, flow, and voice, this class helps students to develop an eye for revision of their craft. Students will use topics of their choice and be motivated by high interest materials presented in class. By engaging young minds, this course prompts younger writers to want to tell the world what they know. From this motivation, we will begin to build paragraphs into longer pieces of 4-5 paragraphs - diving into the basics os intro and conclusion paragraphs to bookend their central content. Students will focus on fun topics while learning the essentials of sequence, compare & contrast, description, opinion writing, and the expository essay. As we focus on structure of larger pieces, we will also cover the essential grammar and syntax for strong craft. Shorter exercises will help students practice skills in isolation that they will move into their longer pieces.

Other Offering


Times To Be Determined Based on Interested Families

Slinky Sentences to Perfect Paragraphs
DATE AND TIME TBD - seeking input

(12 weeks - Sept 27-Dec 14)
$30 a week - One-semester commitment.

Learning to love language and use that love to awe an audience, young writers (early elementary ages 7-9) in this class will play with words and craft longer pieces that stem from their personal inspiration. The focus for us in this class will be the makings of great sentences with rich language and using those sentences skills to build paragraphs.

**When enrolled in classes, students can add additional support hours each month via zoom or in-person at a discounted rate.

Middle School Writing
DAY AND TIME TO BE DETERMINED - seeking input

16 weeks in the fall (Sept 27-Jan 31)
$40 per week

In this class, students (ages 12-14) will work on different types of reviews, vignettes, literary essay, and feature article. Students always have a choice of topics and bring their personal interests to the class. Using the adolescent desire to be taken seriously and have their interests respected, I help students harness their passions into written language. Students will learn the structure and craft of each genre, drilling down into sentence-level techniques that add voice (diction, syntax, tone, imagery).  With an emphasis on the writing process, this class will take students through the steps on working toward their personal best. Students should have some experience with essay writing or at least a strong understanding of paragraph. If your child is not ready for this, consider reaching out, and I may be able to craft a 6th/7th-grade group to create a bridge for a spring course at this level. A spring course (Feb 7- June 13) that adds to this course will teach narrative essay (think college application essay writing), argument, and a research paper.