Recommended Grades: 5th - 7th Graders
Course Outline: We'll be following the Alaska Writing Standards for 5th - 7th Grade, adjusting as per the grade level. Throughout the years, your child will work on narrative, informative, and opinion writing. It's important to note that as they progress, the standards and expectations will become more advanced. While the content covered in class will be the same for all students, when it comes to editing and revising their papers, they'll receive feedback tailored to their specific grade level.
Times: 9:45 to 11:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays for 15 weeks
Starts Monday, January 6th to April 16th. If any classes need to be made up as a group, they will be tacked on to the end of the semester.
Cost: $900 - Includes all materials
Located: at 1625 West Edlund Road in Wasilla
What Will Be Covered:
1. Writing Arguments: Supporting Claims with Clarity and Evidence
a. Introduce Claim(s) and Organize Clearly:
Your child will learn to present a clear claim and organize supporting reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support Claims with Accuracy:
They'll use accurate and relevant evidence from credible sources, showcasing a deep understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use Language to Clarify Relationships:
Expect your child to employ words, phrases, and clauses effectively to clarify relationships among claims and reasons.
d. Maintain a Formal Style:
Developing a formal writing style will be emphasized to enhance the overall quality of their arguments.
e. Provide a Strong Conclusion:
They'll learn to wrap up their arguments with a concluding statement or section that logically follows from the presented argument.
2. Writing Informative/Explanatory Texts: Exploring Topics with Depth
a. Introduce, Organize, and Enhance Understanding:
Your child will practice introducing a topic, organizing ideas effectively using strategies like classification and comparison, and incorporating visual aids for comprehension.
b. Develop with Relevant Facts and Details:
They'll master the skill of developing topics by including relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, and examples.
c. Use Transitions for Clarity:
Expect them to utilize appropriate transitions to ensure a smooth flow between ideas and concepts.
d. Precise Language and Vocabulary:
Your child will employ precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to effectively inform or explain the chosen topic.
e. Maintain a Formal Style:
Emphasis on a formal writing style will continue to be a focus for informative/explanatory texts.
f. Provide a Strong Conclusion:
Similar to argument writing, they'll learn to conclude informative/explanatory texts with a statement or section that logically follows from the information presented.
Additional Information:
Students will be encouraged to type their papers using Google Documents and bring a laptop to school if possible.
Each week, students will focus on a different writing trait using the Daily 6-Trait Writing for 6th Grade by Evan Moore.
Parent Involvement for Writing
Since we only meet twice a week, it’s beneficial for your student if you check in with them regularly to review their progress and discuss the writing process at home. This helps to reinforce and solidify the information they learn in class.
While the final grade is provided based on the Alaska State Standards for Writing, I strive to meet children where they are in their individual writing journeys. Sometimes, I provide suggestions that are above grade level. This is intentional, as it gives students additional challenges to work on while others are engaged with different tasks. At other times, my feedback may be below grade level, designed to help students catch up on essential skills.
If at any point the work feels too challenging or overwhelming, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I do my best to tailor instruction to meet the needs of each student, but as I don’t see the majority of the work being done at home, your insights and involvement are invaluable.
Registration: If you are associated with a homeschool program and would like me to direct bill the school, please put your homeschool in the PROMO code section of registration (the homeschool will be all one word, no spaces, and no characters). I will follow up with another email with the appropriate form. If you need to, you are more than welcome to email Matsulearnandisnpire@gmail.com to register.
I am a direct bill vendor with the following homeschool programs: Mat-Su Central, IDEA, CyberLynx, Raven, PACE, Twindly Bridge, Denali Peak, and Totem.
Disclaimer:
Please note, once you commit to attending the workshop, the cost of the workshop will be deducted from your student's allotment. Workshop costs are refundable until 7 days before the event. Please contact me via email at: Matsulearnandinsipire@gmail.com, as soon as possible if you are unable to attend the workshop, and I will make every effort to fill your spot with another student and refund your allotment account. Thank you!