Language Arts Microclasses
Coming in 2025: For the Love of Reading
Whether your child has a passion for books, or your learner is just dipping their toe into chapter books, and is reluctant and intimidated by "all the words!" In chapter books, or is an older reader that struggles with comprehension, this class is for you. The focus of this class is reading in a supportive, friendly setting to develop or strengthen a love of reading.
Length: 8-12 sessions, depending on the length of the text selected.
Level: Titles will fit students typically in grades 2 through 4.
Prerequisite: Students should be able to comfortably read beginning chapter books.
Write Away
Before students can write an essay, they need to learn the correct construction of a paragraph. This class will guide students through the creation of four different kinds of paragraphs: descriptive, expository, narrative, and persuasive. Each session will begin with a warm-up writing activity, followed by instruction that includes in-depth presentation and practice in writing topic sentences, supporting sentences, and concluding sentences. Students will then be given in-class writing activities. Learners can voluntarily share their writing and other members can provide constructive feedback. In a safe environment we will build a writing community. Following each class, students should write the assigned paragraph and submit it for an evaluation. Each session will also include printouts to help with organization and writing. I return a scanned, corrected copy of the paragraph with gentle, specific comments.
Length: 7 weeks
Level: This class is appropriate for learners in grades 2 - 5.
Prerequisite: Students should be able to write basic sentences and string together sentences on a topic.
Course Dates: Wednesdays 4:30-5:30 p.m. 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18
Please note: There will NOT be class the week of Thanksgiving (Wednesday, 11/27)
Cost: $595
Getting Back to Basics: Phonics I
This first phonics course will extend over 8 sessions to introduce digraphs (SH, CH, TH, and WH), consonant blends (bl-, dr-, etc), and long vowels, first with "magic e," and then an introduction to vowel teams. In addition, we will look at how "bossy r" can change the short sound of vowels in words like shark and hurt. There will be links to word sorts, activities and other hands-on materials to help learners practice blending, segmenting and building words.
Length: 7 weeks
Level/Prerequisite: Students should be comfortable reading CVC words (dog, hat etc.) reading those words accurately at least 80% of the time.
Course Dates: Tuesdays 4:30-5:30 p.m. 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17
Please note: There will NOT be class the week of Thanksgiving (Wednesday, 11/27)
Cost: $595
Coming Soon: Building on Basics: Phonics II
Learners will improve their reading accuracy and speed while learning advanced phonics sounds (long vowels, diphthongs, etc) using an approach based on "set for variability" (the idea that letters and letter-combinations in English can correspond with more than one sound. There will be a weekly introduction to a new sound, including common spellings for that sound. Students will explore a variety of spellings of that sound, along with relevant rules and patterns. A corollary reading passage focusing on the new sound will be given for practice during the week. Learners will practice reading the passage. The following week they will read aloud their practice passage during the virtual class time.
Length: 12 sessions
Level/Prerequisite: This class is best for learners who have a strong, comfortable command of reading CVC words (dog, cat, man). Students should also have a basic understanding of common digraphs (ch, sh, wh, th) as well as initial and final blends (such as st-, bl-, gr-, -nd, -st). They should also have a basic understanding of long and short vowel sounds, even if they do not know all of the spelling combinations for those sounds. This may be a great fit for students in grades one and two.
Coming Soon: Phonics from A to Z
This class is a comprehensive phonics class that will provide a solid foundation in phonics. Step by step, learners are introduced to phonetic principles and effective reading strategies. Materials will be provided on how to practice the skill during the week.
Length: 18 sessions
Prerequisite: Learners should know the names of letters and names and sounds of all of the consonants.