English Language Arts
ELA TK/K
Instructor: Jennifer Soto
$53/month ($212/semester); 80 minutes/week
This class is intended to give your child the experience of a basic TK/Kindergarten class once a week. We will have a 'letter of the week' which will include learning the sound the letter makes through songs, activities, and stories, learning the correct way to write the letter, and a 'show and tell' opportunity for students to take turns sharing things that start with that letter that they will bring from home. Students will also learn about calendars, dates, and days of the week as well holidays and other level appropriate lessons.
ELA 1st (2nd) Grade
Instructor: Kristin Welch
$53/month ($212/semester); 80 minutes/week
Using a variety of manipulatives, graphs, and other fun aids, students will learn the parts of speech and how to use them to write, proof, and edit strong sentences. They will have a brief exposure to using reference tools (dictionary and thesaurus) to help them improve their sentences. An oral report (assigned as homework) will be presented in class, along with a project, allowing students to engage in public speaking and learn how to be respectful members of an audience. Fictional and fact-based literature, followed up with text-dependent questions, will be discussed to develop listening and critical thinking skills. Woven into each class will be opportunities to learn important “life skills” such as following oral and written directions, demonstrating time management skills, and practicing organizational techniques. Students enrolled in the class must have a firm grip of the names and letter sounds of the alphabet and be able to write those letters, their name, and several high-frequency words.
ELA 2nd (3rd) Grade
Instructor: Kristin Welch
$53/month ($212/semester); 80 minutes/week
Using a variety of manipulatives, graphs, and other fun aids, students will review the parts of speech and how to use them to write, proof, and edit strong sentences. They will have a brief exposure to using reference tools (dictionary and thesaurus) to help them improve their sentences. They will also learn how to take several different styles of notes and write a paragraph. An oral report (assigned as homework) will be presented in class, along with a project, allowing students to engage in public speaking and learn how to be respectful members of an audience. Fictional and fact-based literature, followed up with text-dependent questions, will be discussed to develop listening and critical thinking skills. Woven into each class will be opportunities to learn important “life skills” such as following oral and written directions, demonstrating time management skills, and practicing organizational techniques. Students enrolled in the class must have a firm grip of basic phonics and how to write sentences.
Science & Literature TK/K
Instructor: Abigail Soto
$50/month ($200/semester); 50 minutes/week
Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners will all benefit from this course that will toggle between hands-on science and hands-on literature.
The science portion will use Mystery Science which introduces a concept in a two minute video presented in the form of a mystery. That leads to discussion questions where they further explore the concept and then a hands-on science experiment that solves the mystery in a way students can understand and remember.
For literature lessons, the course will feature an illustrated classic children's storybook and include a variety of hands-on activities centered around the story. Using the unit study model, topics covered could include history, geography, art or science.
Engaging English: Grammar & Mechanics 3rd-5th
Instructor: Nicole Nyborg
$43/month; $172/semester
This English Grammar and Mechanics course will engage 3rd-5th grade students using strategies and techniques pulled from a variety of popular publishers. Students will learn capitalization, punctuation, parts of speech, usage and more using classroom activities and games in addition to printed worksheets and proven mnemonic devices. This course will include suggested homework activities to reinforce the learning done in class.
Reading Comprehension: CA ELA Test Prep
Grades 3rd-6th
Instructor: Julianne Welch
$43/month ($172/semester);
50 minutes/week
(Binder/materials included)
This class is specifically taught to California state standards for 3rd through 6th grade learners and will promote mastery of content students will encounter on the CAASPP ELA test.
English-Language Arts (ELA) tests are largely literary analysis and reading comprehension. These are critical life skills. During this class, students will engage in reading interactions, videos to deepen their learning and understanding, and complete weekly homework that will be submitted, graded, and returned. Attention to details, showing work, checking for errors, and discussing what is read is at the heart of this class. We will be reading texts together in class, and utilize games, projects, experiments, role plays, and stories to engage with the material in a fun and memorable way. There will be an emphasis on collaboration, problem-solving, and teamwork. It is highly encouraged that students enrolling in this class have taken previous writing courses or are strong readers in order to succeed.
Students must have access to a Gmail account in order to access all class materials, resources, assignments, announcements, etc. from the Google classroom.
Private tutoring times are available throughout the week with Ms. Julianne virtually through Google meets at an extra expense either using charter or out-of-pocket funds.
Institute for Excellence in Writing A 3rd-5th Grade
YEAR 1 IEW A (Binder/materials included)
Instructor: Terri Robinson
$53/month ($212/semester)
50 min/week
This is a two semester course but students are welcome to add at any time.
Students in grades 3-5 will learn how to write structurally from existing models of writing. Incoming students must be able to independently write sentences, confident readers, and have a general understanding of creating a paragraph.
Students add style to their writing using a checklist including dress-ups such as quality adjectives and strong verbs. This program moves methodically through a series of steps building as it goes and allowing both enthusiastic and reluctant writers to master the writing process. Students will have weekly homework. A binder with tabs and all course handouts will be included.
Please note that this class is from 3rd-5th grade. Please inquire before enrolling your student if they are outside of this grade range to ensure it will be a good fit. (This class is not likely to be appropriate for younger students). This class will have homework each week.
Institute for Excellence in Writing A 4th-6th Grade
YEAR 2 IEW A (Binder/materials included)
Instructor: Julianne Welch
$53/month ($212/semester)
50 min/week
This is a two semester course but students are welcome to add at any time.
Students in grades 4-6 who have completed IEW A Year 1 are ready for their second year of the Structure and Style for Students. This course will review and refine the seven previously learned IEW units, then press on to Essays and Formal Critiques.
It is highly encouraged that students enrolling in this class have either taken IEW A Year 1 or are strong readers and writers in order to succeed.
Students will learn how to outline, summarize, write narratives, research reports, and end with creative writing. They will add style to their writing using a checklist including dress ups and will add sentence openers to their paragraphs.
A binder with tabs will be provided for the course.
Students will have weekly homework. Students must have access to a Gmail account in order to access all class materials, resources, assignments, announcements, etc. from the Google classroom.
IEW B Year 1 6th-8th Grade (Binder/materials included)
Instructor: Julianne Welch
$53/month ($212/semester); 50 min/week
This is a two semester course but students are welcome to add at any time.
Students in grades 6-8 will learn how to write structurally from existing models of writing at a higher level than IEW A. Students do not need to take IEW A in order to be successful in IEW B. They will learn how to outline, summarize, write narratives, research reports, and end with creative writing. Students will add style to their writing using a checklist including dress ups and will add sentence openers to their paragraphs.
A binder with tabs will be provided for the course.
Students will have weekly homework.
Students must have access to a Gmail account in order to access all class materials, resources, assignments, announcements, etc. from the Google classroom.
IEW B Year 2 7th-9th Grade (Binder/materials included)
Instructor: Jennifer Wright
$60/month ($240/semester)
80 min/week
This is a two semester course but students are welcome to add at any time.
Students in grades 7-9 Students who have completed IEW B Year 1 are ready for their second year of Structure and Style for Students. This course will review and refine the nine previously learned IEW units, then press on into writing responses to literature.
IEW C Year 1 9th-12th (Binder/materials included)
Instructor: Jennifer Wright
$53/month ($212/semester); 50 min/week
This is a two semester course but students are welcome to add at any time.
Students in grades 9-12 will learn how to effectively use a wide range of structural models and stylistic techniques in their compositions, as they write on a variety of enjoyable fiction and non-fiction topics. The course will cover outlining, summarizing, story sequencing, taking notes, report writing, and essay writing. The essay writing will include how to outline, introductions, thesis statements, transitions, and conclusions. Several different grammar concepts will also be covered. A binder with tabs will be provided for the course. Students will have weekly homework.
Byline Writing
Instructor:
$70/month ($280/semester)
80 min/week
All materials, licenses, and a one year on-line subscription to video content is included. Student will need internet access to complete homework.
Byline turns students into reporters who practice journalism in the forgotten corners of history.
This essay course will teach far more than just how to write a terrific paper. By studying the work of great journalists, students uncover techniques of persuasion and propaganda that are widely used in media today. As students enjoy their reporter’s journey, Byline is teaching them to write essays!
CRITICAL THINKING:
If you can’t think well, you won’t write well. Writing is about putting thoughts onto paper. Observation, inference, analysis, and interpretation are all taught and are essential to writing.
SEPARATING FACT FROM INTERPRETATION:
Byline teaches students to identify propaganda. Propaganda isn’t about telling lies. It’s about creating interpretations of facts. The student who learns to separate fact from interpretation is much harder to indoctrinate.
WRITING INTELLIGENTLY WITHOUT JARGON:
Byline challenges the common misconception that obtuse writing impresses college professors. Clear writing is the key. No young writer should have to resort to jargon and fancy-sounding sentences. Byline frees students to write directly and from the heart.
FOLLOWING LEADS:
Whether working to uncover a specific story following a lead of their own, students will discover how an intriguing detail can be a clue to an untold story, submerged in time. Byline offers your student reporter “100 Tips” about notable, heroic, or bizarre individuals, each designed to be the beginning of a chronojournalism adventure.
Learning to conduct research has never been more fun!