Description
Exploring Writing and Grammar | Level A
Exploring English Writing and Grammar A is designed for the 1st-3rd grade student homeschool student.
This course will use the First Language Lessons, Levels 1 and 2, written by Jessie Wise, and its companion, Writing With Ease, written by Susan Wise Bauer.
Ms. Bauer states, “There’s a central problem with the write-more-and-you’ll-get-better method. It treats writing as though it were analogous to speech: the more deeply you’re immersed in it, the more competent you’ll become.” Adding, “But writing is essentially unlike speaking.” Ms. Bauer explains children instinctually have the desire to communicate through speech from infancy. By talking to and reading to your child, you help them to learn verbal skills. However, children do not have the same inclination to write. “Writing, unlike speech, isn’t a natural activity,” says Ms. Bauer. Simply surrounding a child with the written word doesn’t necessarily teach them how to write- “because speech and writing are fundamentally different.”
Exploring English Writing and Grammar A will guide young students to express thoughts and ideas verbally, then progress to putting them down on paper. We will work toward this goal through narration, copy work, and dictation.
- Narration is the process of the students telling back what they just read or heard in their own words.
- Copy work allows young students to focus on developing the mechanical skills of writing by copying the writing of others.
- Dictation is the practice of reading a selection aloud to the students while they write it out as accurately as possible, paying attention to sentence structure and form.
These steps will form a foundation for young students to combine the two skills (expressing ideas through verbal and written communication).
Exploring Writing and Grammar | Level A is a full-year course.
Grading will be either a pass or fail, determined by participation in class and completing assignments both in and outside of class.
Required Materials:
Pencils
Lined writing paper
Access to a printer for any additional materials that may be provided.
Prerequisites:
Students must be able to write legibly and be able to write complete sentences without assistance.
