1:1 English Language Arts -- Books & Other Fascinating Topics (Learner's Choice)

FOR LOPSIDED LEARNERS, i.e. bright kids who are challenged in traditional classrooms.
Your learner may excel in class-as long as they like the teacher.  
Your reader may excel in reading-but doesn't like to fill out the worksheets to demonstrate that they understood the reading. It's too boring.
Your learner may talk like an articulate adult-but can't demonstrate that level of intelligence in their writing or study skills. 
Your learner may love learning-but resists doing work on their own in a consistent, diligent, and conscientious way.

This is a class for bright teens who are highly engaged in activities they like, and with people they like, but who seem to have gotten stuck academically.  We'll find topics and readings which get your learner interested and engaged.  We'll work one on one to develop key academic skills and habits that create success in any learning environment--including college. This class will meet the Common Core Standards for learners in English Language Arts areas for fifth grade and up. We can even work to the California level of ELA standards fifth grade and up, if you require a more rigorous learning standard.

GRAPPLING WITH OUR MODERN WORLD: With the rise of social media and cell phones, many students do not know how to deeply focus long enough to read. Even most college students struggle to retain what they've read in a cell phone & social media dominant world.  Moreover, many learners are never taught how to take notes on the reading or use their reading notes to help them prepare for class discussions or exams. They do not have the skills to take what they've learned in class and translate their learning into writing an essay that blends different types of media together into a coherent whole.  We'll start by learning how to take lecture notes and how to annotate readings of texts, videos, and movies. 

When it comes to writing essays, we'll start by using brain mapping strategies to visualize topics, to compare and contrast, as well as create order out of jumbled impressions and intuitions. After brain mapping, and acquiring necessary skills to master the topic (which is chosen by the student), we will proceed with writing the essay.

WHAT HAPPENS IN CLASS?: Each session we'll start by reviewing the previous lesson before going over the homework and engaging with the content for the week. Finally, the session will end with learning or reviewing a new study skill and going over the new homework assignment. The class leaves no room for a learner to hide or remain lost. They are always allowed to ask questions, go over the work again and again at their own speed, and actually think for themselves, reflecting on what they're learning about the work instead of giving 'correct' answers by rote.  

We'll stay in contact as we analyze how your student learns best. Along the way, your learner will get that individual, kind, and lively attention that he/she/they needs in order to flourish. 

Key words: virtual, online academic classes, online study skills courses for teens, ELA, 
study skills course for gifted, reading and retention skills, evidence based research, 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, for middle school, academic skills