Students LOVE writing about cats in this class!

Students are welcome to join at any time as no previous experience is needed. Students should feel comfortable writing basic sentences before taking this class. Note: Parents are sent a short email after EACH class (by the end of the day) to communicate class content and provide some learner feedback...which many homeschooling parents find helpful.

This small group class pairs students' interest in cats with developing and having fun with writing skills. I have combined my nearly 20 years of teaching experience in a classroom with my passion for writing and love of cats to design this fun class. 

Aims of the class:
-Develop students' creative writing skills and foster a love for writing
-Teach students about different types of literary devices (figurative language) to create strong writing
-Review/Teach students about point of view and maintaining a consistent tense in writing
-Improve students' written expression (specifically work on clarity of expression)
-Encourage students to think carefully about word choice 
-Allow students to practice handwriting during a fun timed challenge
-Develop students' understanding of the writing process
-Provide a place for students to talk about cats and be social

Each class will include the following activities:

1. Greetings and introductions.

2. Figurative language mini-lesson. Students will learn/review one type of figurative language and work together to create examples. Students will aim to include this type of figurative language in their writing exercises. (Examples of figurative language: imagery, simile, onomatopoeia, metaphor, personification, hyperbole and alliteration.)

3. Find the Best Descriptors Activity. Students will work with the teacher (and together) to create a list of descriptive words for an image. (Word lists will describe elements of the image such as colours, shapes and textures.) This will help learners understand the importance of strong/unique word choice.  

4. The Handwritten Description Challenge. Students will use their word lists from the previous activity to write about the image in sentences within an assigned time. Students will focus on creating short, clear and powerful sentences that capture a reader's attention. Students can share part or all of their writing at the end of the challenge. 

5. Final Writing Exercise. Students will be given an image to describe as a final exercise. (Often this includes part of what the students wrote about in the earlier exercises. For example, a goldfish may be used for the earlier activity if the final image is a cat looking at a goldfish in a fishbowl.) Students will be guided by the teacher to create a list of ideas to include in their writing and then decide what point of view and tense to use in their writing. Then students will be given time to write their ideas into sentences. (This may be a description of the bigger image or be written as part of a story.) 

6. Sharing. Students are encouraged to share their writing - one sentence or their entire final exercise. This is meant to celebrate students' success and offer some teacher feedback. If there is time, students will review the type of figurative language that they learned about earlier in the class to see if they were able to incorporate it into their writing.

I am a very positive and encouraging teacher, and I use a variety of methods that appeal to both visual and linguistic learners. This class will use many approaches for learning, including discussion, slides, video clips and audio clips. Students will receive lots of verbal feedback, and there are many opportunities for students to participate throughout the class. I love talking about cats and watching students achieve success in their writing.

Students do not need to have any prior knowledge about cats. Students taking this class are strongly encouraged to have their cameras on as it develops students' intrapersonal skills and I can more effectively teach and respond to students' non-verbal cues. Students will need lined paper and a pen or pencil. As well, if students choose to type the final writing activity, they will need a device to do so.

You are welcome to request another time or day for this class and/or you may request a private one-on-one class.

Schedule for Topics:

Week of January 7 – Cats in Snow 
Week of January 14 – Cats & Bubbles
Week of January 21 – Cats & Toilet Paper
Week of January 28 – Cats Under the Stars
Week of February 4 – No class
Week of February 11 – Kittens & Yarn