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Essential Writing Strategies

In this 8 week online course, learners will have the opportunity to learn and practice skills to improve their writing in a variety of categories.
Kristi Leighton Montessori Certified Teacher
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(312)
Class

What's included

8 live meetings
5 hrs 20 mins in-class hours
Homework
1 hour per week. Homework is not typically assigned after meetings unless there is a special reason for completing a task that was not finished in class. Follow up work should be completed independently.
Grading
Learners will be able to share their writing either privately or with the group to receive informal feedback.

Class Experience

US Grade 1 - 3
Beginner Level
In this child centered, ongoing class,  learners will have the opportunity to hone their writing skills through a series of lessons/topics designed to stimulate and engage their inner writer! 
Before instruction begins, we’ll take a few minutes to do introductions, a brief icebreaker and review some simple class rules. Then the fun begins! I will be screen sharing my materials via document camera and Canva slides so learners can have a more genuine and realistic experience of the writing process. 
The design of this class will flow from basic sentence structure to topics such as narrative writing. Along the way, students will build their writing skills in a gradual and systematic fashion. The breakdown of class topics will include the following: 

Week 1, Session 1- This lesson will be comprised of practicing correct sentence structure through usage of spacing, capitalization, punctuation and other items. 
Week 2, Session 2- We will do some sentence “stretching “ through the use of the 5 W’s (Who, what, where, when, why) to make interesting and creative sentences.
Week 3, Session 3- This class will be centered around quick writes. Compelling images will be shared with students as writing prompts. 
Week 4, Session 4- Correct paragraph structure will be highlighted through a variety of templates and topics (hamburger , four square) 
Week 5, Session 5- Opinion writing will be practiced through a choice of topics and instruction given on the OREO ( opinion, reason, examples, opinion ) writing method. 
Week 6, Session 6- We will practice using the “how to” or procedural writing method, designed to give steps or instructions on how to complete a task. (build a snowman, make a recipe, etc.)
Week 7, Session 7- Narrative writing will be the focus for this lesson. We will learn about 5 finger retell for writing stories. ( characters, setting, problem, events, solution) 
Week 8, Session 8- Our learners will pick a topic to research (animal or sport) for improving their informative writing. Templates will be provided to aid in proper structure of writing about their research. 

Extension/additional activities will also be made available for learners when appropriate. For this class, learners should have a basic foundation of writing sentences independently. 
 I  love working with children and hope that by your child taking my class, it will foster a love of writing that’s as strong as mine!
Learning Goals
In these group  sessions, learners will receive small group instruction based on their needs to help them become better writers in many ways! From basic sentences to creative stories, your child will get tailored support from a highly experienced and supportive teacher.
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
The Canva presentation will be used for display purposes in the class, and an account is not required for any learners or families. I will only be using this resource in a screen share capacity.
Supply List
Electronic handouts will be provided before class. 
Learners should have lined paper and pencils/erasers.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
  • Canva
5.0
312reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
New York Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Bachelor's Degree in English from Denison University
Hello! I am so excited to teach your kiddos on Outschool! I have a degree in Elementary Education and have been teaching over 20 years. I also have a specialty Montessori certificate in grades 1-3, and a TESOL certification credential.  For nine years I specialized  as a learning Title I learning support teacher with a focus in reading and writing in the language arts curriculum with 5-9 year olds. I have taught  1st and 2nd grade in a Montessori classroom.  I love helping children learn to read by teaching the fundamental skills of early reading, grammar and writing. I also teach many cultures themed lessons  for learners where we can enjoy exploring topics of our planet and space  together! 
I love to help children learn and be successful in the classroom through fun and engaging activities. I like to make classes challenging and rewarding for students, and I have a very  student centered approach, which is aligned with the Montessori teaching philosophy. I think of myself as a guide, who always strives to meet children at their instructional level. 
Outside of teaching, I am a mother of adult boy/girl twins. My husband and I have a senior rescue terrier named Sandy and we love to go for long walks. I also enjoy living a very healthy lifestyle which includes walking, hiking, yoga,   running and enjoying nature whenever possible! 
Thank you for taking the time to find out more about me.  I hope to see your child in the classroom soon!

Reviews

Live Group Class
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$120

for 8 classes
1x per week, 8 weeks
40 min

Completed by 5 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 6-9
2-6 learners per class

This class is no longer offered
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