FLEX class: Advanced Paragraphs

Want to hear what parents are saing about this popular course? 

***"Ms. Lorelle's classes are exceptional. She is engaging, warm and fun-loving. But most importantly, she has a way of keeping students on track and conveys the material in a clear, logical, and methodical way. I love that she starts each class with a warm up exercise to have students grapple with the topic area. Instead of lecturing, she has hands on exercises to have students review a text, identify and critique what is good or bad about it and explain why. This active style of teaching is something I wished all teachers would use. She also gives thoughtful and constructive feedback about the students' submitted homework. My son has greatly enjoyed her classes and has become more confident in his writing. We will definitely take more classes with Ms. Lorelle."*** 

If your student has taken my popular Paragraph Construction Zone and is ready to delve deeper -- or if your student is already proficient with paragraph structure -- this video-based course brings a more intense focus on grammar and style using the four types of paragraphs. Students can expect well-planned weekly videos, engaging content, and detailed instructor feedback on all submitted paragraphs.

Excellent writing is the key to a student's future success, whether it's applied to writing reports, college admissions essays, or emails in the business world. Although we are writing paragraphs in this class, the skills learned in Advanced Paragraphs are the key to mastering higher forms of writing. Behind the scenes, students are learning to think logically and critically, organize their ideas, and put their ideas into clear written communication. 

Each video begins with a fun warm-up activity, a lesson on writing style, and then a closer examination of a certain type of paragraph. Along the way, we will focus on common grammatical problems such as run-on sentences and sentence fragments, comma usage, and other issues as necessary. 

Student interaction occurs in the following manners: 1) Students can post their own paragraphs and comment on their classmates' paragraphs through the Classroom, and 2) Weekly discussion questions and challenges will be posted in the Classroom. An example of these might be to edit and rewrite a paragraph by the instructor to use active voice, or to write a descriptive paragraph without using the sensory detail of sight. 

Week 1: Descriptive paragraphs. The focus is on word choice, adjectives, and adverbs. Learners will examine a variety of paintings and discuss ways to describe each one. 

Week 2: Narrative paragraphs. The focus is on the elements of a good story, using action words, and creating complex sentences with conjunctions. Students will take a personal memory and "twist" the outcome, merging realism with fiction in a fun assignment. 

Week 3: Expository paragraphs. The focus is on writing clearly and using active voice. Students will write a paragraph that explains the meaning of an idiom, saying, or famous quote. 

Week 4: Persuasive paragraphs. The focus is on the power of words and how to write with strength. Learners will "create" an awful food... and then write a paragraph persuading others to eat it!