Weekly Strategies for Deeper Reading (Grades 7-9)
In this class, students will read with purpose, learning strategies to read deeply, analyze, and improve comprehension. This course is appropriate for students in grades 7-9. Join any time! Note that most week have a reading assignment.
Vanessa Roach
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(361)
Popular
What's included
1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hours per weekHomework
1 hour per week. 1-2 per weekClass Experience
US Grade 7 - 9
Intermediate Level
About this course: Literary pieces are chosen based on the literary strategy that we will focus on. Most pieces are read outside of class (with the exception of poetry or shorter pieces). Please make sure that your learner has time to read the text before joining. Students should be reading at least at an early 7th grade level in order to be successful in the course. Class Structure: 1. Warmup/Welcome 2. Literary topic/element 3. Discussion of text/questions 4. Practice of skill or Blooket/Gimkit 5. Intro to next week topic Schedule of reading: Week of 1/14: SKILL: TP-CASTT (poetry analysis) and allegory Texts: "Sonnet 116" and "O Captain, My Captain" Week of 1/21: SKILL: Language and Writer’s Craft: Transitions and Definition/Negation Strategy Texts: “A Definition of a Gentleman,” by John Henry Newman Writing: Planning a Definition Essay Homework: Write short definition essay Week of 1/28: SKILL: Compare and Contrast Texts: “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts,” by Bruce Catton Writing: Compare/Contrast Writing Homework: paragraph and reading for 2/4 Week of 2/4 SKILL: Euphemisms, Connotations Texts: Harrison Bergeron Homework: Response questions Week of 2/11: SKILL: Active and Passive Voice, Embedding Direct Quotations Homework: Embedding Quotes activity Week of 2/18 : SKILL: Questioning Reading in 3 Levels Homework: Reading for 2/25 Week of 2/25: SKILL: Logos, Ethos, Pathos (elements of argument) Texts: Article: “Parents Share Son’s Fatal Text Message to Warn Against Texting & Driving,” from the Associated Press Article: “The Science Behind Distracted Driving,” from KUTV Austin Homework: Reading for 3/1 Week of 3/1 SKILL: Gathering and citing evidence Article: “How the Brain Reacts,” by Marcel Just and Tim Keller Article: “Cellphones and driving: As dangerous as we think?” by Matthew Walberg Homework: Write Paragraph and read for 3/8 Week of 3/8 SKILL: Making Thematic Connections Memoir: Excerpt from Night, by Elie Wiesel Poetry: “First They Came for the Communists,” by Martin Niemöller Homework: Theme paragraph Week of 3/15 Skill: SOAPSTone Speech: Excerpt from Elie Wiesel’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech PARTICIPATION: Students may choose to keep cameras on or off as long as they briefly verify themselves with me at the beginning of the class (per Outschool policy). I do expect participation in this class. We cover quite a bit of material and it is essential that students discuss and understand the material. Being active participants helps them do so. MISSED CLASSES If your student misses a class, a recording will always be accessible on the classroom page. The PowerPoint lesson and notes are always available as well. Do note that learners that leave and then come back (i.e. pausing a subscription) may not be able to see my posts if I posted anything while they are away. Reach out to see if you missed anything. Recordings are unfortunately unavailable for weeks that your learner does not attend AND if they have not been present for a live class (Outschool Policy). REFUND POLICY If your student is not able to attend in person but stays enrolled, refunds will not be issued. This is because the student can still access the materials, recordings, and receive feedback for assignments. I do provide refunds for emergency situations. If you have a tech or Zoom issue, contact Support and mention the Happiness Guarantee.
Learning Goals
Close reading and analysis of textsEffective communication in collaborative discussions in which you use your textual analysis to share ideas and make decisions with peers
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Articles do not have any explicit content. They are appropriate for middle schoolers and are science/history/world events based. Fiction stories and poetry are used as well. All texts can be commonly found in an 7-9th grade curriculum.
3rd Party Sites: Google Docs (writing assignments), Google Forms (quizzes). Students will not be providing emails. I will send students a Form link and they will take the quiz (no emails required).
All texts are appropriate for the middle school grade level. Sensitive material and themes, such as racism, prejudices, tragedy, oppression, diverse cultures, etc., are handled with an unbiased approach.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Provided by the teacher
Joined April, 2020
4.9
361reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
Indiana Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Master's Degree in English from University of Southern Indiana
In my classes (brick and mortar and Outschool), I work with all levels of students (IEP students, general education, and high-ability students). My goal as a teacher is to foster critical thinking and communication skills in order to help your child achieve their goals and become more proficient readers, writers, and critical thinkers. More than that, I encourage students to fall in love with learning.
Experience/Education:
-Brick and Mortar Teacher for 7 years (current)
-Outschool Teacher for 3 years (current)
-BS in Education (Reading/English 3-12, Gifted Education 3-12, Special Education 5-12)
-Masters of Arts In English Teaching
-Certification in High Ability/Gifted Learning Strategies
-Certification in Teaching Students with Learning Exceptionalities
-SAT/PSAT Testing Administrator (5 years)
-Harkness Socratic Seminar Trained (Summer of 2023)
-National Writing Project Trained (Summer of 2023)
I am a secondary English teacher with certifications in gifted education and special education. I have been professionally teaching for 7 years and have a masters of arts in English education. I enjoy using socratic and discussion-based learning to help students think deeply about the texts that they read.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$12
weekly1x per week
45 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
4-6 learners per class
