Word Genius: Have Fun Expanding Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Writing Skills

In this course, learners will strengthen reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills, using music and familiar topics to engage and help facilitate real-world connections so that they are better able to communicate their ideas, even abstract ideas orally and in writing.  Familiar topics/topics of relevance may include books, sports, holidays, good citizenship/responsibilities, pets, music, social studies, travel, outer space, science, nature, hobbies, games, talents, and other topics of interest.  These topics will be the foundation for the reading/vocabulary/writing lessons, with music infused to further engage and promote familiarity with the topic of the lessons.  Additionally, we will also be integrating various types of word play into each lesson, such as idioms, alliterations, puns, and other types of figurative language to further enhance the learner's oral and writing abilities.  The class is learner centered, and my style is relaxed. I strongly encourage learner participation because the knowledge is best retained by the learner when they provide feedback, both orally and in writing.  The writing will be done interactively.  However, a journal is highly recommended if the learner wants to keep a record of their writings, but it is not required. The learners will interact via discussion, slides, and a brief music clip from YouTube related to each lesson. Our session topics will be learner directed, based on group interest which may include current events/happenings.  

Week 1:  Our vocabulary words along with a blast of idioms will be emphasized in week 1.  I'm pretty sure that your learners will be "on the ball" in this lesson and be engaged as they expand their vocabulary and understanding of the English language with these new words and idiomatic phrases, with an underlying theme of good citizenship and bravery.

Week 2:  This week, learners will discover how to use our vocabulary words along with hyperboles to express how strongly they feel about situations orally and in writing.  I've been waiting FOREVER for this one!  Yes, our vocabulary words with a dash of hyperboles, along with an underlying theme of helpfulness will be loads of fun.  

Week 3:  As learners tackle new words this week, they will also have fun in the lively, laughter that alliterations provide.  Those phrases, which emphasize repeating beginning sounds at the beginning of most words in a phrase or sentence, often find their way into tongue twisters!  This lesson has an underlying theme of doing your best as you handle responsibilities.

Week 4:  This week, we will be learning about how to use our new vocabulary words in sentences with metaphors.  Learning how to use these words, along with metaphors will capture your learner's imagination as they look at comparisons between two unlike things.  The underlying theme in this lesson will be about balance, specifically balancing fun and school work.

Week 5:  This week, learners will increase their vocabulary and their ability to look at comparisons between two unlike things, but this time with similes.  The underlying theme in this lesson will be about orderliness/organization.

Weeks 6 and 7:  We will finish up our final two weeks learning more fun, genius words with an extra dose of idioms.  The underlying themes in the lessons for these last two weeks will be compassion and honesty.

In addition, after each lesson, I will attach the "genius words," along with definitions, and sample sentences into the Outschool classroom.