Overview: In this ongoing course, classes will take place once a week. Each day/week will cover a new topic within English Language Arts (ELA). Additionally, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will be utilized as a tool to guide each new topic. Topics include: reading, writing, speaking & listening, and language. 

**Please note: as each week will be a new topic, the student will [not] need to review the previous week's lesson to understand the current week's topic.**

What are CCSS and why are they used as a guide for each lesson? 
- CCSS are a set of expectations for the knowledge and skills students in K-12 (throughout the United States) need in ELA and mathematics to prepare for college. 
- CCSS are used as a guide for each lesson because these are the standards used in schools and they specifically align with state testing preparedness. 

Topics may include:

Reading (literature and informational texts) 
- Citing textual evidence 
- Determining theme/central idea 
- Story’s or drama’s plot 
- Sequence of events
- Context clues & word choice 
- Author’s point of view 
- Comparing & contrasting texts

Writing 
- Arguments to support claims
- Informative/explanatory texts 
- Narratives to develop real/imagined experiences 
- Development, organization, and style for a specific audience 
- Drawing evidence from literary/informational texts 

Speaking & Listening 
- Interpret information presented in different media formats 
- Delineating a speaker’s argument 

Language 
-Conventions of standard English grammar 
- Conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling

**Disclaimer: during the ongoing course, all topics may or may not be covered.**

1 day before each class begins, the standard/objective will be posted in the classroom, as well as any worksheets/printouts/supplies necessary for the lesson that week. 

What to expect:
All of the classes will be taught using the "gradual release" teaching strategy. This strategy allows the opportunity for demonstration, guidance, and practice within one full lesson. This is typically an approach that includes: the teacher first demonstrating how to do something, the teacher guiding the student by working together, and then finally, the student practicing independently. The gradual release strategy will also allow me to calculate student understanding, answers questions, and provide the best opportunity for your student to learn. 


**Note: if you would like to request a specific standard or topic within ELA, please feel free to message me!