NOTE: The material for this course is based on accepted fourth/fifth grade level language arts standards. It may also be appropriate for those outside this range. I am willing to accept ages 8-10 in this class, if appropriate for a student's skills, and I am always willing to communicate with parents regarding any learner's placement.

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TEACHER REFUND POLICY: Many families prefer to book far enough in advance to guarantee a spot in the class as they prepare for the coming academic year. I also realize that plans can shift and change. In order to reasonably help families who like to plan ahead, but also allow me the time to fill a space left after an unenrollment, please know that if you need to withdraw your learner for any reason up to FIVE WEEKS before the start date of this class, you can contact me with the details and I will be happy to issue a full refund. 

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This twelve-week unit is one independent half of a fourth / fifth grade language arts course, one offered in the fall and the other in the spring.  The course is designed to provide learners with a strong language arts foundation as they prepare for the years of study ahead of them. At this stage in their development, learners begin to step up into exciting new areas of learning. They begin to read more independently, gain a deeper understanding of grammatical structure and vocabulary, and find a greater freedom in their writing. 

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LITERATURE
√  "The Magician's Nephew" by CS Lewis (Fantasy)
√   "Who Was Louis Braille?" by Margaret Frith (Biography)
√   "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry (Historical Fiction)
√   "The Story Collector: A New York Public Library Book" by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb (Mystery)

GRAMMAR / LITERATURE TOPICS
* Literary Elements [setting, point of view, plot, character, climax, theme]
* Figurative Language [simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration]
* Parts of Speech Review and Refresh
* Sentence Structure [conjunctions, compound subject/predicate, compound sentences]
* Punctuation [writing direct quotes and dialogue]
* Various Vocabulary Skills [Prefixes and Roots, synonym/antonym, using context clues]

WRITING AND CREATIVE PROJECTS (OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES)
Descriptive paragraph 
Creative projects [Projects based on our book studies]
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BOOK DETAILS:
1.  "The Magician's Nephew" by CS Lewis (Fantasy)
“Exactly as he spoke, Polly's hand went out to touch one of the rings. And immediately, without a flash or a noise or a warning of any sort, there was no Polly.” CS Lewis, The Magician's Nephew
Journey far back into Narnian history and discover how it all began. We'll join Digory and Polly on a journey among worlds and watch as Narnia is created and as the first evil enters its realm, and as Digory learns important lessons about friendship and forgiveness. 
  
2. "Who Was Louis Braille?" by Margaret Frith
As a part of the "Who Was?" series, this book tells the inspiring story of young Louis Braille. Blinded at the age of 3, Louis Braille certainly wasn't your average teenager. He was only fifteen when in 1824 he invented a reading system that converted printed words into columns of raised dots. Through touch, Braille opened the world of books to the sightless, and almost two hundred years later, no one has ever improved upon his simple, brilliant idea. (excerpt from Amazon book summary)
 
3. "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry. 
Winner of a Newberry Award, this is a beautiful and exciting story about sacrifice during a dangerous time in history. This gentle fictional account of a truly inspiring real-life event allows us to exploring the themes of hope, courage loyalty and friendship. NOTE: Although this book deals with the events of the Holocaust and the persecution of the Jews during WWII, there is no specific mention or depiction of concentration camps or torture. There are some tense moments of danger and escape, and a brief reference to the previous death of a sibling, but the tone is one of courage and hope. All discussion of the basic world events will be age appropriate.

4. "The Story Collector" by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
We'll end our book studies with a light-hearted, delightful (based-on-a-true-story) mystery, with a lot of heart and a ton of fun.  "The Story Collector" brings to life Viviana Fedeler, the actual 11-year old daughter of NYPL library superintendent John Fedeler, whose family lived in the New York Public Library in the 1920's.  SLJ Review excerpt: "(Viviana) meets a new girl at school who doesn’t believe her wild and outrageous stories or even that she actually lives in a library! Worse, an expensive stamp collection on display has been stolen and no one has a clue where it went. It’s up to Viviani, her siblings, the new girl, Merit, and other friends to uncover the mysteries hidden behind the library shelves."

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The two semesters in the course are fully self-contained and able to stand alone. They can be completed individually and in any order. Each semester includes literature study (reading 3-4 books, poetry, or informational text),  a specific grammar focus, and optional writing projects. 

Students will be given a reading schedule and reading guides for each novel study. Every week, students will participate in engaging literary discussion, study a series of short grammar lessons, and enjoy a fun weekly vocabulary "Word of the Week" challenge. I will also provide various worksheets for at-home grammar practice. The lessons will often be accompanied by slides and other visuals to encourage focus and retention.

Parents are welcome to communicate with me ahead of time regarding any grading or certificate-of-completion needs. 

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UPCOMING SPRING SEMESTER OVERVIEW (FOR REFERENCE)

LITERATURE: 
     "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" by CS Lewis 
     "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
      "Ben and Me" by Robert Lawson
      "Anne of Green Gables" by LM Montgomery (movie/book comparison)

GRAMMAR: 
     Parts of a Paragraph [Identifying the main idea, supporting details, conclusion]
     Basic Sentence Diagrams [study of word functions]
     Introduction to Gerunds, Relative Pronouns, Ordering Adjectives
     Recognizing Verb Tenses [intro to the progressive tense]
     Frequently Confused Words

WRITING AND CREATIVE PROJECTS: 
     Parts of a Paragraph [main idea, supporting details, conclusion] 
     Response to Literature
     Opinion / Persuasive Essay