In this ongoing class, students will learn one grammar concept per class and will learn to write a well-written sentence. Students will write simple sentences in this class. This class meets once a week. The classes do not build upon each other so you can join the class anytime. 

***** Background Information on Mentor Sentences *****
This course uses a research-based strategy. Students will be presented with a well-written sentence, which is known as a mentor sentence. The mentor sentence is used as a guide when students are learning how to write a great sentence. Students analyze the mentor sentence for grammar concepts, sentence structure, and sentence style. They use the mentor sentence to create their own quality sentence. 

***** Purpose *****
The purpose of a mentor sentence is to teach students to write a good quality sentence. As students progress in their writing, they will be expected to write great sentences on their own. Mentor sentences are a simple way for students to learn how to recognize a well-written sentence and how to write their own good quality sentence. 

***** Class Information *****
In this course, I will present students with a well-written sentence, which is known as a mentor sentence. The students will learn about a grammar concept in the mentor sentence. Then, students will revise the mentor sentence to make it even better. At the end of each class, students will write their own quality sentence by using the mentor sentence as a guide. Below is a breakdown of each part in each lesson. 

***** Sentence and Discussion *****
At the beginning of each class, I will show the mentor sentence. The students will discuss what they notice. If students struggle to discuss the sentence, I will use the following questions as a guide:
- What do you notice about the sentence?
- What punctuation marks do you see?
- What capital letters do you see?
- What type of words do you see (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.)?

***** Grammar Skill Analysis *****
1.) Color Code the Parts of Speech
We will look at the mentor sentence, and we will color the different parts of the sentence. If students know the part of speech, they may tell the group. 

Students will color code the following parts:
      - nouns (who, where, and what)
      - verb (do)
      - adjective (describing word)
      - punctuation mark
      - capital letter

2.) Introduce the Grammar Skill
I will introduce the grammar skill we will be focusing on. Students will learn about the grammar skill, and we will identify the grammar skill in the mentor sentence. We will practice the grammar skill. 

***** Revise the Mentor Sentence *****
Students will change or revise the mentor sentence. I will provide specific ways students can improve the mentor sentence. Then, the group will do a group brainstorming session. They will brainstorm ideas. I will provide a sentence frame, where students will fill in part of the sentence with a new word. 

***** Plan Out the Sentence *****
Students will use the mentor sentence as a guide to plan out their own sentence. I will model how to plan out the sentence and help students plan out their own sentence. 

***** Write a Sentence *****
Students will use their planning to write a complete, well-written sentence. At the end of class, students will share their sentence. 

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****** IMPORTANT INFORMATION ******
In this class, students DO NOT ....
           - Revise their writing
           - Edit their writing 

This class is a good fit for students who ...
          - Can write their letters
          - Know their letter sounds
          - Can try to sound out words
          - Can write a simple sentence

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MY CREDENTIALS 
         - Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education
         - Minor in Reading
         - Classroom teacher for 11 years
         - Online educator for 4 years
        - Reading and math intervention teacher for 3 years
        - Passionate about writing 

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This class is an ongoing class. You will pay a weekly subscription for this class. If you are unable to attend a week, you will need to unsubscribe before Sunday so you are not charged for the upcoming week. If you are unable to attend a class, I will share a lesson video with you so you can still complete your lesson.
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Spring 2024 Topics

Week of January 15, 2024: Capital letter at the beginning of the sentence
Week of January 22, 2024: Period at the end of a sentence
Week of January 29, 2024: I is capitalized
Week of February 5, 2024: Nouns (who)
Week of February 12, 2024: Nouns (where)
Week of February 19, 2024: Nouns (what)
Week of February 26, 2024: Plural Nouns (add -s)
Week of March 5, 2024: Adjectives (describing word)
Week of March 12, 2024: Action Verb (do)
Week of March 19, 2024: Future Tense Verb (use "will")
Week of March 26, 2024: Past Tense Verb (add -ed)
Week of April 2, 2024: Proper Noun (Name of someone or place)
Week of April 9, 2024: Question Words and Question Mark
Week of April 16, 2024: Exclamation Mark