*** THIS IS A FLEX CLASS AND DOES NOT HAVE LIVE MEETINGS ***

Students will learn new vocabulary words, including adjectives, verbs, adverbs, nouns, homophones, homographs, or idioms. These new words/phrases will be grade-level appropriate, but also stretch the learners and help them to expand their knowledge and vocabulary. They will write a short story using the provided story prompts and vocabulary words and should plan to share their story with me and/or the class.  

(If you have taken my live vocabulary classes...all material in the flex classes is different from the live classes, so there will be no repeated words/phrases in the learning process.)

This fun flex class encourages creative writing and the learning of many new vocabulary words. Writing comes to life when there are new vocabulary words to use, and fun writing prompts to explore. I will encourage students to be creative, while helping them enhance their writing skills using setting, characters, plot development, sequencing, and conclusion. I tell the students to write as much as they can, but that they do not need to finish their story (so some stories won't have a conclusion). I want learners to have the option of writing a longer story, one that they may choose to continue the following week. 

Class Structure: 
•  Learn new vocabulary words or phrases each week through video instruction. 
•  Discuss parts of speech, definitions, spelling and pronunciation. 
•  Use the words/phrases in sentences to show understanding. 
•  Encourage creative expression through writing by using descriptive words to develop characters, setting, and plot.  
•  Worksheet activities will be provided to increase familiarity with the new words/phrases, including word searches, definition matching, fill in the blanks, cross-word puzzles, or other activities. (Answer keys are available if requested.)
•  Feedback and editing provided (see details below).

Students should come prepared with a notebook or paper on which to write the new vocabulary words, definitions, figures of speech, and stories. 
Students will be given a choice of 2-3 different writing prompts. They will select the topic that they would like to write about and begin their writing adventures. We will talk about using the new material we learned for the week, as well as focusing on the development of the setting, characters, and the plot as they author their own stories.  

If learners and/or parents would like me to proof-read stories and give edits for grammar, sentence-structure, and comprehension, the stories must be sent to me in typed format. I like to give individual video feedback because I think it is more personal and feels as though I am talking to them instead of just sending a written message. I want to do all I can to help learners to enjoy writing and become better writers.  

Class Schedule: 
Week 1: Adjectives, Verbs, and Nouns 
Week 2: Homophones and Homographs 
Week 3: Adjectives, Verbs, and Nouns 
Week 4: Idioms 

Class Requirements: 
Because this is a flex class, learners are required to post weekly on the classroom page. I will ask questions about how to use the vocabulary words or different word forms of these words. Students should be prepared to share an example sentence for each of the vocabulary words/phrases and post it in the classroom each week. We can have a lot of fun with these sentences! Students will also be expected to share their written story with the class, which can be done in video format or in written format. Learners should comment on each other's stories, sharing what they liked about the story and/or what they would like to know more about. (If someone is hesitant about sharing with the class please contact me and we will work something out. I want everyone to feel comfortable.) 

Listening to and commenting on the stories of other students is very helpful and advantageous for everyone. This can give each other ideas to incorporate in future stories, and help us understand the importance of adjectives and descriptive words in stories. This benefits the writer by hearing other viewpoints about developing their stories, and by learning what others want to know more about. This also gives the writer confidence as they receive praise and positive comments from others. 

Teasing and/or bullying will not be tolerated in my classroom. All comments to other learners should be helpful and positive - giving each other thoughts and ideas on how they can add to their story or what they did well. If negative or rude comments are posted, the learner and learner's parent/guardian will be contacted to decide whether or not they should remain enrolled in the class. 


PLEASE NOTE: If you enjoy this class, you may want to take Part 2 of this class. All material is different, but will be given in a similar format.