In the grade 7 Grammar and Mechanics class, students will embark on a comprehensive exploration of language structure and accuracy, focusing on foundational concepts that enhance their writing and communication skills. The class aims to equip students with essential language skills that enhance their ability to communicate effectively and confidently. 

We are proud to be the first and only accredited Montessori school on the Outschool platform, featuring certified teachers who bring their expertise from our brick-and-mortar school located in Ontario, Canada.

By mastering parts of speech, punctuation, sentence structure, and formatting, students will develop a strong foundation for academic success and lifelong proficiency in written communication. 

Topics covered include:

Parts of Speech:
Students will learn about the basic building blocks of language, including nouns (common, proper), verbs (action, linking, helping), prepositions (words that show relationships), adjectives (words that describe nouns), and pronouns (words that replace nouns). Additionally, students will learn how to identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns and use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions in their writing exercises. 

Plural and Possessive Forms:
Emphasis will be placed on correctly identifying and using plural nouns (more than one) and possessive nouns (showing ownership). Students will also learn about plural and possessive pronouns and their antecedents (the nouns they replace).

Subject-Verb Agreement:
Students will understand the importance of verbs agreeing with their subjects in number and person. This includes handling singular and plural subjects correctly and recognizing exceptions to standard agreement rules.

Correlative Conjunctions:
They will explore pairs of words that connect elements within sentences, such as "either/or," "neither/nor," "both/and," ensuring they use these pairs correctly to maintain coherence in their writing.

Punctuation and Capitalization:
Mastery of punctuation marks like semicolons, colons, commas, dashes, hyphens, and ellipses will be covered, with a focus on their specific roles in structuring sentences and clarifying meaning. Proper capitalization rules for sentences, titles, and names will also be taught.

Combining Sentences:
Students will learn how to construct complex sentences by combining independent clauses using relative clauses (who, which, that) to provide additional information or modify nouns.

Direct and Indirect Objects:
Understanding the difference between direct objects (the receiver of the action) and indirect objects (to whom or for whom the action is done) will be emphasized to improve sentence structure and clarity.

Misplaced Modifiers:
Students will identify and correct modifiers (words or phrases that describe other words) that are incorrectly positioned in sentences, ensuring that they modify the intended words clearly.

Commas with Coordinate Adjectives:
Proper usage of commas when coordinating adjectives (adjectives that equally modify the same noun) will be taught to enhance sentence flow and readability.

Formatting:
Students will learn about formatting rules for titles, headings, paragraphs, and citations according to standard writing styles (e.g., MLA, APA), ensuring their written work is organized and professional.


Class Structure:

The class will be structured to include a mix of direct instruction, interactive activities, practice exercises, and application tasks. Each topic will be introduced with clear objectives and explanations, students will engage in activities and exercises to apply new concepts and skills, group discussions and collaborative activities will encourage active learning and peer interaction, and independent tasks will provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding and apply learned skills. 

My teaching method blends structured guidance with interactive learning experiences such as providing clear examples and demonstrations of grammar rules and mechanics in action, engaging students in practice exercises, games, and writing prompts to reinforce learning, and facilitating  class discussions and group activities to encourage critical thinking and peer learning.

I adopt a student-centered approach that promotes engagement, critical thinking, and application of knowledge. I strive to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and taking risks in their learning journey. By incorporating real-world examples and interactive activities, I aim to make grammar and mechanics relevant and meaningful to students' lives and future academic endeavors.

Students will have numerous opportunities to interact with me through regular classroom discussions where they can ask questions and share insights during lessons, during class work or exercises, and anytime they need to interact with me.