English 3 (NW)

Class Year:  2021-2022 Class Year
Time:  Wed 12:45 pm - 02:00 pm;
Teacher:  Becky Thompson
Tution:  $550 / Year or $55 / Month for 10 Months
Supply Fee:  $50 / Year - Due Upon Registration (Non-Refundable)
Location:  Northwest (Cypress)

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Age/Grade Level:  On-level and advanced third graders as well as fourth graders needing reinforcement. Must be eight years of age prior to September 1, 2021.

Teacher:  Becky Thompson - BS Elementary Education with English Specialization, Baylor University; Masters in Math Education, University of Houston

Tuition: 

* Early Bird Tuition Rate, Postmarked before Jun 1:  $500/year or 10 payments of $50

* Regular Tuition Rate, Postmarked after May 30:    $550/year or 10 payments of $55

Supply Fee:  $50, a one-time, non-refundable fee for class supplies and teacher-created materials.

Strong written communication is foundational to every subject in a child’s education.  When this critical base is formed early and well, it provides students with priceless academic ability and confidence throughout their schooling years.  This class lays the groundwork for writing, grammar and reading success in the year to come and the years to follow.

For writing, the teacher will use the Institute for Excellence in Writing’s (IEW) All Things Fun and Fascinating, where humorous characters and fascinating creatures will help young students enjoy learning to write with structure and style. Students will practice expanding sentences weekly and will write well-structured short paragraphs by year end.

Grammar will be light but thorough, covering punctuation, capitalization, proper word usage, the eight parts of speech and basic sentence structure.  The teacher will provide a grammar syllabus, weekly introductions/reviews, and regular quizzes/tests; but on the whole, grammar will be taught at home by a parent.  The required “open-and-go” curriculum should eliminate any advance preparation for parents.

In addition to writing and grammar, the class will provide a reading enrichment component in which students will study a poem a month and read six classic, on-level chapter books from various genres. 

After Spring Break, cursive handwriting will be mandatory on final writing assignments except in cases where parents feel modifications are needed. Neatness and organization are required.

Parent/Student Expectations:  Parents should expect the following at home:

1. Homework: Students will have daily assignments and need regular parental instruction/oversight.
2. Parent oversight/instruction: At home, the parent is still the teacher. While no advance preparation is required, parents will provide personal one-on-one instruction each day followed by intermittent oversight.  Parents will help students follow the syllabus and check their student’s work each day, so the student can make timely corrections.
3. Grading: Semester grades will be based on writing assignments, grammar quizzes, and book quizzes.
4. Parent Orientation: A required parent orientation will be scheduled prior to the first class.
5. Time Required: Students will need to spend approximately one hour per day on their assignments depending on their maturity, attention span and writing dexterity.  Parents should break this time up into natural segments as they see fit.

The following books will be used:  TBD

Texts: 

• All Things Fun and Fascinating Student Book by Institute for Excellence in Writing (Teacher e-book is complimentary with web purchase).  https://iew.com/shop/products/all-things-fun-fascinating
• Language Smarts Level D by The Critical Thinking Co. (Answers in back of book. No teacher manual required.)
• Chapter Books: TBD