In Preparation for
Essentials
“Ants are creatures of
little strength
Yet they store up
their food in the summer.”
Proverbs 30:25
Dear Essentials Teacher (yes, parent, you
are the teacher),
We are embarking on an
incredible journey beginning this September, and now is the time to prepare. It will be an exciting learning adventure for
each of us. These are some suggestions
to help us all rise to the challenge of Essentials. Please review the following list and prepare
accordingly.
Our class starts on Thursday, September 8 at 1pm. We meet for 2 hours and
below is a chart that explains how the time is divided. During Language Arts, we will be studying the
grammar of the English language using the Essentials
of the English Language Guide. Our
Writing portion will focus on the 9 structures of writing while introducing
different stylistic devices as outlined in Teaching
Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS).
The time allotted for math focuses on drilling the essential math facts
necessary for upper level mathematics.
Essentials Class
Layout
|
Language Arts
|
Writing
|
Math Games
|
|
45 minutes
|
45 minutes
|
30 minutes
|
Here are some items
you should prepare prior to our first class meeting:
Purchase the Materials:
- The
Essentials of the English Language Guide 4th Edition by Leigh Bortins. This is the parent and student book.
It is REQUIRED.
- Trivium Tables: English Grammar and Quit et Quo. (Optional,
but amazing!!!)
- The
Medieval History Based Writing Lessons in Structure and Style by Lori Verstegen.
This book contains the source texts we will be using in class. (Student and Teacher editions are REQUIRED)
- Institute
for Excellence in Writing’s Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) Workbook. You can purchase just the workbook for $29
(Syllabus is REQUIRED). If
you purchase it with the DVD’s, it is closer to $200. You know your
budget. There is also the option to purchase the upgrade if you already
own the older DVD’s for $29. A real bargin! We will be having Popcorn and Pudewa
sessions throughout the year to view the DVDs. The TWSS is the primary
writing curriculum used in conjunction with the Medieval History text for
Essentials class.
Read and Study
- The Essentials of the English Language (EEL Guide) by Leigh Bortins.
This is our language arts source for parents and students in
Essentials. You will not need
another language arts program. Please read The Expedition portion (about 3 pages) prior to our first
meeting. There will be prizes for those who have done their homework. Prior to each
class, you will want to read through the lesson for the week so you will
be prepared for the new grammar and prepared to teach your student.
- IEW Teaching Writing: Structure and style Syllabus, Units
1 & 2. We will be viewing the Units
1&2 DVD’s together at the
Parent Meeting. As a community, we will host evenings called “Popcorn and Pudewa”. This will give us the
opportunity to view the remaining videos together. They are sure to be inspiring evenings
that you will NOT want to miss.
Of course, preparing
for our first class is paramount, but I also want to take a moment to give you
an overview of what to expect on a weekly basis because two of the most
frequently asked questions are: “What do
I do at home and how long will it take?”
Weekly
Structure:
- For
teaching Essentials of the English Language: Essentials is a 5-day class. One day will be spent in community and
the other 4 will be spent at home drilling with you, the teacher. The following is a suggested plan to help you get through the EEL work. Read pages 19-20 of the EEL guide (4th
edition) for more detail.
1. The first 10-15 minutes should be spent on
the Student Mastery Charts, which is also
referred to as the
“grammar”/memory work portion of the program, the “Grammar
Trail” The student
can typically do this work independently after the first 6-8 weeks.
2. The
second 10-15 minutes focuses more on the dialectic trail. This is where the
parent
will dictate a sentence and complete the different analytical tasks. How far
your
student goes will be determined by you, the teacher.
- For
teaching Writing lessons at home: Incorporating
IEW into your day is also laid out in the EEL guide on pages 21-22. Additionally, I will provide a syllabus
for you to know our specific class schedule. The time spent each week varies
with the ability of your child. It
usually takes 30-45 minutes a day.
This is a suggested schedule.
1. Day 1: Class day where structure and style
is introduced and modeled
2. Day 2: Completing outlines and
brainstorming activities and teaching any concepts
from TWSS that were not fully
covered in class
3. Day 3: Writing the rough draft
4. Day 4: Completion and editing of the rough
draft
5. Day 5: Completing the Final draft and
labeling the paper.
Math is another
portion of our Essentials class. My goal is for our class to be ready to
participate in the National Number Knockout if a student desires to do so! Just
think, one of our students could win $10,000! We can do this and have a great
time sharpening our computation skills. At home, you should simply drill the
basic mental math facts of adding, subtracting, and multiplying numbers quickly
and accurately. Have fun—don’t make it
stressful!! Math drills can take between 5-15 minutes.
Class will begin
promptly at 1:00 and end at 3:00 PM each Thursday. It is expected that you will pull up a chair next to your student and help him/her through the lessons each week. You will also be a beautiful example to your child as you model how to
be a good student. Remember I am here as
a resource for you and an encouragement to your student, but you are still your
child’s teacher. Your presence in class
is required for the program to be implemented as it was designed. My job is to
model how to teach grammar at home.
I am so encouraged by
this curriculum. I know that this information can be overwhelming but rest
assured the One who has called us is Faithful.
He has given us the calling to home school our children, a desire to
teach our children how to learn, a plan with which to prepare, and someone to
help you (other home schooling families and your child’s tutors). Please pray
for the Lord to help us and our students walk in the Holy Spirit’s fruit of
self-control and self-discipline so we can experience the joy and pleasure of a
job well done.
I consider it an honor
and privilege to partner with you. Please don’t hesitate to call on me if you
have any questions or concerns. I look
forward to working with each one of you.
Your Humble Essentials
Tutors,
Bronwyn and Aimee
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