Course Outline and Objectives

Class:  Comp I       

Tutor:  Valerie Brandon

Primary Text:  Writers INC.

Publisher:  Great Source Education Group                                      

ISBN#  0669471860 softcover; 066947164X  hardcover (please do not invest in a newer edition)

Cost: $4-$10 used                                         

Where Available:  Amazon.com, Half.com, former students

Other books/materials, etc. required for class: Wordly Wise 3000 Workbook- $9, Answer Key for Student Text- $3, and Test Booklet with Answer Key- $10, 2 pocket folders for homework, 3 ring binder and tabbed dividers

(prices listed are approximate, depending on grade level and edition preferred)

Wordly Wise 3000 is available in first and second editions. Because this series is popular with many homeschooling families, I prefer to give parents choice in which edition to use, as well as which grade level is best suited to their student’s needs. Class time will not be spent going over the vocabulary lessons, so each student will be free to work at his own level at home. Please be advised this curriculum is sometimes sold in mixed lots by book distributors. I strongly suggest you check carefully to see that you do not purchase a textbook in one edition and a test booklet or answer key in a different edition. The best prices I have found are listed on www.christianbook.com (1-800-Christian), but the most reliable source is probably the publisher www.espbooks.com (1-800-225-5750).

***Parents are responsible for getting all texts and materials

Yearly Tuition:  $304                                     Copy/Lab Fees:  $15

With this tuition rate, I must have a minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 students.   

Overview of class: This class will focus on encouraging students to write weekly in a variety of settings, both formal and informal. We will use fundamental exercises in copy work and dictation to improve observation and listening skills, while adding many opportunities to free write and tap into our creative energy. Assignments will range from basic sentence writing to working on building solid paragraphs to communicate effectively. Parents will be active participants in this course as they help students brainstorm ideas, review writing assignments, and give feedback for improvement. Vocabulary assignments and weekly reading will aid in nurturing the writing spirit. Grammar will be taught only as needed for review.

Prerequisites for this class: Strong grammar skills-successful completion of Pre-Comp/Grammar class and pre-test

Recommended Grade Level(s) for this class: 8-9

Estimated Difficulty Level of course for average student:   

Easy         average         above average         XXX      highly challenging

Average study time for this class will be approximately   4-6    hours per week.

Tutor Expectations for Parents:  Parents will grade weekly vocabulary lessons, vocabulary tests, and copy work. They will also read and grade weekly dictation exercises.

Additional comments: see note below for the summer reading assignment

Dear Student:

If you are taking an English course with me next year, you are required to read at least two of the following works of literature this summer.  The works you choose should be only those which you have not previously read.  For each selection please keep a brief, hand-written journal of major events in the book to turn in on the first day of class.

                   The Cat of Bubastes  by G. A. Henty

                   Gulliver’s Travels  by Jonathan Swift

                   The Last of the Mohicans  by James Fenimore Cooper

                   Little Men or Little Women  by Louisa May Alcott

                   Around the World in Eighty Days  by Jules Verne

                   The Time Machine  by  H. G. Wells

                   Adam of the Road   by Elizabeth Janet Gray

                   Amos Fortune: Free Man  by Elizabeth Yates

                   The Little White Horse  by Elizabeth Goudge

                   Black Beauty   by Anna Sewell

                   Robinson Crusoe  by Daniel Defoe

                   Hans Brinker  by Mary Mapes Dodge

                   The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert DeJong

                   The Hobbit  by J. R. R. Tolkien

                   The Yearling  by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

                   Where the Lilies Bloom   by Vera and Bill Cleaver

                   Farewell to Manzanar   by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James Houston

                   Les Miserable  by Victor Hugo

If you or your parents have any questions concerning the summer assignment or the materials needed for class, please give me a call at 931-728-6217.  I am looking forward to being with each of you in the coming school year. Until then, have a fabulous summer!

Warmly,

          Mrs. Brandon