Course Outline and Objectives
Class: Comp I
Teacher: Valerie Brandon
Primary Text: Writers INC.
Publisher: Great Source Education Group
ISBN# 0669471860 softcover; 066947164X hardcover
Cost: $4-$10 used
Where Available: Amazon.com, Half.com, former students
Other books/materials, etc. required for class: Wordly Wise 3000 Textbook- $9, Answer Key for Student Text- $3, and Test Booklet with Answer Key- $10
(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 using this curriculum 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 text 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: $288 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.
Additional comments: see the attached page for the summer reading assignment
Dear Student :
If you are taking Comp I 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. This journal will be turned in for a grade 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
The Little Prince by Antione de Saint-Exupery
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
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
Hans Brinker by Mary Mapes Dodge
The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert DeJong
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong
Where the Lilies Bloom by Vera and Bill Cleaver
Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James Houston
Streams to the River, River to the Sea by Scott O’Dell
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 meeting and being with each of you in the coming school year. Until then, have a fabulous summer!
Joy to you,
Mrs. Brandon