Course Overview

This course provides a comprehensive sequence of lessons introducing students to the writing process, grammar, vocabulary, and handwriting. Guided reading lessons on traditional stories and modern classics, with an emphasis on works that embody exemplary virtues, are designed to develop comprehension and build vocabulary.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Composition—Students practice writing as a process: prewriting, writing a draft, revising, proofreading, and publishing (sharing finished work with others)
• Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics—Students learn basic rules of usage (such as "may" vs. "can," or "lie" vs. "lay"), synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms, parts of speech, punctuation, and more
• Vocabulary—Wordly Wise provides practice in word study skills, reading comprehension, and word analysis
• Primary Analogies—Students develop test-taking and critical thinking skills as they connect words and ideas
• Handwriting—Handwriting Without Tears helps students develop printing skills and, if appropriate, begin cursive handwriting
• Public Speaking—Reciting a poem or reading a literary passage helps students address a group confidently
• Spelling—Students learn to understand sound symbol relationships and patterns

LITERATURE

Guided reading lessons offer new challenges: greater length, more complex content, and new vocabulary. The emphasis is on classic literature that embodies exemplary virtues, including Aesop's fables, "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," and "The Pied Piper of Hamelin." Readings also include nonfiction works, as well as selections from Junior Great Books.