Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Week 4: Wow! Diagramming fun begins!

It sounds from Tina as if Essentials proceeded wonderfully without me today! She said the students were perfectly behaved, so thank you to all! Thanks, too, to Amy for holding Will so Tina could teach without distraction. We are having a nice week together at the beach. Strangely, we're more caught up on school work than we would be at home. A relaxing feeling, to say the least.

I'm sure Tina explained and demonstrated interjections, simple imperative S-Vi sentences, and diagramming thoroughly. Work through a few sentences at home and review your charts this week. Next week, we move on to our second sentence pattern: S-Vt-DO. I can't wait to see the students' brains begin discerning the different sentence patterns as they are juxtaposed. It's invigorating to watch them learn.

To their IEW paragraphs, the students are adding sentence openers, a who/which clause, and a clincher-reflecting title. I am glad Tina thought to distribute "Evil Ka-Weasel" so that you could see how to label papers. Handwritten labels in the margins of typed papers are fine! You don't have to figure it out on the computer. I would, however, like for paragraphs to be formated in MLA style. The IEW resource notebook has a page on this, but I'll also include a link that gives you both written instruction and a visual image: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. It's not difficult, and once you've done it, it's easy to replicate.

Please let me know if you have questions. I'm eager to read their paragraphs. See everyone next week.

Erin

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Week 4 Admission Ticket

For Week 4, use as many of your IEW vocabulary words in a single sentence as you can. Your sentence can be silly, and it may run on and on, but it must meet the five rules, especially the one about making complete sense! :) Mrs. Tina will save them, and I'll read a couple of my favorites aloud to the class next week.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

EEL moms,

Do you remember when, in middle school, we used to write notes to our friends while we were bored during class and we would sign them "LLL" for "Longer Letter Later"? Well, I'm going to write short tonight, and if needed, I'll post a "LLL" tomorrow! My brain's weary...

Your main EEL focus this week is nouns and pronouns and the Analytical Task Sheet #1-3. Incorporate nouns and pronouns by exploring the charts together that we put in the notebooks today (They're also on your Trivium Table.) and "applying" what you discover to whatever you're doing this week. Wherever you go, look for the opportunity to discuss how you could replace a noun with a pronoun. Take the time to identify nouns as proper or common, singular or plural, concrete or abstract, etc. Try to decide whether a pronoun is nominative or objective or possessive, etc. An ongoing noun and pronoun conversation is the goal. As far as the ATS, dictate very simple sentences two or three times and work through steps 1 through 3. Examples would be "The fox jumps," or "The doors close," or "On Tuesdays, Essentials meets."

For IEW, we began a two-week assignment to write a single paragraph report on Jamestown. We completed our key word outline in class. Next, the students need to brainstorm adjectives, verbs and adverbs before writing a rough draft. I'd begin tomorrow by covering up the source text and asking them to "retell" the source text paragraph using their key word outline. We did this in class today, but it would be great for them to do it again. Then brainstorm dress-ups. On Thursday and Friday, write the rough draft. Monday, complete the rough draft checklist. The rough draft does not need to be turned in on Tuesday.

Tina Gaines is subbing for me next week. She's wonderful, and I'm sure you'll appreciate the different style she brings to the front of the class!

I'll be available through phone and email if you have questions. See you in two weeks.

Erin

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Week 3 Admission Ticket

For week 3, do the following to earn your gilded coupon:

Choosing from your four IEW vocabulary verbs, write three sentences. The first sentence should use one of your verbs in 1st person singular, present tense. The second should employ another of your verbs in 3rd person plural, future tense. The third should use a remaining verb in 2nd person singular, past tense.

I will give you a bonus ticket if you can tell me whether your verb in each sentence is transitive or intransitive and why.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Week 2: Verbs rule!

EEL families,

Greetings! What wonderful children you are raising! The energy today inspired me (and overwhelmed me -- 18 students is A LOT, even if that is a banned word...). I admire teachers who manage 30 students at a time day after day and actually accomplish something! Whew!

During our 45 minutes of EEL, we focused on verbs. Specifically, we introduced Week 2 memory work and zeroed in on



  • the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs,

  • the idea that verbs have "person" (1st, 2nd and 3rd),

  • the idea that verbs have "number" (singular and plural),

  • and the idea that verbs tell time (or tense -- past, present, future).

We also touched briefly on the irregular verbs chart (D), much of which the students will begin memorizing in Foundations shortly.


At home, spend time talking about these basic verb characteristics and discovering whether you can find verbs together in sentences. Choose a piece of literature you both enjoy, pick a paragraph, and start searching for verbs. For beginners, choose a piece of writing with simple sentence structures. For the more advanced students, select something more complex. By the end of the week, challenge yourselves with more difficult material. As you find the verbs, begin asking



  • Is this a transitive or intransitive verb?

  • Is it 1st, 2nd or 3rd person?

  • Is it singular or plural?

  • Is it expressing past, present, or future tense?

  • Can I find a sentence where my main verb has a helping verb?

Use the basics of your verbs chart (C) and last week's chart (A) to help launch these conversations and review your memory work. But remember, we will revisit verbs every single week all year long, so we have plenty of time to delve more deeply into the finer details.

If you're feeling really brave, flip the idea around and work with your student to write a few basic sentences with verbs of choice. For instance, an example of a 2nd person singular, intransitive, past tense verb would be "You played." Not as difficult as it sounds, is it? Have fun with it! Language can be delightful if we approach it with wonder.

Speaking of delight and wonder, the kids chose superb quality adjectives and other words to describe America in their IEW poems. After hearing them read aloud today, I am anticipating a fantastic year of writing! Their assignment this week is another poem. The structure assigns writing about either Native Americans or European explorers; the style hones in on strong verbs and -ly words. We discussed the lesson during class. At home, you'll want to



  • Brainstorm verbs and possibly begin a rough draft on Wednesday;

  • Finish the rough draft, including -ly words, Thursday;

  • Revise and polish Friday;

  • Write or type the final, illustrate it, complete the checklist and practice reading aloud on Monday;

  • Bring it to class on Tuesday with your checklist attached and name on it!
Looking forward to Tuesday!


Mrs. Erin









Sunday, September 11, 2011

Week 2 Admission Ticket

When the students arrive Tuesday, I will ask them to tell me what five rules a sentence must meet. I'd also like them to use a straight line to divide the subject from the predicate in the following sentences:

1. Students come.

2. They attend Essentials.

3. Essentials is a class.

4. Essentials can be both fun and difficult at the same time.

5. Mrs. Erin will give her Essentials students assignments to complete.

6. Some students will call her an interesting teacher.

7. In return, she will declare her students brilliant!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Week 1: EEL Begins!

Essentials families,

I am going to adore your children this year. What a blessing they already are! Today was marvelous -- so many smiles. I just loved it. :)

When I post weekly, I will write about our EEL time first and our IEW assignment second. Always, always, always, if you have questions, please email me. For new parents especially, I may inadvertently omit information that is pertinent to you because I'm not remembering that you don't already know it! I apologize in advance and encourage your inquiries when something I do or say or suggest is unclear.

On to EEL...

In class, we focused on our 112 Sentence Classifications, which is Chart A. Our Week 1 memory work reiterates the information on this chart, and you may choose to use one, the other, or both to begin memorizing this information at home this week. In addition to loading that grammar, here's what you want to discuss:


  • Sentences have structure. This simply refers to how we build our sentences. Are they simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex?

  • Sentences have purpose. Our purpose tells us why we're speaking (or writing as the case may be). Are we making a statement (declarative) or an exclamation (exclamatory), asking a question (interrogative), or giving a command (imperative)?

  • Finally, all sentences follow seven basic patterns. Our patterns identify how words are arranged in a sentence. Practice reciting those patterns aloud and learning the abbreviations for them.

You do not need to teach the difference between the four structures or the seven patterns this week. We have all year to cover that information, beginning in Week 3 with simple, subject-verb intransitive sentences. I believe the sentence purposes are review for most, however, so you can delve deeper into that if you wish.


Although I didn't cover it in class, the EEL guide introduces Chart B (112 Simple Sentences) in Week 1, too. While I will introduce simple sentences in two weeks, you can use this chart at home to demonstrate how structure, purpose and pattern mix and match to compose 112 different combinations. For example, play a game: Challenge your student to find the simple, declarative, S-Vt-DO sentence. Then find the simple, imperative, S-VL-PN sentence. Keep going with different combinations until you're both comfortable with the "grammar" and abbreviations of structure, purpose and pattern.


In addition, each family should determine how they want to "copy" the charts and how often to do so. You may want to do it orally some days and written others. You can copy from a chart to a blank sheet of paper, or you can study and then try to write one part from memory per day. There is tremendous flexibility. The only thing I'd warn against is burnout. We have all year, and they're going to see this information every week. Spend 20 to 30 minutes a day maximum on everything I've just written!


The IEW time at home this week should be about learning to choose valuable words when we write. Encourage them to use their style charts or a larger thesaurus to find the absolute best quality adjectives they believe describe the nouns in their America poems. If your student chooses an adjective you wouldn't -- just because it sounds neat (jumbo mountains, for instance) -- it's okay. Embrace the fact that they're developing unique style! I'd suggest brainstorming Wednesday, rough drafts Thursday, final drafts Friday, and illustration and practice reading aloud on Monday.


With such a tremendous class, it will be impossible for all students to read aloud every week. We will try to get at least half in next week. Then, for the following week, I'll let the second half choose between reading their Week 1 poem or their Week 2 poem. This is part of the reason I want them to read aloud for an "audience" at home. When they work hard, they deserve for their writing to be heard and appreciated! A note, though: Please let me know if you have a child who hates reading aloud and how you'd like me to help work through that this year.


I'll post next week's admission ticket separately. Don't forget to stick a zippered pouch or ziplock bag into their notebooks to contain their coupons til Week 12!


Thank you for sharing your school time with me today. See you next Tuesday,


Mrs. Erin

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Week 1 Admission Ticket

Welcome to our 2011-2012 Essentials year! We begin in less than 48 hours... Take a deep breath!

Here is our Admission Ticket for Week 1. Students should print it, fill in the blanks, and bring it to class in exchange for their first gilded coupon.

1. Tell me your favorite thing to do in one word: I _______________.

2. What is your favorite food to eat? I eat _______________.

3. My name is _______________.

4. What kind of student are you? As a student, I am __________________.

5. For my birthday, my parents gave a _______________ to me.

6. If I had a dog, I would call my dog ________________.

7. Eating candy makes me _______________.

See everyone Tuesday!

Mrs. Erin