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
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