Week 13: Although they can be tough, complex sentences make life interesting.

It was great to see everyone this afternoon, and we heartily welcome Matthew and his family to Greensboro and our CC family at Westside!

As usual, our two hours flew faster than I was able to squeeze in all the important and pertinent information of the day. Only on Tuesdays during Essentials am I jealous of the teachers who have their students for five hours a week per subject! I have to remember that I am the facilitator, and you moms are your kids' teachers at home! And I really wouldn't want it any other way... :)

So during your multiple hours of EEL study at home this week, focus on complex sentences. Lesson 13 introduces both complex sentences AND indirect objects, but we merely skimmed the surface of IOs today. We spent most of our time diving into dependent clauses. As I told the kids in class, we will camp several more weeks with our complex sentence structure and two more weeks with our S-Vt-IO-DO sentence pattern. If you'll devote your time at home this week to the complex sentence structure, we'll spend the next two weeks at home with indirect objects, both identifying and diagramming, before moving onto our next sentence pattern.

In particular with regard to complex sentences, the kids should know the following:

• The difference between a phrase and a clause
• The difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause
• What changes a simple sentence to a complex sentence (Hint: phrases do not!)
• How to recognize dependent clauses in a sentence (Study those relative pronoun and subordinating conjunction lists.)
• How to identify dependent clauses as adverbial or adjectival

There's no need to focus on diagramming this week unless you're just eager to do so. But please review memory work as time allows just to dust away the Christmas break cobwebs.

Onto IEW, we made our switch to creative writing today. Our first assignment is Lesson 14, Writing from Pictures. The kids should have great fun with this two-week, three-paragraph story they will write from the pictures given in the lesson. I allow the kids significant creative license here. As long as their central facts and clinchers capture what's depicted in the sketches, I don't care if the character is a gerbil genie, a carpet seller, or an enchanted pizza chef. Their imaginations are so fertile that I can't make them stay in the box of "Aladdin and the Lamp." This assignment last year produced AMAZING stories. We laughed til we cried, and I don't want to stifle those fresh eyes and minds.

Because it's a two-week assignment, I want the kids complete their KWOs and three rough draft paragraphs this week. Next week, they can brainstorm dress-ups and decorations, polish their finals, and complete the Level B checklist, all of which should be turned in two weeks from today, January 18. Also, we touched on five senses adjectives and emotions in class today, but next week, I will go over the two decorations on the checklist -- alliteration and conversation -- and will give the IEW style charts to those who do not have them.

Lastly, our math time this afternoon got squeezed by heavy EEL and IEW material and the exploding trashcan experiment out in the parking lot -- all good and worthy stuff. However, next week, I'll look to spend our full 30 minutes on math games and drill. Just FYI. :)

As always, thank you for sharing your precious children with me on Tuesdays. They are like a breath of fresh air every week. PLEASE let me know if you have questions. I pray you have a super time learning together at home these next few days!

Erin