Before essays... before science reports... before college admissions narratives... there's the paragraph.
Expository paragraphs. Descriptive paragraphs. Narrative paragraphs. Persuasive paragraphs.
And then there's everything that goes into a great paragraph: Topic sentences. Concluding sentences. Details. Evidence. Hooks.
How in the world do you teach all that?
Simple: You don't.
I'm a professional writer with years of teaching experience. Now, I've recorded my material -- the exact same material I teach in live courses -- to make it available to parents everywhere, so that every student can easily craft this building block of all future writings.
Most kids can't write.
It's a sad but true fact. In 2016, more than 40 percent of students who took the ACT lacked the necessary reading and writing skills to compete a college-level English class. Three-quarters of students in grades 8 and 12 currently lack basic proficiency in writing, according to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Practices.
Don't let your student be a statistic.
For more than 15 years, I've taught homeschooled students how to write. For the past year I've taught online, with many reviews like this one:
"This was the first online class to ever catch my daughter's interest, and now she wants to be a writer! To say she was inspired by the instructor and the assignments would be an understatement. She has been inspired to come up with additional writing projects on her own, 'just for fun'! She's constantly asking when the next class is, and I look forward to her taking more classes from this instructor soon!"
Now, I've recorded these same courses -- courses that have taught hundreds of students to write paragraphs! -- and recorded them as high-quality, engaging videos. You'll have access to all the same activities and worksheets -- but you can do the course in your own time, at your own convenience.
What will your student learn? Everything they need to know about paragraphs, whether it's for a standardized test or for basic writing proficiency.
After this four-part video course, your student should feel comfortable writing five-sentence paragraphs in descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive styles.
They will be able to identify and compose a topic sentence that states the main idea, supporting sentences that include details, and a concluding sentence that restates the main idea or finishes in a memorable way.
While they learn, students will engage in fun activities like brainstorming, word challenges, and writing sentences about giraffes on tightropes. Little do they know that each of these activities are designed to strengthen a particular writing skill, making them better writers overall. They'll leave this course with a new set of writing powers!
Still have questions? Here are some FAQs.
How does this class work?
Easy. Once you purchase the course, you'll have access to four videos, each between 25 and 39 minutes long, and each on a different style of paragraph. Print the worksheets and start watching the first video!
What learning methods are used?
I use diverse methods including example writings of different levels, in-class activities and games, and clear instruction. In addition, the theme of a construction zone, as well as color-coding the sentences, helps students who learn better visually to retain the information.
Will my student be able to apply this knowledge to other classes?
Definitely! For each class, you can print off worksheets and rubrics to use again and again with many other forms of writing. Also, since the paragraph is the building block of solid writing, your student will be applying these skills all the way into college classes.