Level: Form II (4th–6th grades)
Subject(s): English
Description:
Let your students’ imaginations soar while exploring fascinating subjects and learning to write with structure and style!
The Institute for Excellence in Writing’s Frontiers in Writing Lessons offers a “wide variety of adventures” to “supply a rich foundation for imaginative and enjoyable writing.”
With the support of guided group discussion, brainstorming, and critique, upper-elementary students will learn to write with appropriate structure while enlivening their prose with stylistic flare. Over the course of the year, students will focus on developing vivid vocabulary and sentence variety in a range of compositions including both fiction and non-fiction with opportunities to grow in their reading and presentation skills in a supportive atmosphere.
To receive the full benefit of the writing class, students will need sufficient time and a handful of supplies. In addition to weekly class sessions, students should plan to spend another 1 to 3 hours each week completing assignments at home.
Materials:
Families purchase the following required supplies:
- Frontiers in Writing [Student book only] ISBN 9781623414153 (Available from IEW or Rainbow resource)
- Fix-It Grammar Level 2: Town Mouse and Country Mouse Teacher & Student book combo (Available from IEW or Rainbow Resource)
Families will also need to secure the following supplies before the start of class: (Linked brands are suggestions.)
- Pens, black ink, 2 or more
- Pencils, 3 or more, pre-sharpened and ready to use
- Erasers
- Lined notebook paper (reinforced recommended)
- Three-hole punch and stapler (kept at home; used by students to prepare assignments for submission)
- Dictionary & Thesaurus—for home use. Consider apps such as the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and the English Thesaurus.
- Recommended/Optional: Reinforcing stickers for strengthening/repairing holes in notebook paper and handouts
- Dedicated 3-ring notebook binder with tab dividers (binder will be used exclusively for Writing class)
Students will also need to be able to type, print, and email assignments using a sharable word processing program such as (or compatible with) Microsoft Word.
