Week One: Writing Recap

Hello Essentials families,
     Thank you for a fast, furious and phenomenal first day of Essentials.  We covered a feast of information and I appreciate all of you hanging on tight from the first course to the last.  Thank you for your encouraging smiles and patience as we worked our way through some of the logistics and procedures with our notebooks and class schedule.  Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from this week forward.
     I want to add an additional thank you to all of the moms for jumping in and being so hands-on with your children and children whose moms are not able to attend class.  We have balanced the classes to maximize the mom:student ratio and it was wonderful watching you jump in and help all of the children.  You were a blessing to me and the students.
     Here are some highlights and clarifications for the week:
(1)  Grammar Rules:  Section 10 in notebook 1a, 1e, 1f
(2)  IEW vocabulary:  Section 9 in notebook  radiant (adj), fashioned (v), serpentine (adj), towering (adj)  Study the definitions and parts of speech.
(3)  Charts to drill this week:  Section 8 in notebook
    (a) Unit I Chart - Practice with your student copying the basic structure of a Key Word Outline from memory onto a blank sheet of notebook paper.  They should be able to reproduce the following:
                                                                    Title
                     I.
                         1.
                         2.
                         3.
                         4.
                         5.
                         6.
                         7.
    (b)  Memorize the Outlining Rule Chart by being able to answer the following question.
               What is the outlining rule?
                   3-4 words first, then numbers and symbols are free!

   (4) Week One Lesson Section 7 in notebook
             I provided a Weekly guide to help you pace your week with IEW.  This includes a detailed daily schedule for this week's IEW assignment.  This is strictly a suggested schedule.  You are the teacher, so please plan and complete the work as it best fits your homeschool.  If your student did not make it home with the "Teaching Writing Structure and Style Guide" please email me and I will send it to you.  thegaines@triad.rr.com
   (5)  Public Speaking Guidelines Helpful for Day Five  Found in Section 8 of notebook - We will thoroughly discuss the Public Speaking Guidelines for the speaker and the audience next week in class before KWO presentations begin.  As your student practices retelling their favorite fable on Monday, you may use these to help prepare your students to present with confidence and clarity.

WRITING REWARDS:  Writing Rewards will be given to the students next week for presenting their tongue twisters and retelling their fables in class.  They will not be required to turn in their Key Word Outline. I will check for completion and give rewards by looking in their composition book.

Thank you again!  I hope you and your students will have a ball this year in Essentials!

Many blessings,
Tina