Organizing your own family calendar is one of the perks of homeschooling, and coordinating all the wonderful things your child is involved in can be a huge scheduling challenge. If one of your aims is to meet the standards for English Language Arts instructional time recommended by your state’s Department of Education, or if it’s important to finish school “on time” for a traditional summer break, string modules end-to-end for seamless course meetings throughout the school year.
Online Language Arts Instruction courses are designed in four-week modules with new start dates every month, making it easy to customize your academic schedule to accommodate community events, club meetings, team practices, dance rehearsals, church retreats, and other activities. Each module focuses on a different reading topic and essay type to be completed in four weeks. Since each course can be completed from the first assignment to the last in one month, it’s easy to take breaks, bookending courses around family trips, theater performances, playoffs week, or other major events. The module format puts you in charge of when and where you do your schoolwork, with live Zoom classes that let you take school on the road.
Each module includes four live Zoom lessons and four asynchronous lessons. Monday lessons are live, and Wednesday lessons are asynchronous. Asynchronous meetings include a video lecture, interactive activities, discussion forums, and assignments and can be accessed at the student's convenience. Asynchronous lessons are posted in the Google classroom every Wednesday and remain available to students until the next live Zoom meeting on the following Monday.
Individual assessments are administered before enrollment to determine which course is best for your student. After a parent consultation meeting, students either receive one-on-one instruction or are placed in a small group of intellectual peers with similar levels of social and academic maturity. Parents choose to either meet virtually for a live conversation or complete a brief online form explaining the student’s prior experiences with writing, reading, and grammar. Students who are academically advanced, as well as those whose skills are less developed, are evaluated so that instruction is suited to meet their individual needs. Parents are updated on the learning process through regular emails and may attend an optional “exit interview” to determine the student’s progress in the course and to plan for the future.
Instructor-led discussions are centered on engaging topics that challenge students to think deeply and talk freely. Students learn online etiquette, like sensing how and when to share ideas, anticipating and dealing with interruptions, overcoming technical issues, and understanding how to express genuine interest in the thoughts of others. In addition to solid academic instruction, one of the central goals of the class is to foster social connections and encourage friendships. Team projects are a part of every course, as well as group presentations. Collaboration is a buzzword and top priority in today’s workplace. Team assignments build confidence and improve comfort levels in group situations, preparing students for the future and enriching their classroom experiences in the present.
Students are assessed before and after the course to track growth and identify areas that need improvement. Course descriptions include required skills, content objectives, and expected outcomes. For a minimal fee, an optional consultation is available twice during the course for parents who want to monitor more closely a student’s progress and to receive advice and tips for improving specific skills in writing, grammar, speaking, reading fluency, and comprehension. A printed certificate of completion is mailed to the student’s home after the successful completion of each course.
Tuition is paid prior to the first day of class and is $75 per module.
Content is delivered through the Google Classroom platform, which is also where students submit assignments and receive feedback on their work.
I look forward to equipping you with skills and strategies for a bright academic future!