This year, we will focus heavily on mastering the Common Core literacy standards. We will use various forms of literature to apply the skills necessary to master those standards. The readings will consist of fiction, nonfiction, novels, short stories, and poetry.
Writing will also focus on the Common Core standards. The focus will be on analytical writing, which will enable students to write coherent, five paragraph essays that are well-documented and supported with evidence. This will prepare students for writing in high school.
Grammar is also taught since proper grammar is an essential component of good writing. It is essential for students to know key terms and to be able to detect and correct errors in writing.
Some of the topics we’ll cover are:
- subject/verb agreement
- pronoun agreement
- adjective/adverb agreement
- lie vs. lay
- its vs. it’s
- between vs. among
- altogether vs. all together
We will also cover important grammar terms like gerunds, participles, and infinitives. To do this, we will go over sentence diagramming.