3/4 Grade reading and writing (elementary)

Sept 2- Nov 18, 2025

This class is typically for students in 3rd-4th grade, often ages 8-9.

The Boxcar Children tells the story of four orphaned children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden. They create a home for themselves in an abandoned boxcar in the forest. They eventually meet their grandfather, who is a wealthy and kind man (although the children had believed him to be cruel). The children decide to live with the grandfather, who moves the beloved boxcar to his backyard so the children can use it as a playhouse.  In this particular story, a family moves into the house next door! The Boxcar Children decide to make friends with their new neighbors by building a treehouse with them. In the process, they notice a window in their neighbor's house that nobody knows about. Does the old home have a secret?

The writing focus for the first semester focuses on helping a student learn to gather and organize ideas, and then write them into sentences for a basic paragraph. Students will learn some parts of speech, and the art of discussion and response to a writing prompt. This class will utilize Google Classroom to organize, assign, and submit homework and class information. Students need a google gmail address (parents may use their own for this). Students will still be encouraged to hand-write their assignments, and then upload pdfs of the work to the classroom homework assignment. The instructor will offer help for the parents and students with this process.

Skills Needed to Succeed in this Class

• Reads chapter books somewhat independently

• Articulates thoughts verbally 

• Able to write a short paragraph somewhat independently 

• Willing to be gently challenged as a student 

• Able to complete 2–3 hours of homework weekly
  
  
  

Skilled Learned in this Class

• Learn/practice TWJ writing process of brainstorming, outlining, writing a rough draft, and rewriting for the final draft 

• Learn to write grammatically correct, engaging sentences which include simple stylistic elements 

• Formulate an engaging topic sentence and conclusion 

• Beginning to write an expanded paragraph which includes writing “chunks”, differentiating between main points and supporting details 

• Build upon their knowledge of basic grammar concepts including the following: subject, predicate, independent clause, compound sentence, comma use, basic parts of speech 
  
  
  

Other Class Details

12 weeks

Class meets for 2 hours per week; break given mid-class

Maximum class size 20 students.

Supplies: gmail address, pencil, paper, TWJ Elementary Writing Foundations Handbook

Tree house Mystery (the boxcar children)

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

ISBN: 978-0807580875

Click here to order from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wGGW3c

For families that pay out-of-pocket for homeschooling classes, The Write Journey, LLC offers a discount of 10% for those classes. Use code “PRIVATEPAY” during check out to apply discount. This offer cannot be combined with any other discounts. The reduced rates for private-pay individuals may be used by students enrolled in charter schools, but only if the family chooses to pay for the goods or services out-of-pocket.

Venmo, PayPal, or Check? Use code “PERSONAL” during check out to change the class cost to $0. After you complete the registration process, please send us your payment. Venmo @TheWriteJourney-Cordell PayPal (Friends & Family) – info@thewritejourney.net

Paying with Charter School Funds? Use code “CHARTER” during check out to change the class cost to $0. After completing the registration process, contact your charter school to order vouchers/purchase orders in three one-month payments. Contact us for assistance if you plan to use charter funds and do not find The Write Journey (or Writing with Kris or Kris Cordell) on your charter school’s vendor list.

To pay with a check, contact us at 916.696.1759.

Cancellation Policy:

Due to the administrative costs and preparations of The Write Journey team to prepare classes and offer reasonable class sizes of 16- 20 students, we must charge a cancellation fee. Teachers typically begin communication 2 weeks before classes begin, and class schedules must be finalized in order to offer the correct number of spots open for families. 

A $25 cancellation fee will be charged up to 2 weeks prior to the start of the ordered class. Any time after 2 weeks prior to the start of class, the cancellation fee is one full month’s charge. For private pay families with more than 2 children, a flat rate of $50 will be charged.