TWJ SPRING CLASS REGISTRATION Is OPen!

Spring classes registration is open in early November!

If you plan to enroll your student in spring semester classes, you will find the novel info here, and there is a link to take you to the class schedule. Whether you want your child in a reading & writing class, or a Writing Foundations course, the website lists all of the days and times.
Click here for more info (article link)

Reading & Writing Class Details:

Primary Level:

1/2 Grade Reading & Writing Novel(s):
The Courage of Sarah Noble and by Alice Dalgliesh

Elementary Level:

3/4 Grade Reading & Writing

The Bears of Hemlock Mountain

Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos

by Robert Lawson

5/6 Grade Reading & Writing

Amos Fortune: Free Man

By Elizabeth Yates

Intermediate Level:

7/8 Grade Reading & Writing
Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

Advanced Level:

HS Reading & Essay Writing
Various Short Stories (Early American history) by American Authors

Including The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

College Prep Reading & Essay Writing

The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

AND

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Writing Only Courses:

If your child has not had formal writing instruction from our instructors, this course is the starting place for your student. The courses are arranged according to the Learning Level and age range of the student. Please contact the office if you have questions. 916-696-1759

Elementary:

Writing Foundations 13- Elementary Level- Tuesdays 9:30-10:30 am pst/12:30-2:30 pm est

Intermediate:

Writing Foundations 13- Intermediate Level- Tuesdays 9:30-10:30 am pst/12:30-2:30 pm est

Advanced:

Formal Academic Essay Writing- Wednesdays 9:30-11:00 am pst/ 12:30-2:00 pm est

Schedule & Register

LEARNING LEVELS ARE here for you to find the right class

Learning Levels help busy parents find all classes and services within their child’s learning level. Simply following the “Learning Level Icon” used for each age range. Each Learning Level has further description when you click the button. Look for your child’s age range to determine the best fit for your child’s individual needs.

click below to find the full description for all the classes that we offer

• Primary ⇒ TK - 2nd grade

• Elementary ⇒ 3rd - 6th grade

•  Intermediate ⇒ 7th-8th grade

• Advanced ⇒ 9th-12th grade

Primary students are typically grades TK through 2nd, often ages 4-7.

Elementary students are typically grades 3rd through 6th, often ages 8-11.

Intermediate students are typically grades 7th through 8th, often ages 12-14.

Advanced students are typically grades 9th through 12th, often ages 14-18.

EASY ART FUN FOR ALL

Hopefully,the summer will be a time to relax and enjoy some unstructured family and learning time. When my children were little, I often enjoyed doing creative art and discovery adventure projects with them. We repurposed big boxes into imaginary dwellings, like a castle or a horse farm. Exploring local parks, we looked for “treasures” to journal about and draw. It was exciting to take the time to look for unusual rocks, plants and critters! Some days we spent indoors creating an art project such as directed drawing. Although some might say “that’s not really art” I beg to differ as each of my children’s pieces turned out differently and equally beautiful. In addition to completing a drawing they took pride in, they each became better listeners and more observant to detail. Their confidence as artists grew.

Attached you will find a link (you may need to cut and paste to your browser) to a free resource of a Keel Billed Toucan by Mona Brooks, creator of “Monart” a directed drawing program. Of course you can find many other creative resources, from books on Amazon to free YouTube videos. Enjoy exploring this summer!!

Ms. Gina

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R4Y8T-V4qj0MHB4JXJsa_3HniIxXqyjlrCwT8hLQl do/edit

Academics for very young children

Parents of littles! When my four children were young and I was homeschooling, there were many articles that piqued my interest. My best intentions to read them were often sidetracked by more pressing matters. With that in mind, I have summarized and identified some findings from the article Early Academic Training Produces Long-Term Harm by Petr Gray, Ph.D..

Several studies in this article support the idea that academic, rather than play- based preschools/kindergartens actually have an adverse effect on young children. Initially, there appears to be academic gains but by 4th grade the students often perform worse than peers who were in a play-based school. These studies did not include any social/emotional studies, only academics.

Interestly, the next study mentioned included a longitudinal study on a group of children in a high poverty demographic. Although this is not my demographic, many of the outcomes make sense to me as both a mom and educator. This study began the same way as the others, however, they did a follow-up with the children at the ages of 15 and 23. The students who participated in the play-based school performed similarly academically to the academic kindergarten, the difference was in social/emotional growth. I’ll end with a direct quote from Dr. Gray:

”Those in classrooms where they learned to plan their own activities, to play with others, and to negotiate differences may have developed lifelong patterns of personal responsibility and pro-social behavior that served them well throughout their childhood and early adulthood.”

Of course you will draw your own conclusions based on this type of research, but my encouragement to you is simple: Relax and enjoy your littles. Play, explore, and encourage their innate curiosity!

Ms. Gina

To read the full article click below

LEARNING LEVELS INSTEAD OF STANDARD GRADE LEVELS?

Typically, in traditional schools students simply receive instruction and complete assignments that are common to the entire class/grade (or even the entire district) in each subject. Sadly, regardless of the grade level, many language arts curriculums fall short in teaching specific methods of the writing process. Often, the standard program fails to clearly instruct students on the “process” that will bring about a quality composition. Instead, at every grade, students are left with an assignment and a blank page (or screen), on which to compose their thoughts in such a way that the next person understands.

At The Write Journey, our primary focus for any student is the mastery of writing skills. We do not believe that it is helpful or empowering to students or families to watch a student struggle in a state standard simply because of the grade they have been assigned for school. Instead, we recognize more potential for growth when general learning levels are based on each student’s abilities. That means that we simply see age related grade levels in school as a guideline or starting point, but we ultimately look at a student’s skills and abilities to decide what level will offer the greatest opportunity for success on an individual basis. Our Learning Level Icons provide broad benchmarks to help us determine where each child is likely to experience appropriate instruction and expectations. Students need the freedom and option to release the expectations of state standards, slow down or speed up their instruction tempo, and grow in the appropriate ability level.

When a student is given a writing task well beyond their ability, it can cause the student to experience a number of negative emotions, such as panic, fear, frustration, or even an unwillingness to try because they feel unprepared for the task. However, when a student starts at the beginning of the writing process, and builds upon each layer of skills and knowledge, growth happens, and eventually mastery is achieved.

When people look on our website, we recognize their need to identify which class level best meets their student’s needs, so our new Learning Level Icons help searchers navigate between the various levels, with each level having an assigned grade range. That said, we will always defer back to our core ideologies: teaching to our students’ abilities and needs. We desire to create a safe space to allow students to grow in effective communication skills - reading, writing, and discussion - at their own pace. As we partner together, your children will enjoy a meaningful, successful learning experience, which will be based on their personal skills and abilities.

Written by: Julie Snyder and Kris Cordell