TWJ Community

Spring 2024 Classes

Click to view Spring 2024 class schedule

1/2 Grade Novel: Harper and the Scarlet Umbrella 

Wednesday 9:30-11:30 PST (12:30-2:30 pm EST)

Jan 31-May 1 *no class Feb. 21, and March 27

This fantasy tale introduces children to many musical vocabulary terms and explores the make believe world of enchantment. Children will learn about friendship, teamwork, and problem solving. They will also work on writing 3-4 complete sentences related to a topic. They will be taught how to identify some parts-of-speech, how to choose great words in sentence writing, and how to follow a story from the very beginning to the final resolutions.


3/4 Grade Novel: Medallion

Wednesdays 9:30-11:30 PST (12:30-2:30 pm EST)

Jan 31-May 1 *no class Feb. 21, and March 27

Medallion is a fantasy coming-of-age story reminiscent of medieval times. In it, our main character goes on a journey, initiated by his pride, and learns many character lessons along the way. Our class will focus on setting and mood, character qualities and character growth, conflict (internal and external), and what it means to be a good leader. These topics will be both discussed in class, and be the topic for their writing assignments. We'll start with the Basic Paragraph, and quickly move to the Expanded Paragraph, learning to add in some familiar stylistic elements toward the end of the semester.


5/6 Grade Novel: The Door in the Wall

Wednesdays 9:30-11:30 PST (12:30-2:30 pm EST)

Jan 31-May 1 *no class Feb. 21, and March 27

Or

Thursdays  9:30-11:30 PST (12:30-2:30 pm EST)

Feb 1-May 2 *no class Feb. 22, and March 28

Robin, child of Sir John de Bureford, has been told what is expected of him as the son of a nobleman. He must learn the ways of knighthood. But Robin’s destiny is changed suddenly when he falls ill and loses the use of his legs. Fearing a plague, his servants abandon him, and Robin is left alone. A monk named Brother Luke rescues Robin. When the great castle of Lindsay is in danger, Robin discovers that there is more than one way to serve his king. This class will focus on the themes of perseverance, kindness, friendship, and courage. Students will also continue learning and practicing the expanded paragraph writing process, specifically focusing on the editing and stylistic elements that make paragraphs excellent! 


7/8 Grade Novel: The Hobbit

Tuesdays 10:00 am- 12:00 pm PST (1:00-3:00 pm EST) 

Jan 30-Apr 30 *no class Feb. 20, and March 26

Or

Wednesdays 10:00 am- 12:00 pm PST (1:00-3:00 pm EST)

Jan 31-May 1 *no class Feb. 21, and March 27

This classic tale follows the story of an unlikely hero, warns of the dangers of greed, and discovers the wonders of exploration and adventures. Students will discuss loyalty, honor, and resourcefulness in class. Many students will discover the difference between a written tale and its movie! Hint: the book is not the same; it is better! Students will also continue to focus on multi-paragraph writing. They will delve deeper into the more advanced stylistic elements and grammatical layers that enhance writing at the middle school level. 

9-12 Grade Novel: The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 am PST (12:30-2:30 pm EST) 

Jan 30-Apr 30 *no class Feb. 20, and March 26

Or

Wednesdays 9:30-11:30 PST (12:30-2:30 pm EST)

Jan 31-May 1 *no class Feb. 21, and March 27

Join us for a romp in Sherwood Forest as we tag along with The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood! Howard Pyle adapts the timeless legends of England’s famed outlaw and not only provides exhilarating escapades, but also explores thoughtful themes of good vs. evil, legality vs. morality, and the bonds of friendship. Students will contemplate the challenge of sticking to their principles in the face of conflict while studying one of the most exciting models in English literature! Students will continue to write five-paragraph essays focused on literary response writing. They will hone their use of stylistic elements and perfect the advanced grammatical skills needed for high school writing.

College Prep Novel: The Count of Monte Cristo

Thursdays 9:30-11:30 PST (12:30-2:30 pm EST)

Feb 1-May 2 *no class Feb. 22, and March 28

For centuries, Alexandre Dumas’ classic, The Count of Monte Cristo, has defended its title as the pinnacle of revenge stories. While many people know of the name, students will dive deeper and study the surprisingly intimate exploration of the complex dynamics between revenge and justice. As they follow the exploits of the millionaire on a mission, they will also discover how the interplay between mercy, grace, and redemption affect the story of one man seeking justice in an unjust world. Students will continue to write more expansive five-paragraph essays focused on literary response writing. They will hone their use of stylistic elements and perfect the advanced grammatical skills needed for college level writing. They will also write in discussion-board posts to practice for their college class experiences. 


Working Together to Find Success

One aspect of getting into a good rhythm is connecting with your children’s instructors – those to whom you have chosen to outsource a certain amount of instruction. We desire to walk alongside you and support you as you oversee your children’s education. That means we – The Write Journey instructors and administrators in partnership with you – will need to communicate regularly and understand our roles. The following suggestions often bring great results:

  1. Request a recording of our Orientation webinar (if you were not already able to attend) to learn how to work together with The Write Journey to create a calm and successful semester for your students. Kris discusses each person’s role in creating a successful class experience for you and your children.

  2. Your students’ instructors are going to be your first point of contact with us, so get comfortable connecting with them via texts, emails, phone calls, etc. You are likely already receiving emails from them. Look for weekly emails, and always reach out to them if you have questions or concerns about anything related to the class or to your students’ work.

  3. Assist your child with time management. Some children need more assistance and oversight than others, but this is an important part of your role at home. Students will perform best if they are working on their assignments a little bit each day of the school week.

  4. Carefully study any homework that is returned to your child with feedback from the instructor. It’s not enough for students to look at a grade. They must read the feedback carefully and make sure they understand the corrections and suggestions. You can help them with this.

When you are intentionally working on each of these aspects of connection, you and your child will have a wonderful experience learning. We are grateful to be a part of your educational journey.

VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT

Mission: Our mission is to train and empower people to become authentic communicators who positively impact the world.

The Vision: The Write Journey develops quality writers through relational education.

Values:

  • Quality over quantity: We teach students to master skills instead of producing ‘busy work’.

  • Relational instruction: The Write Journey values personal interactions between educators and students.

  • Partnership: We offer support through collaboration with parents, teachers, and the team at The Write Journey.

  • Equipping others: Our educators train and equip teachers and parents using our unique products and services.

  • Communication with civility: The Write Journey educators model and teach communication skills, including voicing ideas responsibly and listening actively.

  • Critical thinking skills: Educators teach logic and reasoning skills over opinion based responses.

  • Flexibility We adjust expectations for the well-being of students and families.

  • Small class size Our instruction allows time for each student to participate, and for each teacher to provide valuable feedback

NEW: Assess Your Current Writing Curriculum

  1. Does your child complete their current writing curriculum with ease and mastery?

  2. Does your child’s current writing curriculum simply focus on mastery of basic writing skills? (or rather does it include comprehensive writing instruction)

  3. Is your child gaining confidence as a writer?

  4. Is your child producing quality written work in all of the following aspects of writing?

    a. Does their work contain quality ideas?

    b. Is their work well organized?

    c. Do they write interesting and engaging sentences?

    d. Does your child understand how to apply proper grammar rules when writing?

  5. Is your child able to write a composition independently – from start to finish without your help?

  6. Is your child developing advanced critical thinking skills to apply to their writing?

  7. Is your child writing multiple compositions each semester?

  8. Do you as the parent feel confident assessing and giving feedback on your child’s writing?

If you answered “NO” to 3 or more of those questions, we encourage you to join us for a free webinar to learn more about The Write Journey approach to teaching writing. You may find it’s time for a change, and this approach may be perfect for you and your child.

Partnership Opportunities with TWJ

1. FREE – join our social media community: Instagram @thewritejourneycommunity, Facebook page and private Facebook “group”. Look for “The Write Journey Community”

2. Attend a FREE live webinar offered at least once per month to learn about TWJ products and services.

3. Purchase TWJ materials to help equip you to teach writing and literary analysis to your students. Then attend a live webinar to learn how to get the most out of the materials you’ve purchased.

4. Sign your children up for live, virtual “full services” classes. These classes meet once per month for 12 weeks each semester. Well trained instructors provide quality instruction in the following ways:

a. Teach lessons

b. Facilitate quality discussions about literature

c. Assign homework

d. Correct and give individual feedback on homework

e. Partner with parents as needed to provide excellent language arts instruction for all students

5. Sign your children up for live, virtual tutoring. This option may be best if your schedule does not allow for scheduled classes, or if your child has special learning needs.

6. Consider a writing assessment. We will assess a sample of your child’s writing and provide feedback to you. We will assess the following four aspects of your child’s writing: content, organization, style, and grammar.

7. Sign yourself up for our Adult Training Program (ATP). We will train you to bring our quality writing and literary analysis methods to your home or educational community (school, co-op, pod, etc.)

Finally, contact our home office to chat about any other option that you would like to see but do not see listed here. We are here for you and your children. Let us know how you need support developing critical thinking and quality communication in your family and educational community.