Joy Pope, Instructor
Grades 8-9

Students will study genres of literature including historical fiction, realistic fiction, and an approved novel of their choice.  They will be asked to analyze literature and practice personal connections, interpretations, and responses to literature which show higher order understanding of the text. Students will also practice skills in group discussion and public presentation. Students will receive direct instruction for vocabulary development and composition of sentences, paragraphs, and essays.  Checklists will focus on content, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions.
Students will need to plan for 45-60 minutes of homework three to four days a week.  Parents must provide oversight for student’s daily progress on assignments as well as function as a parent-editor for all writing assignments.
Grades will be updated weekly at schoology.com.  Students who do not have a 70% at the end of fall semester will need instructor permission to continue into second semester. Visit Sound Learning’s General Course Requirements for more information.

Pre-requisites:
New Students: Successful completion of Following Narnia Vol 1 or 2 or equivalent. Please contact me if you have questions about this requirement.
Returning Students: Students must have an 80% or above in Following Narnia Vol 1 or 2 and instructor permission to enroll in Literature and Composition.  Please contact me for my recommendations.
Please visit Sound Learning English Department Sequence for more information.

 Contact Information:  E-mail jpopecreekside @msn.com  Phone 360-710-1810

Course Day and Time:  Monday, 9:55-11:10

Maximum class size: 10

Tuition: $180 per semester = $360 yearly, plus registration fees

Required Student Materials:      
Dragon’s Gate, Laurence Yep
Call of the Wild, Jack London
Student-selected novel (with permission of parent and teacher)
English handbook, dictionary, and thesaurus – either online or hardcopy
I will provide packets for writing instruction units.  Students will be responsible to print them.

 Recommended Materials: (not required) 
Fix it! Grammar (Levels 1-6)
Grammar will not be formally taught in this class. For parents who want a structured grammar program, Fix it! Grammar encourages students to immediately apply new grammar knowledge in context, aiding in the transfer of grammar skills into their own writing. Student lessons require both independent and interactive work with a parent to apply terminology and strategies from Teaching Writing: Structure and Style.

After determining student placement, purchase of a Fix It! Grammar teacher’s manual also provides free access to a downloadable PDF copy of the student workbook for each level.

Fix It! Teacher’s Manual
Spiral Bound, $19.00 (Each Level)

Click here for information on Enrollment and Registration