A (Very) Quick Overview
Instructor:
Don Maker is the author of the historical fiction novel "Zenobia" and "Miranda's Magic", a young adult fantasy. He received his B.A. in English and Comparative Literature from the University of California, San Diego, and his M.A. in Education from Chapman University, concentrating on the history and financing of the public education system. He has had the good fortune to travel extensively both nationally and internationally. A member of the California Writer's Club, Don currently writes for a number of Internet sites on such subjects as education, travel, sports, and social issues. Don spent 20 years as a marketing/communications executive and is now a credentialed high school English teacher. His fiction writing includes novels, stage plays, and screenplays.
How the class is conducted:
Each week, there will be an independent unit focused on reading comprehension and writing. A text of two pages or less will cover science, history, or famous people. The first class will include short reading comprehension questions, either multiple choice or writing of complete sentences. Instruction will include how to understand what the question is asking and how to find the correct answer. The second class will focus on how to brainstorm for a longer response based on the text, and then writing of between one to three informative paragraphs. Instruction will include organization and technical aspects of writing (grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.) as well as how to use the text to include relevant information. Two 1-hour classes per week. The student must take both classes during the week they sign up, but each week is independent of other lessons. Each student will have their entire essay marked up with errors and suggestions for improvement by the instructor.
Grades 2&3
Each week, there will be an independent unit focused on reading comprehension and writing. A text of two pages or less will cover science, history, or famous people. The first class will include short reading comprehension questions, either multiple choice or writing of complete sentences. Instruction will include how to understand what the question is asking and how to find the correct answer. The second class will focus on how to brainstorm for a longer response based on the text, and then writing of between one to three informative paragraphs. Instruction will include organization and technical aspects of writing (grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.) as well as how to use the text to include relevant information.
Grades 4&5
Each week, there will be an independent unit focused on reading comprehension and writing. A text of three pages or less will cover science, history, or famous people. The first class will include short reading comprehension questions, either multiple choice or writing of complete sentences. Instruction will include how to understand what the question is asking and how to find the correct answer. The second class will focus on how to brainstorm for a longer response based on the text, and then writing of between two or three informative paragraphs, including compare and contrast. Instruction will include organization and technical aspects of writing (grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.) as well as how to use the text to include relevant information.
Middle School
Each week, there will be an independent unit focused on reading comprehension and writing. A text of three pages or less will cover science, history, or famous people. The first class will include short reading comprehension questions, either multiple choice or writing of several complete sentences. Instruction will include how to understand what the question is asking and how to find the correct answer. The second class will focus on how to brainstorm for a longer response based on the text, and then writing of between three to five paragraphs. Writing will alternate between informative (including compare and contrast) and persuasive essays. Instruction will include organization and technical aspects of writing (grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.) as well as how to use the text to include relevant information.
Pricing $25/hour (2nd-8th); materials included
Class schedule
2nd-8th grader on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 days/week, 1 hour/day
9-10 am: 2nd-3rd
10-11 am: 4th-5th
11-12 pm: Middle school (6th-8th)
Discounts
2nd sibling is 10% off
3rd sibling is 20% off