Homeschooling Courses

Poetry Level 1  appropriate for ages 8-10

In this 2 hour poetry class, beginning writers will explore the poetry of Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, Sharon Creech and Marilyn Singer. Each week we will read new poems and talk about what we notice in them. We will explore rhythm, rhyming, metaphor, analogy and other poetic devices. Children will create their own poems and art to go with them. We will create handmade books from the poems and images we create in class. Homework for this class will be minimal. 10 sessions $300

Poetry Level 2  Class A for ages 9-12,  Class B for teens

In this two hour class we will explore writing from a wide variety of poets. Students will learn about poetic devices and analyzing poetry. They will study, compare and contrast poems by Whitman, Dickinson, Frost and Wordsworth. We will pay particular attention to the work of poets from the Harlem Renaissance such as Langston Hughes, Georgia Douglas Johnson and Claude McKay. Students will also learn to memorize and recite poems. We will create a book and hold a formal reading. 10 sessions  $300

Poetry Level 3  for teens

This class is similar to Level 2, but will include more in-depth poetry analysis. In this 12 week, two hour class students will read and analyze modern poets from around the world. They will learn more about the art of recitation. There will be more specific attention paid to memorization and presentation of poems. Students will learn about the National Poetry Out Loud Competition. We will study what makes a successful, formal recitation of poetry.  Spoken word and performance poems will also be covered and students will have a chance to write and perform poems of all kinds. There will be a field trip to a local poetry reading or to watch high school students compete in the Poetry Out Loud Competition in Boston. Students will hold a performance of their poems for their parents and friends at the end of the session.  12  sessions- $350

History / Humanities  appropriate for ages 12 and up

This year-long class will be divided up into three (fall, winter and spring) 10 week sessions. This will be an intensive look at United States History through the lens of ordinary people as detailed in Howard Zinn’s Book, The People’s History of the United States.  Each student will need a copy of the book, a three ring binder, a notebook that will fit into the binder, pens, pencils and erasers.

This class will be quite focused in reading and writing. However, we will also have ample room for fun exploration of subject matter through creation of monologues, skits, and or poems depicting true life characters from their original time period. We will also create a “wax museum” project based on our studies that parents will visit. This class will also include 2 day long field trips. One will be to Salem in the fall and the other will be to Plymouth Plantation in the spring.

Each student will maintain a portfolio documenting their work for the year. They will learn how to summarize and paraphrase readings. Each student will write a biography of a historical figure. They will learn how to do basic research and cite their sources. Students will also learn about oral history and complete their own oral history project. They will have weekly homework assignments that will involve reading and writing. Access to a computer will be necessary.  

Seating for this class is limited. Three 10 week sessions. $300 per 10 week session.

Short Story   1    Class A ( ages 9-12)     Class B  teens

This two hour, 10 week class will provide a thorough introduction to the short story. Through a series of in-class exercises and homework, students will write and edit drafts of stories. Students will learn about and discuss the basic elements of stories (setting, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution,  character, conflict, and theme) and be able to identify these in the stories they read and write. This will be a writing intensive class and will require regular homework and access to a computer. I will not be able to provide individualized attention with spelling and grammar, so parental involvement with weekly assignments will be required. Students will need a three-ring binder with two dividers with tabs. They will also need writing journals and pens at every class. Access to a computer is necessary. Each student will create numerous story ideas and drafts. By the end of the series, each student will have written, edited and revised at least two polished short stories to be published in a class book. 10 sessions $300

Essay Writing 1         Class A for ages 10-12,  Class B for teens

In this 10 week, 2-hour class students will study expository essays. They will learn the basic aspects of the five paragraph essay (introduction, 3 evidentiary body paragraphs, and conclusion). They will read, analyze and write expository essays. They will complete basic research on a topic of interest and learn how to summarize, paraphrase and cite this information in their work. Students will create a booklet of their essays. This is a writing intensive class. Students will have weekly homework and need access to a computer.  10 sessions $300

Essay Writing  2   

appropriate for those who have completed Essay 1

You’ve mastered the expository essay. Now, what about the other kinds of essays? Descriptive and narrative essays are fun, but how do they differ from the expository? Those who love to argue may enjoy writing persuasive (often called, argumentative) essays. In this 10 week, two-hour class students will study each type of essay. They will write and revise drafts of each kind of essay. This will be a reading and writing focused class. Students will have weekly homework and will need access to a computer. By the end of the series, each student will have three polished essays. Students will choose their favorites to submit to for publication. 10 sessions $300

Critical Classics      Class A 9-12  Class B Teens

In this class, students will read and study a classic novel. They will learn how to take effective notes and organize information for the creation of a formal book report. Through in-depth class discussion with the teacher and their peers, students will deepen critical thinking skills. Students will learn how to summarize, paraphrase and properly quote a book in a formal paper. There will also be creative writing and art making based on the book. This is a reading and writing intensive class that will require weekly reading and writing homework.  10, 2-hour sessions, $300

Play Writing 1       ages 10- 13   

In this class students will learn the basics of writing scenes and dialogue. This class will focus on writing 10 minute plays. Students will engage in dramatic readings of each other’s work.  There will be verbal and written feedback from peers as well as the instructor.  The class will culminate in a staged reading of student work in which students present dramatic readings of each other’s  plays. This class is limited to 6 participants. 6, 2 hour sessions, $250

Play Writing 2       ages 12 and up     

This class builds on the skills taught in Play Writing 1. Students will learn more in depth script writing techniques. Each student will also act in and direct one scene from each other’s one act plays. The class will end with a staged reading of scenes from each one act play.

Class is limited to 6 students.  6, 2 hour classes $250

Introduction to Drama With Linda and Ansley 

Through theater games and improvisation exercises, students will explore movement, voice, comedy, character, setting, and scene development. Students will learn the basics of improv and also will engage in basic skit writing exercises. The final class will be a presentation to parents and invited guests. This 8 week, 2 hour class is active, fun, and suitable for all kinds of learners.

Class is limited to 6 participants.

This class has 2 instructors.  8, 2 hour classes $300

 

Social Action Class      for students over 10

In this class, we will explore the rich history of grassroots organizing in this country. We will read about the labor movement, civil rights, and equal rights movement. The class will then work together to design and implement a social action project that addresses an issue they feel strongly about. This could be global warming, cruelty to animals, poverty, etc. The focus of this class will be to research the topic as a class and take action together that addresses the problem. This could be editorial writing for the local paper, making informational material for friends, family, and neighbors. It could be a car wash or bake sale to raise funds for an organization that addresses the area of concern.

Haiku Workshop all ages

This workshop conducted in nature begins with a discussion on the origins of haiku poetry. In class, students will read, analyze and discuss haiku poetry. Students will write their own haikus. They will use calligraphy pens, brushes, and walnut ink to transfer their poems onto rice paper. The class will culminate with a reading in nature, creating boats of the rice paper poems and sending them down a stream.