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Class Info

English 4 (NW)

Class Year:  2022-2023
Time:  Wed 11:00 am - 12:30 pm;
Teacher:  Becky Thompson
Tuition:  $650 / Year or $65 / Month for 10 Months (Discount for Early Payment)
Supply Fee:  N/A
Location:  Northwest (Cypress)

Age/Grade Level:  On-level and advanced fourth graders as well as fifth graders needing reinforcement. Must be nine years of age prior to September 1, 2022.

Teacher:  Becky Thompson, BS Elementary Education with English Specialization, Baylor University; Masters in Math Education, University of Houston

Tuition: 

* Early Bird Tuition Rate, Postmarked by June 30:    $600/year or 10 payments of $60

* Regular Tuition Rate, Postmarked AFTER June 30:    $650/year or 10 payments of $65 

Supply Fee:  None

Class Description:

This class will provide weekly instruction and parent/child accountability in the subject areas of composition and penmanship as well as reading and grammar enrichment.  Mrs. Thompson’s classes are rigorous but highly rewarding, challenging but flexible, and always, ALWAYS tons of fun. 

COMPOSTITION:  To fulfill the composition component, the teacher will use the Institute for Excellence in Writing’s (IEW) All Things Fun and Fascinating, where a wide variety of adventures will supply a rich foundation for imaginative and enjoyable writing. Students will compose well-structured, short, imaginative paragraphs throughout the year.  They will practice expanding sentences weekly and will write well-structured three-paragraph and five-paragraph reports/stories by year-end.  

PENMANSHIP:  Cursive handwriting will be taught in class and practiced with parent oversight throughout the week. Students will write entirely in cursive by January.  Neatness and organization are required. Students who already write in cursive will review with new learners, and the teacher will modify accordingly.

READING ENRICHMENT:  Students will read poetry, short stories, and chapter books of various genres, all with an emphasis on reading for comprehension, oral expression, and enjoyment. 

GRAMMAR:  IEW’s writing program provides a very organic grammar program along with the writing, but at this age a more formal approach is also needed.  To that end, the teacher will provide a grammar syllabus for the Language Smarts series and also record grammar test grades; but on the whole, grammar will be taught at home by a parent.  The required “open-and-go” curriculum should eliminate any advance preparation for parents.

Requirements at Home: 

  1. Homework: Students will have daily assignments and need regular parental instruction/oversight.
  2. Parent oversight/instruction: At home, the parent is still the teacher. While no advance preparation is required, parents will provide personal one-on-one instruction each day followed by intermittent oversight.  Parents will help students follow the syllabus and check their student’s work each day, so the student can make timely corrections.
  3. Grading: Parents will grade all grammar assignments and tests.  The teacher will grade all writing assignments and provide a cumulative grade each semester.
  4. Time Required: Students will need to spend approximately 40-60 minutes per day on their assignments depending on their maturity, attention span and writing dexterity.  Parents should break this time up into natural segments as they see fit.

Texts and Chapter Books:

What Parents Say About Mrs. Thompson’s Classes:

  • “My child has truly blossomed under Mrs. Thompson’s instruction! He has become a strong writer, enthusiastic reader, and his handwriting is remarkable. This progress could not have been made without the infectious passion Mrs. Thompson has for literary arts.

~J.F., April 2021

  • “We have loved English this year with Mrs. Thompson! My daughter talks frequently about how nice, kind, fun and helpful Mrs. Thompson is.  As a parent and a former teacher, I appreciate her thoroughness in teaching many aspects of reading and writing that often get neglected.  I also appreciate her nurturing spirit towards the students and friendliness in our parent/teacher relationship.  She loves what she does, and it shows.  She’s the best!”

~ R.P., April 2021

  • As an accidental homeschool family (Thanks, Covid!), this class has been such a blessing. My 3rd grader really struggled with writing in public school.  With Mrs. Thompson’s guidance and encouragement through IEW, his progress this year has been so tremendous that I would not believe it had I not been reviewing his work every day this year.  We are so grateful for this class and can’t wait to see what progress he makes next year!

~ A.G., April 2021

  • Thompson challenges, encourages, and loves her students. My daughter has grown so much from being in her class. 

~A.M., April 2021