Informative Writing Workshop is a 12-week online class for students ages 10-14 (grades 4-8) with the support of parents. This course is more than just a writing course. Beyond building proficient writing skills in basic paragraphs, it's a writing course in the biblical worldview of writing and proper development of language and communication, which includes reading, listening, thinking, speaking, and writing. It's a simple course that teaches basic skills that can be practiced and mastered over time. The lessons are not complicated and each skill taught builds upon the previous skill. There are no skipping lessons. Simply start with the first lesson and go at your own pace. Teacher support will be available via messages on the BCC website.
The methods of teaching I use every week are to impart the week's goals, review the biblical principles of writing, teach the week's content and skills, and help students begin their weekly assignment. I teach students the 3 Day Writing Process that they can practice every week. Students should be required to complete one paragraph or essay per week.
There are several end results in this course. First, students will develop a biblical purpose for writing. They will 1) know how biblical principles apply to writing, 2) see how important good communication is as a form of redemption, restoring what was lost in sin's curse, and 3) understand its necessity for successful and intelligent living. Second, students will understand how coherence works to write clearly and effectively. They will know how to develop their ideas and write proficiently. They will learn to research and list ideas, organize and plan their ideas, and find the best expression of those ideas. Lastly, students will master basic English skills. They will know the building blocks of a basic paragraph and a basic essay and apply it to any informative topic. They will know how to find words, use words, and organize sentences to create an interesting and compelling paragraph, which will be the foundation they need to write multi-page reports.
This is a self-paced course. Weekly assignments will be provided and may be submitted to the instructor. No grades will be given, but Writing Instructor Feedback is available for purchase for $5 a month. Practice is the key in this course. Students need adequate time, effort, and practice to reach the end results. If students require more time beyond the 12 weeks, that's ok. Take as long as you need. A brief Course Overview is attached for preview of content for each week.
