Frequently Asked Questions

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Will this class teach my child how to read or spell?
No. Language in Motion isn’t a reading or spelling program. It’s focused on helping students work with language: understanding meaning and intent, and learning to communicate clearly and effectively.

If your child isn’t a confident reader or speller but wants to become a stronger communicator, they can still be a great fit for this class. Writing assignments may be completed using voice-to-text, and all assigned books are available in audiobook format through Audible and/or Libby.

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My child is in 4th grade, but the older class description sounds like it would fit his writing level better. Are the ages limited?

Not at all! That’s the beauty of homeschooling. If you think one class would fit your child better, please feel free to try it. My goal is to help each child improve their writing, vocabulary, and grasp of the English language. 

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Is the homework mandatory?

Only if you want to improve! The homework is designed to reinforce the lessons learned in class across a full week of homeschool learning. However, I also understand that life happens. I do want to support your learning outcomes as well as I can. The more writing your student does, the more they’ll improve!

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What does a class look like?

Each class will include 

• Grammar 
  
  • Parts of Speech for Building Blocks class
  • Diagramming for Voices class
• Foundational Skills
  
  • Punctuation
  • Clauses, Complex Sentences, etc
  • Verb Tenses
• Writing Skills
  
  • (see example below)
• Brief In-Class Writing
• Editing
  
  • Fixing sentences to hone self-editing skills
• Frequent Games & Review to keep skills fresh

What does the writing process look like?

In each class, we’ll introduce a new writing concept, and look at a few examples of it being done well. For example, when we talk about the writer’s voice, we’ll read a few examples in literature, and compare examples that use precision and rich, emotional imagery, with examples that are flat and dull. We’ll talk about why certain language is so much more vivid than other examples, and how to replicate it in our own writing. 

Once the students are comfortable identifying examples, we do an in-class writing voice exercise where students have a few minutes to write from the perspective of an inanimate object in the classroom. Is it possible the stapler has been jealous of the tape dispenser? Is the chair with the wobbly leg actually trying to get out of a job?

While the students write, I walk around silently looking for “diamonds” - student work to read aloud as a great example. A natural part of writing is wanting to share our work! I read a few examples out loud and students guess what the mystery object might be. Then part of their homework is another writing assignment with an eye toward exercising their writer’s voice.

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What does homework look like?

You can expect 2-4 hours of homework a week. About half of that is reading. The other half is reviewing skills we have built in class. This class is designed to be a comprehensive overview of Language Arts, so that students feel empowered to be able to work independently at home. Writing homework will be graded, and I’ll provide detailed feedback on each assignment. 

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What does that feedback look like?

My goal is to give manageable feedback with the ultimate goal of helping students become better editors. Especially with younger kids, I never mark everything that is wrong, especially with kids still mastering spelling. Receiving a paper back that is full of red marks would be disheartening to anyone. I limit edit suggestions to ones that address things we’ve practiced in class (i.e. remember that commas come between an introductory clause and the independent clause!), or give them things to look for in their edit (ie. I see two letters that need to be capitalized in your third line. I bet you can find them!)