One-Day Workshops
Spring 2026
These one-day writing workshops are a fun, low-pressure way for kids to build real writing skills. Each class mixes short lessons, movement, games, and writing time, so students stay engaged while learning practical tools they can use right away.
Building Blocks of Language
Grades 3-4
Developing the Craft of Writing
Grades 5-6
Writing with Purpose
Grades 7-8
Building Blocks of Language
Grades 3-4
Designed for students who are beginning independent writing development: learning formatting, sentence structure, and parts of speech. It’s a great fit for students who can write simple sentences and are ready to write a short paragraph with support.
Your Writing Voice
Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
Time: 10:00 -11:30am
Location: Pleasant Hill Senior Center, Classroom 3
Students explore how basic punctuation and parts of speech shape meaning and writing voice. Using fairy tales and picture books, we’ll see how small changes can shift tone, clarity, and expression. Students will practice their own writing voice and share in class. We’ll even act out punctuation changes to feel how emphasis can totally change a sentence
Cost: $50
CCSS: W 3.4, 3.5, 4.4, 4.5, L 3.3, 4.3, RL 3.3, 4.3
Figurative Language
Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
Time: 10:00 -11:30am
Location: Pleasant Hill Senior Center, Classroom 3
Students learn how figurative language adds color, emotion, and personality to writing. We’ll use familiar stories to spot similes and personification, and talk about how each one helps the reader picture a scene or feel a mood. Then students will practice writing their own similes and personification examples and share them aloud, so their writing becomes more vivid and expressive.
Cost: $50
CCSS: L 3.5, 4.5, RI 4.4, W 3.10, 4.10
Descriptive Language
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time: 10:00 -11:30am
Location: Pleasant Hill Senior Center, Classroom 3
Students discover how descriptive adjectives and strong verbs bring writing to life. We’ll connect parts of speech to vivid description and more expressive sentences. Students will practice clear communication by upgrading boring sentences into stronger ones. Then we’ll use that same skill to play an action word game that gets everyone moving.
Cost: $50
CCSS: L 3.1a, g, i, 4.1 d, f, L 3.3, 4.3
Developing the Craft of Writing
Grades 5-6
Designed for students who are ready to move beyond “good enough” writing and start writing with intention. In each two-hour class, students learn a specific craft tool, study mentor examples, and then try it in their own writing through fun, low-pressure activities and sharing.
Your Writing Voice
Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
Time: 12:00 - 2:00pm
Location: Pleasant Hill Senior Center, Classroom 3
Students learn how to strengthen their writing by choosing precise, specific words. We’ll practice replacing vague language with stronger choices that make writing clearer, more engaging, and more confident. We’ll compare examples of strong and weak language, and write in-class descriptions from the perspectives of different objects, letting other students try to guess which object!
Cost: $50
CCSS: W 5.4, 5.5, 6.3, 6.4, RL 6.6
Figurative Language
Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
Time: 12:00 - 2:00pm
Location: Pleasant Hill Senior Center, Classroom 3
Students are introduced to similes and metaphors and explore how authors use figurative language to create imagery. We’ll read short samples from familiar books, identify what makes them effective, and talk about how figurative language changes the way a reader pictures a scene. Then students will have a chance to experiment with similes and metaphors in their own writing. We’ll use movement and in-class games to reinforce the concepts and keep the practice fun.
Cost: $50
CCSS: L 5.5, RI 6.4, W 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5
Creative Writing: Plot Structure
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time: 12:00 - 2:00pm
Location: Pleasant Hill Senior Center, Classroom 3
Students explore plot through hooks, rising action, and falling action, with attention to pacing and reader interest. We’ll look at familiar stories to see how authors build tension, keep readers curious, and create satisfying endings. Students will practice identifying key plot moments and discussing what makes them work. Then they’ll outline and begin a short story of their own, focusing on a strong beginning and clear momentum.
Cost: $50
CCSS: RL 6.2, 6.3 W 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5
Writing with Purpose
Grades 7-8
Designed for students who are already comfortable writing facts and opinions, and who can distinguish solid claims from shaky ones. In these classes, students move beyond “I think…” and into writing with greater precision—learning how to analyze ideas, choose strong evidence, and communicate clearly for a specific audience and purpose. Students practice close reading, thoughtful discussion, and structured writing that strengthens both reasoning and style.
Your Writing Voice
Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
Time: 2:30 - 4:30pm
Location: Pleasant Hill Senior Center, Classroom 3
Students practice selecting meaningful details that best support their ideas, arguments, and stories. Emphasis is placed on how thoughtful detail strengthens voice and communicates intent more clearly. We’ll study examples from popular novels and comic strips to notice an author’s purposeful choices, and how those choices shape what the reader understands and feels. Students will also practice revising their own sentences to add (or trim) details for greater impact.
Cost: $50
CCSS: RL 7.6, 8.6, W 7.3, 7.4, 8.3, 8.4
Figurative Language
Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
Time: 2:30 - 4:30pm
Location: Pleasant Hill Senior Center, Classroom 3
Students analyze metaphors, similes, allusions, and other literary devices, considering why authors choose specific techniques. We’ll look at examples from novels and short stories and discuss how each device supports meaning, tone, and purpose. Students will experiment with adding figurative language to their own writing, then revise to make sure it feels natural and actually strengthens the message. We’ll wrap up with sharing and quick feedback to help sharpen style.
Cost: $50
CCSS: RL 7.4, 8.4, RI 7.4, 8.4, W 7.3, 8.3
Creative Writing: Plot Structure
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time: 2:30 - 4:30 pm
Location: Pleasant Hill Senior Center, Classroom 3
Students study full plot structure, including hook, rising and falling action, climax, and resolution, and examine how plot choices shape characterization and meaning. We’ll analyze favorite works of fiction by mapping them onto a plot arc and noticing where tension builds, shifts, and resolves. Students will also explore the hero’s journey as a storytelling pattern and discuss why it remains so effective. Finally, they’ll begin planning a story of their own with a clear arc and purposeful choices
Cost: $50
CCSS: RL 7.2, 7.3, 8.2, 8.3, W 7.3, 8.3
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Language in Motion: Writing Through Literature
Language Arts classes for homeschoolers in Pleasant Hill, CA
kirsten@languageinmotion.co
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