Class 5 Language Arts

There are two focused Class 5 Language Arts classes:

Literature & Writing Composition

In this course, students develop a more conscious relationship with language by exploring how literature and writing can express the humanity in each pupil. Our goal is to develop reading and writing skills that expand the way students see and interact with the world. This class serves as a creative and practical space where students transition from simple storytelling to more structured, observant, and descriptive forms of composition.

Students in Class 5 language arts will practice the following reading and writing skills:

• Writing with clear descriptions

• Writing topic sentences and organizing thoughts

• Writing reports that contain facts

• Writing business letters with clarity

• Gathering specific information and writing a report on it

• Dictations and spelling

• Comprehension

• Exploring poetic expressions

Required Reading: Our literature studies will center on the following class readers:

• Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising Sequence, Book 1) by Susan Cooper

• The Dark is Rising (The Dark is Rising Sequence, Book 2) by Susan Cooper

Supplies for Class:

• 2 Main Lesson Books

• 1 Exercise book (lined for rough work)

• Fountain pen and pencil

• Colored pencils

• Ruler

Grammar, Vocabulary, & Spelling

In the Class 5 language arts we will be raising self-awareness through grammar. Moving from conclusion to judgment to concept, we use the way children naturally obtain knowledge to introduce grammar.

In Class 5 Language Arts, we focus on raising self-awareness through the study of grammar. Moving from conclusion to judgment to concept, we use the way children naturally obtain knowledge to introduce formal language structures. It is important to awaken the Fifth Grader’s sense of wonder through the overarching topics and themes through which our study of language arts streams, as the student begins to awaken to humanity and to themselves.

We work with themes to draw out our inspirations and work closely throughout the year with themes derived from our set reading books. Our studies will also draw from Greek mythology and stories from ancient civilizations.

The key concepts that will be covered are:

• Parts of speech

• Adverbs

• Conjunctions 

• Interjections

• Pronouns

• Prepositions

• Nouns

• Adjectives

• Verbs

Required Reading:

• Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising Sequence, Book 1) by Susan Cooper

• The Dark is Rising (The Dark is Rising Sequence, Book 2) by Susan Cooper

• Occasional stories from Greek mythology, Ancient civilizations

Supplies for Class:

• 2 Main Lesson Books

• 1 Exercise book (lined for rough work)

• Fountain pen and pencil

• Colored pencils

• Ruler

Course Format & Expectations: Lotus & Ivy Language Arts classes consist of one live lesson per week. To support the work done in class, there is a weekly 20-minute homework exercise. It is essential that students arrive prepared for the lesson, having completed the assigned preparation work.