Upper Elementary ELA – Junior Great Books

We are thrilled to be bringing back (and expanding) the Junior Great Books course for our Upper Elementary students (ages 8-10/11) who are ready to dig in.  They will learn to “find their evidence”, discuss opposing viewpoints, become active readers, and with the extended time – we get to add some foundational writing, vocabulary and creativity where we can find the opportunity!

Each week, students arrive and put their homework questions on the board.  These questions drive our literature discussion (which reinforces the skills of constructive and analytical discussion, and finding evidence to support your viewpoints).  Students in this class will have homework that consists mostly of reading a short story twice and writing questions to bring to class, or may include some writing or vocabulary activities.

From the GreatBooks website:  “Praised for their rich language and international range, and chosen carefully for their ability to support multiple interpretations, the stories in Junior Great Books® capture students’ attention and imagination to engage the best of their thinking.“

Students should bring a small, nut-free snack (can be eaten in 5-10 minutes) and a water bottle.  All other materials for this class will be supplied!

Students who are staying for afternoon Upper Elementary STEAM should bring a nut-free lunch to eat.  Lunch is supervised.

30-60 minutes/week homework; PARENTS will have the option of limiting or expanding homework to create a more or less demanding course load as needed.  Please speak with the Learning Leader about your intentions for the course.

For literature, please go to:  https://fab.lexile.com and look up the books your child reads with ease.  If they are at 650 level or higher, your child is ready to handle the content in this class. 

Students should be able to read and write with relative ease and average speed.  Spelling is less of an issue as long as 1) the instructor can at least phonetically decipher the child’s writing; and 2) spelling is not going to cause a child to write much slower because they are wondering about the correct spelling.

There is also scissor use in our classes.  Students who struggle using scissors may not be ready for some of the tasks they will be presented with in class that must be completed IN class.

Students in this level should be ready to ask questions about everything–and grow in depth along the way.  They should be starting to think of the world around them and others, but they will also be looking at themselves.  Students who struggle with looking into themselves may struggle with some of the literature class.  A student who is not able to accept that they can be wrong will find the literature class difficult.

Students who are unable to keep from calling out their ideas in a group setting or engage in negative attention-seeking would not be well-suited to this course.  Fidgeters or students that need to stand rather than sit may be able to be accommodated.  Please contact us to see how we can work together with these needs.

These stories also deal with other cultures and religions (including pre-Christian folklore).  If you are concerned about the reading content, please contact us.