Registration will begin February 1, priority registration will be given to existing families until March 1.
If you are interested in any course, please complete a registration form and send it to me with your registration fee. Keep in mind that I do not reserve a spot for a student unless I have a completed registration form and a registration fee.
Class times listed are subject to tweaking between now April 1. I will only offer a course if there are six students registered by May 1, and the maximum class size is ten. Once a class is full, I will place students on a waitlist.
Courses will meet at my home in Geneva. For families who are a bit further away, carpooling may be an option. I also have 20 acres, a porch, and a separate “study” area if you would like to stay during class.
Beginning: (Grades 4-6) Wednesdays 12:00-2:00 This course is an excellent entry into the IEW method of writing with structure and style. Using the book All Things Fun and Fascinating, the course walks students through the first seven of the nine IEW units. Grammar is the Fix-it program by Pamela White. Additionally, in an effort to put good language in so we can get good language out, a portion of every class will be spent listening to and discussing great literature. Keyboarding skills or a parent typist are recommended.
A-level: FULL – waiting list only (Grades 5-7 or prior IEW experience) Tuesdays 12:00-2:00 This course uses IEW’s Student Writing Intensive A-level lessons to review and deepen the skills and concepts introduced in Beginning IEW. Students will work through all nine of the IEW structural units. Grammar is the Fix-it program by Pamela White. Additionally, we will continue putting good language in so we can get good language out. A portion of every class will be spent listening to and discussing literature. Keyboarding skills or a parent typist are recommended.
Intermediate Composition: FULL – waiting list only (Grades 5-8, or Completed 1 year with Mrs. Odell) Wednesdays 10:30-12:00 Using the IEW Curriculum Ancient History-Based Writing Lesson, students will explore the civilizations of Sumer, Egypt, Israel, Babylon, Greece, Rome, Asia Minor, and Asia, the peoples ideas, traditions, systems of government, feats, and wonderful skills. As they do, they will work through IEW’s structural units 1-9 in order; with the elements of style introduced gradually. Grammar is the Fix-it program by Pamela White. Additionally, we will continue putting good language in so we can get good language out. A portion of every class will be spent listening to and discussing literature selections that reinforce learning about Ancient History. Keyboarding skills or a parent typist are recommended.
World History-Based Writing Lessons: THREE spots left. (Grades 7-11) Wednesdays 9:00-10:30 Excellent course for 7-9th graders with prior IEW experience or high school students with no prior IEW experience. Using the IEW lessons by Lori Verstegen, 7th to 11th-grade students will improve their compositional skills while learning about important, interesting events and people around the globe. This yearlong course explores world history from Gutenberg to twenty-first-century technology. Grammar is the Fix-it program by Pamela White. Additionally, we will continue putting good language in so we can get good language out. A portion of every class will be spent listening to and discussing literature. All work must be typed.
Honors English A – FOUR spots left. Intro to Literature: FOUR spots left. (Grades 8-11) Tuesdays 10:00-12:00 Building on the skills from earlier IEW (particularly the Following Narnia books), this course provides an in-depth introduction to literary analysis and writing skills using the book Windows to the World by Lesha Meyers. Students will learn the key elements of literature and the techniques used by authors to accomplish great writing. In the process, students will develop critical thinking and analysis skills and then organize their analysis into well-constructed essays. Students will apply these skills first to short stories and then to three novels over the course of the year. Grammar is the Fix-it program by Pamela White. All submitted work must be typed.
Honors English B: THREE spots left. Advanced U.S. History-Based Writing Lessons: (Grades 9-12) Thursdays 10:00-12:00 While writing about U.S. history topics from Explorers to Modern Times, students will develop advanced writing skills such as thesis statements, MLA format, persuasive essays, research papers, literary analysis essays, and more. The course is an excellent option to take concurrently with U.S. History, or students desiring to hone their writing and thinking skills in an engaging and challenging course. The literature portion of the course builds on the concepts introduced in Windows to the World, and will focus on works by American authors. The curriculum includes a grammar portion but assumes a solid foundation in grammar, usage, and punctuation. All submitted work must be typed.
Writing at the Farm: 