English 8 - J. Park (8th grade level)

English 8

Course Description: 

In this course, we will focus on two essential goals: developing good writers and developing good readers in order to prepare students for high school! There is nothing more essential to success in any classroom than these 2 foundational goals.

For the first semester, we will study and practice how to communicate our thoughts in a clear, organized, meaningful and effective way. We will cover how to write various types of essays such as a character profile, a descriptive essay, an expository essay, an explanatory essay, a compare and contrast essay, a literary analysis essay and much more! We will have weekly writing assignments to practice what we are learning. 

For second semester, we will turn our attention to literature as we read through several novels and short stories together. We will practice how to be an active reader and hone our comprehension skills. We will study such practices as finding an author’s purpose, the intended audience, the development and support of the main idea, the structure or coherence of the work, tone, voice, figurative language, foreshadowing, and many more literary devices. 

My heart is to develop a love for reading in my students as they see how every story is simply a reflection of *the* greatest story ever told or written in God’s plan of redemption for all His children. 

Cost Per Semester: 

$290

Textbook, workbooks, or materials needed for class: 

Textbook:  Illuminating Literature:  Characters in Crisis by Sharon Watson

Payment Methods: 

Venmo: @MrsJanePark

Zelle:  [email protected]

Check made out to:  Jane Park

Email:  [email protected]

Bio:

Jane graduated from UCLA with a degree in English and continued on there to receive her teaching credential and Masters degree in Education. She was blessed to be hired at a middle school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She taught 6^th and 7^th graders for ten fulfilling years.

After getting married and raising her children at home, she began teaching again through various opportunities within the homeschool community. This will be her 8^th year doing so, and she loves it!

She is happily married to her husband Jason, who serves as a pastor a local church. She has four children:  one starting college, one starting community college, one starting high school, and one starting middle school. Fun fact: although not initially planned, her kid’s names form an acronym for her own name (Jacob, Abbey, Noah & Ethan)!