Hi, I'm Ms. Finnigan
I've been a high school English teacher for the past ten years, so I know that most high school students have not yet mastered the rules of grammar. The good news is: Rather than a comprehensive curriculum, most of the time, they just need a solid review. And high school students are usually capable of taking ownership of their own learning. They only need the right resources, some direction, and someone to hold them accountable. That's what I aim to provide in this course.
As a child of the 80s and 90s, I couldn't help but name this course after a pop culture classic! As it turns out, grammar and music are not that different. After all, when we write something brilliant, we often say it "strikes the right note." That's why this course aims to help students write correctly and clearly, but it does not stop there. In the end, it introduces students to the ways that syntax, grammar, and punctuation can be used to make a sentence sing, dance, breathe. So we will start with grammar and end with style.
Maybe your student will develop a style as unique as those "Hammer pants" from back in the day!
(Let's just hope those pants don't actually come back into style!)
Recommended For
High school students who need to review the rules of grammar, usage and mechanics, in order to improve their writing. (Not ideal for students who have little to no background in grammar.) Provides selective review and reinforcement rather than a comprehensive curriculum.
About the Course
Self-paced
Access for one year
Free online resources curated by Ms. Finnigan
Quizzes created by Ms. Finnigan to test understanding
Resources
This course includes no instruction, either through videos or live classes. It is made up of five banks of links and resources, which represent five "levels," starting with the most rudimentary. This is a strategic grammar review. I take a "reverse triage" approach, assuring that students deal with the most egregious writing offenses first.
Students will be given:
- opportunities to review key concepts,
- ample opportunities to practice an apply what they are learning, through online, interactive exercises,
- 10 attempts to pass each quiz created by Ms. Finnigan and "unlock" the next level.
Direction
Parents can provide direction by keeping an eye on the student's quiz scores, setting expectations and timelines, and making the course a priority. A good place to start might be: I expect you to pass Level 1 within one month of starting the course.
- Some levels might be easier than others.
- Parents can set goals according to the student's writing background, and taking into account the student's workload.
Accountability
The quizzes that are required to move on to the next level help provide accountability; however, parents should expect to see mastery of these concepts in the student's papers as well.
- A free .pdf will be provided for parents to use as a reference when grading papers.
- Ms. Finnigan can be hired to grade papers as well, to assure that what the student is learning in this course is carrying over to his or her written work.
Just reach out to me if you need more support!
Efficiency
Students can quick identify gaps in knowledge.
Engagement
Students can get in plenty of practice and review with the ample online, interactive exercises.
Accountability
Students gauge their mastery with quizzes at each level. They get 10 attempts.
Additional Services
Make sure that what your student is learning is carrying over to their written work!
