CourseG2–3 Write Lab
- What you'll find
- Your child writes English stories about real and imagined events.
G4–5 Write Lab
Your child reads English sources, picks the information they need, and writes pieces that explain and compare.
Your child picks writing topics from social studies and science sources, like ancient civilizations, government basics, earth science, and human body systems. Then they outline before writing.
Check your child's English writing to see if this level fits
A child who retells stories well may still need practice picking information from English sources to write an explanation.
If needed, we use a diagnostic assessment to check your child's current level.
What to look for in your child's writing now
Choosing information
Whether your child separates what an explanation needs from what it can leave out.
Ordering the explanation
Whether your child plans what to say first and which examples to add before writing.
Linking sentences and paragraphs
Whether sentences and paragraphs connect smoothly.
What your child writes in grades 4–5
After writing stories in grades 2–3, your child moves on to writing with information from English sources.
Building a paragraph that explains
Your child picks the information the topic needs from English sources, then builds a paragraph with the main idea first and examples after. They put the source's sentences into their own words.
Reading about social studies and science for writing ideas
Your child finds information for their explanations in English sources on social studies and science.
Subject · Topics in G4–5
- Social studies
- Ancient Civilizations, Government Basics, US History Basics, Trade
- Science
- Earth Science, Energy & Force, Human Body Systems, Ecosystems
Taking notes while reading
Your child notes main ideas and supporting details separately. They pick the facts and examples needed to answer the question and keep what the source says apart from their own thoughts.
Practicing vocabulary, writing structure, and grammar
If your child's sentence and paragraph structure is weak, they spend more time reading model writing and editing paragraphs.
Practice by skill
Vocab: Words for giving information
Your child learns words for sharing information through Sentence Completion and Analogies.
Language Arts: Model writing and paragraph structure
Your child compares Writing Models with different purposes and learns how explanatory paragraphs are built and phrased.
Grammar: Rules and paragraph editing
Your child uses new grammar in sentences and fixes paragraphs that contain mistakes in Paragraph Editing exercises.
Writing a full piece in English, from plan to rewrite
- Step: Set the purpose
At this step, your child: Decides who will read the piece and what it will explain or compare.
- Step: Gather ideas and outline
At this step, your child: Collects ideas in a mind map or notes and outlines the order to write them in.
- Step: Write a draft
At this step, your child: Writes an English draft that follows the outline.
- Step: Get written corrections and rewrite
At this step, your child: Revises content, structure, and sentences using their instructor's corrections.
What your child's writing is assessed on
Area · What the instructor checks
- Choosing information
- Whether the information fits the topic and nothing important is missing
- Order and paragraphs
- Whether main ideas and examples follow an easy-to-read order
- English wording
- Whether vocabulary, grammar, and spelling are correct, and where a sentence could be clearer
Revised pieces and assessment results go into your child's portfolio, and we share them with you. See how parents get progress updates
Textbooks and homework
How it's chosen
- Item
Writing textbooks
- How it's chosen
- We choose from CGP English, Cambridge Academic Writing Skills, Writer’s Choice, Daily Paragraph Editing, and Analogies materials to match your child's level.
- Item
Homework
- How it's chosen
- Your child revises corrected pieces and adds reading and vocabulary practice when needed.
- Item
Writing Clinic
- How it's chosen
- Extra English writing with in-depth written corrections. We'll confirm in consultation whether it's offered now.
Explore other grades and courses
*Hover over or tap a card to see the details and its link.
CourseG6–7 Write Lab
- What you'll find
- Your child links a claim, reasons, and evidence into paragraphs and writes essays.
CourseG1–6 Write Lab
- What you'll find
- The English writing in each elementary grade and which children each level fits
Plan your child's G4–5 Write Lab classes
Tell us about something your child wrote in English recently or the English sources they're reading. Together, we'll decide whether G4–5 is the right level to begin.