6/7-3
Middle School
Writing Essentials 3:
Punctuation & Grammar II
Suggested Grade Level: 6th or 7th grade
Give your middle school student the mastery needed for punctuation — creating strong sentences and getting rid of the most common writing mistakes. This critical course helps your student write clearly, free of punctuation and grammar errors.
Your Course Description
This is an essential writing course for all middle school students — to further your middle school student’s ability and confidence to use punctuation and grammar well. Your student will learn to identify and use correct punctuation in longer passages of text, including additional work with the use of commas, semicolons and colons, and quotation marks. Special emphasis will be placed on using punctuation correctly in systems of testing, such as standardized tests, and your student’s ability to identify wrong uses of punctuation, to self-edit, and to make corrections easily.
Your Course Outline
Class 1: Correct comma use with clauses, compound sentences, and commas vs. semicolons in lists
Class 2: Odd punctuation challenges with colons, semicolons, and capitalizations
Class 3: Correct usage of quotation marks and their surrounding punctuation
Class 4: Complete Sentences vs. fragments in academic work vs. Advertisements and informal writing
Class 5: Punctuation, capitalization, and form with formal letters
Class 6: Common punctuation and grammar mistakes with pronouns, questions, compound sentences, and more
Your Course Details
Total Number of Classes: 6
Prerequisite: Each course in the 6/7 series builds upon the next. Registration in the Writing Essentials 1: Punctuation & Grammar I (MS 6/7-1) and Writing Essentials 2: Excellent Sentence & Paragraph Writing I (MS 6/7-2) courses is required so that your student has all of the tools and knowledge necessary to succeed in this course. You may take the prerequisite courses LIVE or in Unlimited Access (recording) before or during this course.
Suggested Grade Level: 7th or accelerated 6th grade
Duration: 50 minutes
Suggested Credit: One-half (½) of a semester’s credit for Writing or English
Follow with MS 6/7-4 for a full semester credit. To make a full and complete semester of middle school writing, sign up for the 6/7-4 course that follows this course.
Course Materials: Course materials are included free as PDF files. Word or the ability to convert a document to a Word-compatible document is required. If you do not own Microsoft Word, you can use a system such as Google Docs that converts to Word documents FREE.
Homework: This course has weekly quizzes, requiring an estimated one (1) to three (3) hours per week for homework outside of class time (depending on the student’s skill level upon entering the course). Quizzes are graded automatically by the computer for instant feedback.
How this course fits with your Middle School Writing courses...
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/7-1 | 6/7-2 | 6/7-3* | 6/7-4** |
| 7/8-1 | 7/8-2 | 7/8-3 | 7/8-4 |
** The 6/7-3 and 6/7-4 courses are consecutive courses. To create a full semester of Middle School Writing, sign up for the 6/7-4 course when you sign up for 6/7-3, to complete the 6/7 series of courses.
Your Instructors
Live, Interactive Courses
During the week, multiple course sections, times, and instructors are offered for this course. Sign up for the time and the instructor that best meets your needs. Click here to see the days and instructors for the LIVE course offerings — and to sign up for a LIVE course.
Recorded, Independent-Learning Course
When you sign up for Unlimited Access and take this recorded course, your instructor is the designer and Director of Aquinas Writing Advantage, Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA (aka author EB Conroy/Erin Brown Conroy).
Three Sign Up Options (Choose One)
1. Live, Interactive Course
Students attend a LIVE class in a virtual classroom on a specific day, at a specific time. After class (during the week), the student independently completes the coursework that includes readings, activities, and weekly quizzes. Quizzes are graded automatically by the computer for instant feedback. Your instructor is available for communication outside of class via email, to help answer questions. Homework time outside of class is estimated to be two to three hours per week.
2. Unlimited Access: Recorded, Independent-Learning Course
When you take the Recorded course, you will independently view the recorded video lesson and complete the coursework in the learning management system. Quizzes in the course are graded automatically by the computer for instant feedback. If choosing to not use Instructor Access, grading with feedback is provided by the parent; however, Instructor Access grading is available (see below). There is an estimated two to three hours of homework/coursework per week outside of watching the weekly video lecture.
When you get “Unlimited Access,” you get 24/7 access to ALL of the writing courses — AND access to 400+ middle and high school courses, in all subject areas, for only $34.97 a month.
3. Unlimited Access with Instructor Access Grading Services
Instructor Access is an optional service, for an additional fee, that accompanies Unlimited Access. When you sign up for one-on-one tutoring with Instructor Access, in addition to the weekly quizzes that are graded automatically by the computer for instant feedback, your student will receive one-on-one help via email with the professional writing instructor and extra worksheets. The Instructor Access instructor will grade the course work submitted, and there is an estimated three to four hours per week for homework for your student outside of watching the video lecture. The link to sign up for Instructor Access will be available to you within the learning management system (on the course page).
Specific Course FAQs
Is this course required? Can I skip this course?
Because all of the courses’ content in the writing program is sequential, the 6/7-1 and 6/7-2 courses are prerequisites for the 6/7-3 course. For your student’s success, please take the prerequisite courses (LIVE or watching the recordings of the classes in Unlimited Access) before signing up for this course. If your student is in 8th grade, you may watch the 6/7-series courses on video in Unlimited Access to meet the requirement.
Can I start 6/7-3 course in the Fall Semester?
The LIVE 6/7-3 and 6/7-4 courses are held in the Spring Semester only; Spring Semester courses begin in January. If you are beginning this course in September (or at any other time of the year besides January), simply take this course in Unlimited Access (with or without Instructor Access grading services).
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