Description

KS3 English Grammar & Writing, Year 1

For Autumn 2026

This KS3/ Pre-iGCSE English grammar and writing, year 1 class is perfect for preteens and teens who are not yet ready for high school or the exam prep stage. We will use IEW – Ancient History and Fix It! Grammar – Town Mouse and Country Mouse, completing the first half of the Ancient History theme-based writing curriculum, and all of the Fix It! Grammar curriculum.  Upon completion, most students will continue to Year 2 and complete the IEW Ancient History themed writing workbook.

Our goal is to prepare students for the basic essay writing requirements of high school and UK exams.  Upon completion of Year 2, most students will be prepared for successful learning at the high school and UK exam prep levels. 

KS3/ Pre-iGCSE Grammar & Writing Year 1 Course Details:

In the class, we will use the grammar and writing curriculum over the course of 30 weeks in our live online sessions.

Pre-Requisites:

• Students should be able to write a single paragraph by hand or typed.
• Best suited for students aged 11-14 who have basic to intermediate English grammar and writing skills. Younger students will need tutor permission before registration.

Age: 11+

Day & Time: Tuesdays 11 am -12:30 pm UK Timezone (Two 40-minute sessions each week.)

Location: Zoom Meeting

Tutor: Shannan Swindler

Required Materials: 

If resources are not available on Amazon, you can order them directly from IEW (links below) or possibly Conquest Books.

• • IEW – Ancient History
  • Student Resource Notebook – Printed. This digital resource is free with your Ancient History writing workbook purchase, but is expected to be printed for maximum usability by students. It can be printed affordably at places like printpond.co.uk.
  • Fix It! Grammar – Town Mouse and Country Mouse
  • Portable Walls for IEW Structure & Style Students (optional)

IEW Links:

• • Ancient History theme-based writing.
  • Fix It! Grammar: Robin Hood

In this course, students will learn:

• Grammar rules and practice how to apply them to their writing.
• Learn to write well using an organised structure and applying elements of style to make their writing more enjoyable to read.
• Learn the foundation components necessary to succeed in GCSE-style writing and persuasive essay writing in classes like Logic & Debate and British Literature & Composition Year 1 and Year 2.

This course is eligible for 1 Language Arts Credit in the USA Qualifications model.

This class is geared toward S1/(Y8) 7th grade US students. Students aged 13/14+, and older students taking English grammar and writing a bit slower. Those following the US Qualifications model are able to put this course on a transcript as proof of their language arts education level as Language Arts/English 1. 

Sample lesson here.

Successful completion of this course will prepare students for:

• KS3 English Grammar & Writing Year 2

What is IEW®?

The IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) curriculum is world-renowned for teaching students to write well and master much-needed concepts of grammar and vocabulary required in GCSE writing. Using a history-themed writing curriculum will allow your students to learn good writing habits whilst covering relevant and enjoyable material.

IEW’s Structure and Style® methodology trains students to write by teaching structure and style.

Read more about it here.

According to the IEW website:

‘The more that grammar is rooted in the writing experience, the better it sticks.

The ultimate goal of teaching grammar should be to train students to be able to edit their own writing effectively. When a side benefit is improved performance on the SAT or ACT, so much the better. Fix It! Grammar (third edition) is a complete grammar program for these goals that truly matter, but it teaches students in the context of writing and through editing rather than through exercises focusing on specific rules. 

The early books in Fix It! Grammar begins with marking parts of speech and then identifying phrases (mainly prepositional phrases), main clauses, and dependent clauses. This is better than diagramming because it focuses on the structural parts of sentences that matter most and most affect punctuation, rather than getting students bogged down in labeling the parts of sentences that rarely become punctuation hurdles.

Gradually, the Fix It! Grammar stories incorporate usage, grammar, and punctuation concepts, taught by asking students to correct the mistakes in passages and then discuss with their teacher the reasons for corrections.’

Understanding Arise Home Education’s Approach to English Exam Prep.

Uniquely, our goal at Arise Home Education is to equip teens for an exam, but not to sacrifice the Christ-centred approach to education.

Arise Home Education offers excellent preparation courses for the Cambridge iGCSE English Language exam, which lays a strong foundation for Literature study and advanced study of English. They do so in a Christ-centred way, with world-class literature at its very heart. Read more.

 

 

Pre-iGCSE Grammar & Writing Live, Online Class

Classes will be interactive, and due to the live nature of the classes, they will be tailored to the individual needs of the students. We will use a number of interactive technologies.

For any inquiries about the course, please contact us at Arise@AriseHomeEducation.com

Spaces are limited, secure your spot today (payment options available), and prepare for an unforgettable home education experience. This class will run with a minimum of 4 students.

This course pairs well with:

• Intro to Logic
• Bible Survey
• KS3 Science Y1
• KS3 Maths Year 1

More Resources for the Early High School Years

So what do we mean by ‘early high school years’?  At Arise, we have home-educated students following a variety of education models.  Some terms indicate that high school starts as early as 12 years old, while others have high school starting at age 14, or so.  Since we teach to both the US Qualification and the UK Exam model, let’s break it down.

• Middle School = ages 11-13. In the USA, this is considered 7th grade and 8th grade. In Scotland, it is  S1 and S2, while in England, it is Year 8 and Year 9.
• High School = Ages 14 +. In the USA, it is ages 14-18 and is identified as 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, and 12th grade. Or, Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years, respectively.  In Scotland, it is ages 14-16 (when students work toward Scottish Highers or GCSEs before moving on to AS/A-levels for ages 17-18. In England, it is similar to Scotland, but the higher years are called ‘Sixth Form’.

So, by ‘early years’ we mean Middle School, S1 & S2,  or Year 8 or Year 9.  Students ages 11-14.  If your student is younger or older than this, please feel free to contact us to confirm that this class will be a good fit for their academic level.

Resources

• • British Literature & Composition Year 1 and Year 2
  • World Languages for Homeschoolers
  • Pre-iGCSE Maths