THIS IS A ONE-SEMESTER COURSE.

This course offers a playful yet serious introduction to language arts, with a focus on grammar, using Michael Clay Thompson’s irresistible narrative Poodle Knows What?.

Students in this course will follow three animal friends who explore the eight grammatical categories of words, or the parts of speech. Guided by the instructor, they will notice and talk about letter shapes and sounds, enjoy the whimsical vocabulary and rhymes, share their reactions to each character, ask questions about the story and describe the plot, notice the part played by readers and by the author, and discuss what is special about reading a physical book. Exercises at the end of each chapter, done by the class together, will give them fun, systematic practice in identifying the parts of speech.

Class Meetings: Wednesdays, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Dates: September 16 – November 4, 2026*
*Please note that this is an eight-session course.

Student Expectations: Students should come to class on time with their microphones and cameras turned on. They will need to have the book at each class meeting. There will not be any homework.

Student Support: The instructor is available via email.

Materials/Supplies: Students will need to purchase Poodle Knows What? from the MCT language arts curriculum.

Prerequisites: None