Our SMILE students receive extra support to hone their reading and writing skills. Some students finish the foundations program but still require extra writing practice. For example, one student, who needed extra practice and support with their writing style, worked during 1:1 sessions with the teacher to read source passages and then write summary compositions based on key word outlines they created after reading the passages. During each lesson, the teacher reviewed various elements of style that then needed to be incorporated into the composition. Here is a sample of writing from one of our older students. The style elements of focus were who-which clauses, -ly adverbs, and alliteration.

Mme Christine, OG (AIT)

​Student work sample:
Gilgamesh and the Plant of Life

A man named Gilgamesh, who was the king of a country called Urek, was kind and brave but was not satisfied to his heart’s content. He tiredly crossed deserts, raging rivers and cliffs until he found a man that told him about a plant that could make him live forever. The plant which was located in the middle of the sea, was very rare. Gilgamesh was determined to find the plant.

Gilgamesh excitedly set sail to find the plant in the sea. When he finally spotted a glow at the bottom of the sea floor, Gilgamesh jumped into the icy water and swam to the bottom. The plant glimmered in front of him. He grasped the thorny plant and when it loosened, he swam with it back up to the surface.

On his way home, he stopped to swim in the pond and he left the plant on a rock. But then a sly, sneaky serpent slithered up and ate the prickly plant. Surprisingly, the serpent’s old scales turned into new scales! Then Gilgamesh yelled in despair because the plant was gone forever.

An eagle swiftly swooped down and picked Gilgamesh up by his back. The eagle showed Gilgamesh the marvelous city Urek that he made. The eagle said, “you will live in the people’s hearts forever because of your good deeds”. Gilgamesh smiled and understood the eagle’s message.

Source:: Mme Christine’s SLT Blog