Why Writing Matters

STEM becomes an incredibly important buzzword, however, if you can’t convey your idea effectively, it will stuck in your head and nobody will know it.  We believe that  the more effective you are at writing and communicating, the better you’ll be able to express your ideas. Writing is not only a fundamental academic skill, but more importantly, an essential form of communication. While writing taught at school is still one of the so-called three Rs (Retell, Relate, Reflect), teachers rarely give students an opportunity to develop their voice and express their thoughts. The writing programs offered at DeRin Education will provide your child a space to hone their voices and writing skills.

Creative writing and Storytelling Program (Grade 3-5) 

Teachers or parents often give kids stories to read, but not very often ask them to write and tell a story of their own.  Kids love stories since stories teach them about life, about themselves and about others.

Creative writing  is anything where the purpose is to express thoughts, feelings and emotions rather than to simply convey information. Creative writing is a rewarding experience for kids – they’ll gain a huge amount of satisfaction from a finished piece. Being creative can also be difficult and challenging at times, but extremely fun.

Storytelling helps kids to improve a feeling of well-being and relaxation, increase children's willingness to write stories, communicate thoughts and feelings, encourage use of imagination and creativity, increase verbal proficiency, enhance listening and public speaking skills.

The combination of creative writing and storytelling program is designed for students at  Gr. 3-5  in which the fundamentals of creative writing will be taught, students will learn how to  express their ideas in their writings and how to tell stories written by themselves in front of other people.

Writing a gratitude journal is a great way to keep kids in a thankful and positive state of mind. Our teacher will encourage students keep gratitude journal and show them how to express thanks to parents, siblings, friends...

Essay Writing for kids at Gr. 6-8 and Gr.  9-11

One of the most important skills for any middle/high school student must learn is how to write a good essay, which not only gives them a better grade, but also helps with their college applications and future career. Sometimes people think essay writing as something you are either good at or you aren’t. This is not true, writing a good essay is a skill, one that can be practiced and improved upon.

DeRin's Essay writing program is designed for students from Grade 6-12 with the goal to teach them how to write complex, well-researched and effective essays.  In this class, we may focus on the following content:

Brainstorming and planning an essay
The structure of the five-paragraph essay
Types of essay (persuasive, comparative, cause-effect, etc.)
Grammar skills
Finding, citing, evaluating sources and avoiding plagiarism

Our Teachers

Mahum J is a recent Masters graduate from the University of Waterloo. Previously completing a double Honours in English, literature and rhetoric, and Legal Studies, she also completed a Diploma in French Studies while playing for the varsity Women’s Flag Football team as a Linebacker. In her Masters, Mahum studied Rhetoric and Communication Design while TA-ing Introduction to Academic Writing. Skilled in grading, teaching, and problem-solving, Mahum began teaching in high school as she set up resume workshops for her peers, tutored younger students, and worked as an English Conversation Tutor for international students studying at the University of Waterloo. Currently, Mahum is working as a Technical Writer at NCR, taking code and turning it into user-friendly language. Mahum enjoys hiking and crocheting, and most of all, playing with her cat, Caesar. Mahum strongly believes that a dedicated teacher can make all the difference in one’s education. She strives to be a point of contact and support for educational endeavors.

H. Watts: an English literature doctoral candidate at the University of Waterloo, with a Masters in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Windsor.  She recently won the 2019 University of Waterloo English Graduate Creative Writing Award as well as the 2019 University of Waterloo English Graduate Teaching Assistant Excellence Award. Her current areas of research explore critical disability theories, postmodern English, Irish, and American poetry, and new media. She enjoys reading about cyborgs, yoga, running, kayaking, and watching Seinfeld.