Language Arts Class Descriptions

Best Books for Boys is a book club just for preteen boys. Each quarter, students read one standout novel and spend class time going deeper. Boys act out scenes, debate what characters should have done differently, write sequel pitches or alternate endings, and explore the real-world connections behind the story. Through conversation and guided activities, students begin to read more closely, noticing how authors develop characters, build suspense, and make deliberate choices about how a story unfolds.

Each quarter, one book is the teacher's selection and a second book is chosen by the class from a short, approved list. Students read assigned chapters at home and come to class prepared to share their reflections and discuss the books. All books are selected from Newbery Medalists and Honor Books, Caldecott Medal titles, Parents' Choice Award winners, and proven classics of children's fiction.
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This year's themes and teacher's choice books: Quarter 1: Ingenuity (The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly, 2025 Newbery Medal); Quarter 2: Courage (Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson, 2024 Newbery Medal); Quarter 3: Determination (When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, 2010 Newbery Medal); and Quarter 4: Curiosity (The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers, 2024 Newbery Medal).

Level: This class is designed for 5th and 6th graders. 4th grade students reading above grade level are welcome.

Novels: The cost of a new, mass-market paperback edition of the first book title is included in the class tuition. Parents are responsible for buying or borrowing a copy of the second book from the library, once selected.

What to Bring: Current novel, paper, pen or pencil, and a highlighter. Sticky notes or adhesive flags are helpful for marking key moments.

In Cover-to-Cover, middle school-aged students will read renowned classics and award-winning young adult literature. This book discussion group will examine a different theme each quarter to introduce students to literary analysis. Students will read, examine, and compare two full-length novels that share similar themes through facilitated discussions and extension activities which encourage students to make personal connections to what is read. The group will evaluate themes, characters, setting, and writing style.

Second quarter, students will study the genre of Animal Tales with Animal Farm by George Orwell and The Call of the Wild by Jack London.

Assigned chapters are expected to be read at home, either as read-aloud, individual silent reading, or listening to the unabridged audiobook. Students should come to class prepared to discuss the reading. Classroom discussions will emphasize the use of textual evidence when explaining thoughts and opinions. Students will be assigned creative, short assignments to enhance and demonstrate their understanding of each novel such as quote explications, thematic questions, or imagining a conversation between characters from different books.

Topics in this Series: Science Fiction (Quarter 1); Animal Tales (Quarter 2); Dystopian (Quarter 3); and Mystery & Detective (Quarter 4).

Textbook/Materials: The cost of new, mass market paperback editions are included in class tuition because students need clean copies for annotation and must be able to reference identical page numbering.

Supply Fee: Included
What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

In Cover-to-Cover, middle school-aged students will read renowned classics and award-winning young adult literature. This book discussion group will examine a different theme each quarter to introduce students to literary analysis. Students will read, examine, and compare two full-length novels that share similar themes through facilitated discussions and extension activities which encourage students to make personal connections to what is read. The group will evaluate themes, characters, setting, and writing style.

Second quarter, students will study the genre of Animal Tales with Animal Farm by George Orwell and The Call of the Wild by Jack London.

Assigned chapters are expected to be read at home, either as read-aloud, individual silent reading, or listening to the unabridged audiobook. Students should come to class prepared to discuss the reading. Classroom discussions will emphasize the use of textual evidence when explaining thoughts and opinions. Students will be assigned creative, short assignments to enhance and demonstrate their understanding of each novel such as quote explications, thematic questions, or imagining a conversation between characters from different books.

Topics in this Series: Science Fiction (Quarter 1); Animal Tales (Quarter 2); Dystopian (Quarter 3); and Mystery & Detective (Quarter 4).

Textbook/Materials: The cost of new, mass market paperback editions are included in class tuition because students need clean copies for annotation and must be able to reference identical page numbering.

Supply Fee: Included
What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

Children are full of stories and bubbling over with big ideas! In this class, students will learn how to capture their creative vision into a simple story that they will write and illustrate. This quarter, our storytellers will make up the myth of a mystical mountain. Will they find magicians, monsters, mermaids, and more?

Students will learn how to build a Story Arc through guided, weekly activities. They will discover the key elements to composing a story such as crafting characters, posing a problem, advancing the action, constructing the climax, and writing the resolution- through brainstorming questions like, "Who is in your story?", "Where does this take place?", "What does that look like?" and "What happened after ____?"

Students should be able to read, write, and spell at the second grade level or higher for this class. Psst- don't tell your child, but this class helps lay the foundation in language arts for more advanced creative writing and composition. Pair this class with Acting: Kids Theater or Writing Wonders to further encourage communication and storytelling skills. The supply fee is included in the class tuition.

Topics in this series: Great Race (Quarter 1), Mythical Mountain (Quarter 2), Time Machine (Quarter 3), and Fantastical Forest (Quarter 4).

This is a 6-week class that does not meet on December 10.

This British Literature course focuses on developing critical reading and writing skills through the study of both canonical and postcolonial texts written in English. Drawing from a range of genres, time periods, and geographical regions, students will encounter diverse voices and perspectives.

Literature: Second quarter will explore Elizabethan England through MacBeth by Shakespeare and other writings of the period.

Writing Lab: An essential component of this course will be an in-class Writing Lab. Students in this class should have mastered the basics of academic writing, such as constructing a thesis statement, organizing their thoughts with effective topic sentences and transition statements. Students will learn to write critical response papers and a complete literary analysis essay including how to support their ideas with textual evidence, organize a logical argument, and cite sources in MLA format. Over the course of the year, students will develop familiarity with a variety of writing styles and forms including rhetorical analysis, literary analysis, critical response, close reading, opinion essay, and personal essay.

Prerequisites: Students taking this class should have an understanding of the types of literature (from Intro to Genres). Students are expected to take an active role in discussion and complete all writing assignments.

Topics in this Series: Anglo-Saxon (Quarter 1), Elizabethan (Quarter 2), Roamticism (Quarter 3), and Regency (Quarter 4).

Class Meetings: There will be two weekly, in-person class meetings: Tuesdays and Fridays.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.

Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.

Textbooks/Materials: Students will use clean, inexpensive copies of each novel for annotation and must be able to reference passages using consistent page numbers. Copies of the mass market paperback edition(s) is included in the class tuition.

Supply Fee: Included

What to Bring: Students should bring the current literature, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages. Students should also bring a laptop to class one day per week for in-class writing.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a partial credit (one quarter) or full credit (all four quarters) in English for purposes of a high school transcript.

This American Literature course is designed to prepare students for college-level academic writing. Students will strengthen their critical reading and textual analysis skills by examining the concept of the American Dream and exploring what it means to be American through texts spanning the 18th century to the present. Throughout the course, students will read and respond in writing to both fiction and nonfiction works. Written assignments will emphasize rhetorical analysis, with a focus on subject, purpose, and audience.

Literature: Second quarter will explore the themes of Promise and Illusion in The Jazz Age through The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald and other selections from the period.

Writing Lab: An essential component of this course will be an in-class Writing Lab. Students in this class should have mastered the basics of academic writing, such as constructing a thesis statement, organizing their thoughts with effective topic sentences and transition statements. This class will strengthen students' textual analysis skills with an emphasis on rhetorical analysis- the study of how a text creates meaning. Over the course of the year, students will develop familiarity with a variety of writing styles and forms including rhetorical analysis, literary analysis, critical response, close reading, opinion essay, and personal essay.

Prerequisites: Students taking this class should have an understanding of the types of literature (from Intro to Genres) and successful completion of British Literature (or equivalent). Students are expected to take an active role in discussion and complete all writing assignments.

Topics in this Series: Freedoms & Foundations (Quarter 10), Promise & Illusion (Quarter 2), Voice & Identity (Quarter 3), and War & Memory (Quarter 4).

Class Meetings: There will be two weekly, in-person class meetings: Tuesdays and Fridays.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.

Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.

Textbooks/Materials: The cost of new, mass market paperback editions are included in class tuition because students need clean copies for annotation and must be able to reference identical page numbering.

Supply Fee: Included

What to Bring: Students should bring the current literature, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages. Students should also bring a laptop to class one day per week for in-class writing.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a partial credit (one quarter) or full credit (all four quarters) in English for purposes of a high school transcript.

In this Senior English course, students will engage deeply with World Literature while developing advanced literary analysis skills. Students will read a diverse body of global literature to identify symbolism, imagery, recurring themes and to develop an understanding of the narrative perspectives used. Through these works, the class will also examine the cultural, social, and historical contexts that shaped literature across different regions and time periods.

This course can be taken-on level or at the Advanced Placement (AP) level which will introduce college-level analytical writing and prepare the student for the AP Literature and Composition exam. AP students must also register for the Extended Coursework option.

Literature: Second quarter will examine the theme of Culture and Conflict through works such as Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and other selections.

Composition: An essential component of this course will be an in-class Writing Lab. Students in this class should have mastered the basics of academic writing, such as constructing a thesis statement, organizing their thoughts with effective topic sentences and transition statements. This class will strengthen students' textual analysis skills with an emphasis on rhetorical analysis- the study of how a text creates meaning. Over the course of the year, students will develop familiarity with a variety of writing styles and forms including rhetorical analysis, literary analysis, critical response, close reading, opinion essay, and personal essay.

Topics in this Series: Fate & Free Will (Quarter 1), Culture & Conflict (Quater 2), Conformity & Courage (Quarter 3), Power & Prejudice (Quarter 4).

Prerequisites: Successful completion of year-long coursework in British and American Literature or the equivalent.

Class Meetings: There will be two weekly, in-person class meetings: Tuesdays and Fridays.

Levels: Two levels meet together: On-Level and Advanced Placement (AP). AP requires additional reading, writing, and AP skills practice. All students register online for the same course. AP students are required to also register for the AP World Literature: Extended Coursework activity which covers differentiated assignments, additional instruction, and feedback on AP-style writing and test preparation. Once the course begins, students may move down a level (from AP to On-Level) at any time, but may not "bump up." Students taking the AP level may designate the course as SP on their transcript and add one quality point when calculating their GPA.

Workload: On-level students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class. AP students should expect to spend 4-5 hours per week.

Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.

Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.

AP Testing: The AP English Literature and Composition exam fee (May 2027) is not included in tuition. Families are responsible for registering and paying for their student's AP exam at their local public high school by the end of October 2026.

Textbooks/Materials: The cost of new, mass market paperback editions are included in class tuition because students need clean copies for annotation and must be able to reference identical page numbering.

Supply Fee: Included

What to Bring: Students should bring the current literature, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages. Students should also bring a laptop to class one day per week for in-class writing.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a partial credit (one quarter) or full credit (all four quarters) in English for purposes of a high school transcript.

In this introductory high school English workshop, students will be introduced to the concepts of literary genres and analytical writing. Each quarter, the class will examine one select work or genre. Students will learn to recognize figurative language, tone, subtext and diction, identify symbolism and imagery, and develop an awareness of narrative perspective and of the social-historical contexts in which these works were created. Second quarter will feature Poetry from an anthology.

Composition: Students will also learn the fundamental components of academic writing, including how to construct a thesis statement that makes an argument, how to support their ideas effectively with textual evidence, how to organize an argument logically, and how to cite sources in MLA format. Some class periods will be dedicated Writing Lab session in which students write in-class in order to get on-the-spot support and feedback from the teacher. Students should bring laptops to these class sessions.

Topics in this Series: The Novel (Quarter 1), Poetry (Quarter 2), The Play (Quarter 3), and The Epic (Quarter 4). Students who continue from one quarter to the next will receive priority registration.

Prerequisites: Students should be able to read at grade level, and it is recommended that students have had a middle school writing class.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.

Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.

Textbooks/Materials: Students will receive a class packet of selected poetry.

Supply Fee: Included

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a partial credit in English for purposes of a high school transcript. (Full credit if all 4 quarters are taken.)

In this introductory high school English workshop, students will be introduced to the concepts of literary genres and analytical writing. Each quarter, the class will examine one select work or genre. Students will learn to recognize figurative language, tone, subtext and diction, identify symbolism and imagery, and develop an awareness of narrative perspective and of the social-historical contexts in which these works were created. Second quarter will feature Poetry from an anthology.

Composition: Students will also learn the fundamental components of academic writing, including how to construct a thesis statement that makes an argument, how to support their ideas effectively with textual evidence, how to organize an argument logically, and how to cite sources in MLA format. Some class periods will be dedicated Writing Lab session in which students write in-class in order to get on-the-spot support and feedback from the teacher. Students should bring laptops to these class sessions.

Topics in this Series: The Novel (Quarter 1), Poetry (Quarter 2), The Play (Quarter 3), and The Epic (Quarter 4). Students who continue from one quarter to the next will receive priority registration.

Prerequisites: Students should be able to read at grade level, and it is recommended that students have had a middle school writing class.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.

Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.

Textbooks/Materials: Students will receive a class packet of selected poetry.

Supply Fee: Included

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a partial credit in English for purposes of a high school transcript. (Full credit if all 4 quarters are taken.)

Be part of a team! Join the Compass Collaborative newspaper staff. The staff is a mixed-age team with students from 6th to 12th grade.

Students will learn about journalism and develop writing skills. They will craft effective articles, conduct interviews, and write reviews. Each quarter, writing assignments and responsibilities will be divided based on individual interests. Students will each contribute at least 2-3 items to the Collaborative edition each quarter including articles of their chosing (book critiques, movie reviews, field trip recommendations, short fiction, poetry, comics, jokes, tc) and assigned articles about happenings at Compass.

While research and data collection will occur outside of class, a portion of staff meetings will be dedicated to writing and editing. The newspaper advisor will use these sessions to demonstrate what constitutes 'good' writing. All staff members will practice editing skills to improve grammar, punctuation, and overall clarity and accuracy in their writing. Students will be informally paired for peer review and feedback on their writing.

All students register for the same class, and roles and responsibilities will be reviewed and delegated during the first meetings. Students should expect to work on assignments outside of class and will be expected to bring a laptop, notebook, and pen/pencil to each class meeting.

Bonjour! French Foundations is an introductory class for middle school-aged students. The class will be taught in a predominantly immersion environment. Limited cues in English will be used to prompt students or explain difficult concepts. French language instruction will be presented in a natural learning sequence beginning with nouns (such as colors, numbers, clothing, foods, animals, days/dates, etc), adjectives, greetings, and simple phrases. Students will learn beginning grammatical constructions such as noun-verb agreement, noun-adjective agreement, adjective placement, and the rules of regular verb conjugation. Students will be encouraged to speak aloud and converse with classmates, but also to learn to sound out, spell, and read beginning, written French. Aspects of Francophone culture such as holidays, foods, and traditions will be incorporated in the classes.

Each quarter introduces new themes and new vocabulary in French, so continuing students can continue to build their language basics. However, themes and units are non-sequential, so students may enroll in this level in any quarter. The goal of this introductory course is to lay foundations in sounds, vocabulary, grammar, and usage while having fun and building confidence in a foreign language. Students should be at grade level in their reading. Fluency should not be expected at this level.

Salut! French with Friends is an introductory French class for elementary-aged students. The class will be taught in a predominantly immersion environment. Limited cues in English will be used to prompt students or explain difficult concepts. French language instruction will be presented in a natural learning sequence beginning with nouns (such as colors, numbers, clothing, foods, animals, family members, days/dates, etc), adjectives, beginning verbs, greetings, and simple phrases. Songs, games, stories, and hands-on activities will be used in class to review vocabulary and phrases. Emphasis will be on conversation, but students will be encouraged to learn to spell and sound out written French. Aspects of Francophone culture such as holidays, foods, and traditions will be incorporated in the classes.

Each quarter introduces new themes and new vocabulary in French, so continuing students can continue to build their language basics. However, themes and units are non-sequential, so students may enroll in this level in any quarter. The goal of this introductory course is to lay foundations in sounds, vocabulary, and simple phrases while having fun and building confidence in a foreign language. Fluency should not be expected at this level.

Graphic Great Novels is the class for students who think they do not like reading, and for the ones who already do. Each quarter, students read three illustrated adaptations of classic novels from the Saddleback Educational Publishing Illustrated Classics Series. Children will become familiar with timeless tales from some of the world's best-known authors- Dickens, Stevenson, Twain, Dumas, Verne, Shakespeare, and more. The format makes them approachable and genuinely fun to read. Students often leave curious about the original novels- that is the point!

Second quarter, students will read some of the best of the Bard in abridged Shakespeare Shorts. Meet merchant Antonio, a moneylender, and their romantic interests in old Italy in The Merchant of Venice. Journey to a magical forest to learn what happens when whimsical fairies influence the fates of four young lovers in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and unravel mistaken identities, misunderstandings, and mis adventures of a cast of characters in The Twelfth Night.

Each quarter opens with an introduction to the graphic novel format, covering panels, speech bubbles, visual pacing, and how illustrators make meaning alongside words. From there, students read about half a graphic novel per week at home (25 to 30 pages), individually or as a family. In class, students discuss the stories, analyze characters and themes, and explore other versions of the same tale through excerpts, audio, or film clips. These novels are generally considered appropriate for readers ages 8 to 12.

Students who complete all four quarters will read 12 illustrated classics-three per quarter-building their own complete illustrated classic library. Because students will need the same editions of all three graphic novels, Compass will pre-purchase the book bundles. A supply fee of $48.00 is due payable to Compass on or before the first day of class.

Topics in this series include: All Out Adventure (Quarter 1), Shakespeare Shorts (Quarter 2), Blockbuster British Books (Quarter 3), and Tragic Transformations (Quarter 4)

Great Books for Girls is a book club just for preteen girls. Each quarter, students read one high-quality novel and spend class time doing more than just discussing it. Girls act out scenes, debate character decisions, write alternate endings or origin stories, and dig into the research behind the story. Through conversation and guided activities, students begin to read more closely and notice how authors build characters, develop themes, and make choices about how to tell a story.

Each quarter, one book is the teacher's selection and a second book is chosen by the class from a short, approved list. Students read assigned chapters at home and come to class prepared to share their reflections and discuss the books. All books are selected from Newbery Medalists and Honor Books, Caldecott Medal titles, A Mighty Girl book lists, Parents' Choice Award winners, and proven classics of children's fiction.

This year's themes and teacher's choice books: Quarter1: Leadership (When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller, 2021 Newbery Medal); Quarter 2: Strength (One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome, 2025 Newbery Honor); Quarter 3: Imagination (The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera, 2023 Newbery Medal); and Quarter 4: Independence (Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar, 2025 Newbery Honor).

Level: This class is designed for 5th and 6th graders. 4th grade students reading above grade level are welcome.

Novels: The cost of a new, mass-market paperback edition of the first book title is included in the class tuition. Parents are responsible for buying or borrowing a copy of the second book from the library, once selected.

What to Bring: Current novel, paper, pen or pencil, and a highlighter. Sticky notes or adhesive flags are helpful for marking favorite passages.

Explore the world of gargantuan gods, humble heroes, and malevolent monsters! Some ancient myths have plots that rival today's comics and blockbuster movies. Many myths still have millennia-old appeal because of their timeless tales of good versus evil, life and death, creation and the afterlife. This class explores the origins of early mythology, from the Egyptians to the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Aztecs, and more through epics, plays and poetry. Readers will explore the realm of mythology through short stories, class discussion, analyses, extension activities and projects that will boost comprehension and the understanding of myths as the basis for many other forms of modern media. Students will enjoy reading and discussing battles, romance, treachery, larger than life heroes and characters, intricate gods and goddesses, and all sorts of fantastical creatures!

Second quarter, the class will explore Monsters and Mythical Creatures, the strange and sometimes terrifying beings that tested heroes and guarded hidden knowledge. As examples, students will read about Perseus facing Medusa, the deadly Minotaur in its labyrinth, and the Sphinx, who challenged travelers with riddles. They will also encounter mysterious creatures from around the world, including Japanese yokai, Celtic selkies, and the legendary Wendigo.

Topics in this Series include: Heroes (Quarter 1); Monsters (Quarter 2); Gods and Goddesses (Quarter 3), and Origin Tales (Quarter 4).

Parlez-vous fun? Whether you are a seasoned francophone or simply a fan of all things French, this lively club is your passport to language, culture, and connection. Students will practice conversational French in a relaxed, welcoming setting while diving into games, short TV clips, current events, and even French cartoons. From bonjour to bon appetit, every meeting offers something new to explore.

Throughout the quarter, members will celebrate French culture and traditions, learning about holidays, customs, and everyday life across the French-speaking world. And because no French experience is complete without food, the club will head to the kitchen once or twice each quarter to prepare (and enjoy!) classic treats like crepes, madeleines, and macarons.

Come for the conversation- stay for the culture, camaraderie, and cuisine!

If your child is going to read, let's make it unforgettable. Rich stories, vivid characters, and books they actually want to open. No dry passages. No busywork. Just real literature that pulls them in and keeps them thinking long after the last page.

Strong reading and writing skills do not just matter in language arts. They drive success across every subject. This dynamic weekly reading group is built for small cohorts of 6 to 10 students working at a similar level. The setting allows kids to feel confident, appropriately challenged, and genuinely engaged. Guided by an experienced language arts teacher, students move through a literature-based curriculum that connects everything they learn.

In this class, books are the center of it all. Vocabulary grows naturally from the story. Grammar is taught in context. Writing assignments are meaningful and tied directly to characters, themes, and ideas. The result is a cohesive and immersive approach to language arts that sticks. Each week, students explore engaging texts while building critical skills such as comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbal expression. Reading should feel like an adventure. In this class, it is.

Books covered in this level include:
Quarter 1:
- Frog & Toad Together
- Poppleton in Winter

Quarter 2:
- Henry & Mudge
- Frecklejuice

Quarter 3:
- The Stories Julian Tells
- The Day the Crayons Quit

Quarter 4:
-How to Save an Otter (Wildlife Rescue)
-The Shrew Detective: The Case of the Pilfered Pearls

Placement: Readiness matters. Because this is a comprehensive program, students should be working at a similar level in reading, comprehension, and writing. Parents are encouraged to use results from a nationally normed assessment, such as those used for the Virginia Evidence of Progress to confirm their child's grade level equivalency.

This program is designed for students who thrive in a traditional literature-based setting. Students who are more than one year behind in language arts, or who show a significant gap between reading and writing skills, may be better supported in the Reading Ready program or through private tutoring. Students with diagnosed learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, or language processing disorders may benefit more from the structured literacy approach offered in the Reading Ready program.

Homework: Learning continues at home in a simple, manageable way. Families receive themed activities that reinforce skills without adding stress. For many learners, Reading Rally can serve as a complete language arts program, covering reading, comprehension, writing, spelling, and grammar without the need for additional curriculum.

Supply Fee: The fee for mass market paperback copies of the class texts is included.

If your child is going to read, let's make it unforgettable. Rich stories, vivid characters, and books they actually want to open. No dry passages. No busywork. Just real literature that pulls them in and keeps them thinking long after the last page.

Strong reading and writing skills do not just matter in language arts. They drive success across every subject. This dynamic weekly reading group is built for small cohorts of 6 to 10 students working at a similar level. The setting allows kids to feel confident, appropriately challenged, and genuinely engaged. Guided by an experienced language arts teacher, students move through a literature-based curriculum that connects everything they learn.

In this class, books are the center of it all. Vocabulary grows naturally from the story. Grammar is taught in context. Writing assignments are meaningful and tied directly to characters, themes, and ideas. The result is a cohesive and immersive approach to language arts that sticks. Each week, students explore engaging texts while building critical skills such as comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbal expression. Reading should feel like an adventure. In this class, it is.

Books covered in this level include:
Quarter 1:
- Because of Winn-Dixie
- The Hundred Dresses

Quarter 2:
- Flora and Ulysses
- The Great Kapok Tree

Quarter 3:
- Charlotte's Web
- Alexander and the No Good, Terrible, Very Bad Day

Quarter 4:
- Sarah Plain and Tall
- I Survived The Shark Attacks of 1916

Placement: Readiness matters. Because this is a comprehensive program, students should be working at a similar level in reading, comprehension, and writing. Parents are encouraged to use results from a nationally normed assessment, such as those used for the Virginia Evidence of Progress to confirm their child's grade level equivalency.

This program is designed for students who thrive in a traditional literature-based setting. Students who are more than one year behind in language arts, or who show a significant gap between reading and writing skills, may be better supported in the Reading Ready program or through private tutoring. Students with diagnosed learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, or language processing disorders may benefit more from the structured literacy approach offered in the Reading Ready program.

Homework: Learning continues at home in a simple, manageable way. Families receive themed activities that reinforce skills without adding stress. For many learners, Reading Rally can serve as a complete language arts program, covering reading, comprehension, writing, spelling, and grammar without the need for additional curriculum.

Supply Fee: The fee for mass market paperback copies of the class texts is included.

If your child is going to read, let's make it unforgettable. Rich stories, vivid characters, and books they actually want to open. No dry passages. No busywork. Just real literature that pulls them in and keeps them thinking long after the last page.

Strong reading and writing skills do not just matter in language arts. They drive success across every subject. This dynamic weekly reading group is built for small cohorts of 6 to 10 students working at a similar level. The setting allows kids to feel confident, appropriately challenged, and genuinely engaged. Guided by an experienced language arts teacher, students move through a literature-based curriculum that connects everything they learn.

In this class, books are the center of it all. Vocabulary grows naturally from the story. Grammar is taught in context. Writing assignments are meaningful and tied directly to characters, themes, and ideas. The result is a cohesive and immersive approach to language arts that sticks. Each week, students explore engaging texts while building critical skills such as comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbal expression. Reading should feel like an adventure. In this class, it is.

Books covered in this level include:
Quarter 2:
- I Survived the Great Chicago Fire 1871
- Stuart Little by E.B. White

Quarter 3:
- Frindel
-The Wild Rescuers Guardians of the Taiga

Quarter 4:
- Coming soon
- Coming soon

Placement: Readiness matters. Because this is a comprehensive program, students should be working at a similar level in reading, comprehension, and writing. Parents are encouraged to use results from a nationally normed assessment, such as those used for the Virginia Evidence of Progress to confirm their child's grade level equivalency.

This program is designed for students who thrive in a traditional literature-based setting. Students who are more than one year behind in language arts, or who show a significant gap between reading and writing skills, may be better supported in the Reading Ready program or through private tutoring. Students with diagnosed learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, or language processing disorders may benefit more from the structured literacy approach offered in the Reading Ready program.

Homework: Learning continues at home in a simple, manageable way. Families receive themed activities that reinforce skills without adding stress. For many learners, Reading Rally can serve as a complete language arts program, covering reading, comprehension, writing, spelling, and grammar without the need for additional curriculum.

Supply Fee: The fee for mass market paperback copies of the class texts is included.

If your child is going to read, let's make it unforgettable. Rich stories, vivid characters, and books they actually want to open. No dry passages. No busywork. Just real literature that pulls them in and keeps them thinking long after the last page.

Strong reading and writing skills do not just matter in language arts. They drive success across every subject. This dynamic weekly reading group is built for small cohorts of 6 to 10 students working at a similar level. The setting allows kids to feel confident, appropriately challenged, and genuinely engaged. Guided by an experienced language arts teacher, students move through a literature-based curriculum that connects everything they learn.

In this class, books are the center of it all. Vocabulary grows naturally from the story. Grammar is taught in context. Writing assignments are meaningful and tied directly to characters, themes, and ideas. The result is a cohesive and immersive approach to language arts that sticks. Each week, students explore engaging texts while building critical skills such as comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbal expression. Reading should feel like an adventure. In this class, it is.

Books covered in this level include:
Quarter 2:
- Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
- I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii AD 79

Quarter 3:
- SlugFest by Gordan Korman
- Holes by Louis Sachar

Quarter 4:
- Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
- The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe By CS Lewis

Placement: Readiness matters. Because this is a comprehensive program, students should be working at a similar level in reading, comprehension, and writing. Parents are encouraged to use results from a nationally normed assessment, such as those used for the Virginia Evidence of Progress to confirm their child's grade level equivalency.

This program is designed for students who thrive in a traditional literature-based setting. Students who are more than one year behind in language arts, or who show a significant gap between reading and writing skills, may be better supported in the Reading Ready program or through private tutoring. Students with diagnosed learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, or language processing disorders may benefit more from the structured literacy approach offered in the Reading Ready program.

Homework: Learning continues at home in a simple, manageable way. Families receive themed activities that reinforce skills without adding stress. For many learners, Reading Rally can serve as a complete language arts program, covering reading, comprehension, writing, spelling, and grammar without the need for additional curriculum.

Supply Fee: The fee for mass market paperback copies of the class texts is included.

If your child is going to read, let's make it unforgettable. Rich stories, vivid characters, and books they actually want to open. No dry passages. No busywork. Just real literature that pulls them in and keeps them thinking long after the last page.

Strong reading and writing skills do not just matter in language arts. They drive success across every subject. This dynamic weekly reading group is built for small cohorts of 6 to 10 students working at a similar level. The setting allows kids to feel confident, appropriately challenged, and genuinely engaged. Guided by an experienced language arts teacher, students move through a literature-based curriculum that connects everything they learn.

In this class, books are the center of it all. Vocabulary grows naturally from the story. Grammar is taught in context. Writing assignments are meaningful and tied directly to characters, themes, and ideas. The result is a cohesive and immersive approach to language arts that sticks. Each week, students explore engaging texts while building critical skills such as comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbal expression. Reading should feel like an adventure. In this class, it is.

Books covered in this level include:
Quarter 1:
- The Giver
- Dragonwings

Quarter 2:
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
- The Dark Is Rising

Quarter 3:
- Restart by Gordan Korman
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Quarter 4:
-Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
- Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Placement: Readiness matters. Because this is a comprehensive program, students should be working at a similar level in reading, comprehension, and writing. Parents are encouraged to use results from a nationally normed assessment, such as those used for the Virginia Evidence of Progress to confirm their child's grade level equivalency.

This program is designed for students who thrive in a traditional literature-based setting. Students who are more than one year behind in language arts, or who show a significant gap between reading and writing skills, may be better supported in the Reading Ready program or through private tutoring. Students with diagnosed learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, or language processing disorders may benefit more from the structured literacy approach offered in the Reading Ready program.

Homework: Learning continues at home in a simple, manageable way. Families receive themed activities that reinforce skills without adding stress. For many learners, Reading Rally can serve as a complete language arts program, covering reading, comprehension, writing, spelling, and grammar without the need for additional curriculum.

Supply Fee: The fee for mass market paperback copies of the class texts is included.

Wannabe Writers is a beginning writing class for first and second graders. Students will use creative journaling and illustrations to respond to simple writing prompts. The class will explore the use of various punctuation for simple sentences and will use new vocabulary words to express an idea. Each week, students will share their completed writing and drawings with their classmates. For this level, students must be able to read a Level 1 reader independently and possess the readiness skills outlined below. Children may repeat this class each quarter as new prompts and writing techniques will be introduced each session, and assignments will not be repeated.

Note: This class is designed for students to enjoy a fun, new dimension of writing with peers and a teacher, but this will not take the place of a comprehensive language arts curriculum and regular writing practice.

Writing Readiness: Enrolling students must be able to (1) recognize, spell and write his/her first and last name; (2) recognize and write all upper case and lower case letters and know the corresponding sounds; (3) spell and pronounce simple blends, (4) recognize the following sight words: all, am, are, at, ate, be, black, brown, but, came, day, did, do, eat, four, get, go, good, have, he, in, into, is, like, must, new, no, now, on, our, out, please, pretty, ran, ride, saw, say, she, so, soon, that, the, there, they, this, to, too, under, want, was, well, went, what, white, who, will, with, yes; (5) spell and write all 2-letter sight words unaided; (6) be familiar with simple sentence structure; and (7) hold and use a pencil correctly.

Wee Writers is a simple journaling class for emergent kindergarten writers ages 5 and 6. Beginning writers will use basic sight words and phonetics while writing about feelings and experiences. Students will learn basic sentence structure with noun-verb construction, initial capital letter, and ending punctuation. Beginning sentences such as, "I lik cak." or "I drnk wtr." would be typical of emergent writers. Students will illustrate their journal entries and have opportunities to share and discuss their writing with peers. Children may repeat this class each quarter as new writing activities will be introduced each session.

Note: This class is designed for students to enjoy a fun, new dimension of writing with peers and a teacher, but this will not take the place of a comprehensive language arts curriculum and regular writing practice.

Writing Readiness Enrolling students must be able to (1) recognize and write his/her first name; (2) recognize and write each letter of the alphabet and know the corresponding sounds; and (3) hold and use crayons and scissors correctly.

Social Readiness: Students must be age five (5) by the start of the class. To be successful in this program, kindergartners must be able to do the following preschool-level skills: (1) be able to separate from parents with little discomfort; (2) be able to sit and stay on a task for 10 minutes; (3) be able to follow simple, age-appropriate directions from the teacher or another adult; (4) be completely self-sufficient in a public restroom (wiping, flushing, washing hands, etc.)

In Write at Night, middle school students will expand essential communication skills- reading, retaining, discussing, composing, revising, and even listening and speaking- by reviewing short selections of renowned literature and putting pen to paper! Each quarter, students will write about a popular theme using the elements they observe in the example classics.

Dragons, elves, wizards, or new, never-before-seen creatures with special powers. Imagine yourself in another world where magic and fantasy abound. What do you see? The class will overview select science fiction to understand the differences from the fantasy genre and will read excerpts from Jules Verne, Kenneth Grahame, Lewis Carroll, and J.M Barrie. They will discuss fantasy fiction and use listing and mapping activities to identify the unique characteristics of the genre. Students will brainstorm the elements of a story such as location, timeframe, characters, and conflict for their own, unique fantasy piece. They will also discuss conventions- both social and magical- for their unique characters. An anthology of student stories will be published at the end of the quarter.

Imagination and creativity come easily to most young writers, but acquiring technical skills is also important. Each quarter, students will focus on specific skills. The skills are a part of the Writer's Tool Kit that includes: understanding parts and kinds of sentences, plurals, possessives, and punctuation. Across the four quarters of this class, students will also learn how to use a dictionary and a thesaurus, as well as higher-level, middle school level skills such as summarizing, outlining, note taking, writing a book report, or citing sources. In class, students will share drafts and in-progress works to receive peer feedback and promote revising and editing skills.

Homework: Students are expected to write in a journal for a minimum of four minutes per day and respond to prompts that are sent home on an assignment bookmark. They will also be asked to read short assignments such as a chapter or excerpt in preparation for class discussions.

Topics in this Series: Create Colorful Characters (Quarter 1), Forge Fantasy Fun (Quarter 2), Chronical Castle Life (Quarter 3) and Pen Passport Pages (Quarter 4).

Writing is not only a critical skill for school and life, it gives kids a voice! In this class, fifth and sixth graders will gain confidence, increase writing fluency, and learn how to incorporate writing into everyday work and play. The objective of this class is for each student to progress and improve his/her own writing. This class does not have a fixed curriculum trying to achieve the same outcome and same skillset for each child, because each student comes to class with different writing experience and varying needs. Instead, through personalized feedback from the instructor and peer feedback exercises, student writers will improve their writing skills from where they started.

Students will learn the steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. Key skills practiced at this level include organizing one's thoughts, defining a purpose and audience for the paper, formulating a topic sentence or main idea, developing supporting details, using correct sentence structure (for example, initial capitalization and end punctuation). Students will always be encouraged to write about what interests them. They will write for a few minutes in class each week and will be expected to write short assignments at home and submit their work to the instructor for feedback. Each week, the instructor will share brief lessons on grammar (such as correct capitalization, agreement, tenses, parts of speech, use of adjectives/adverbs), and/or style (for example, using metaphors, adding details, building tension). Examples and exercises will be presented from a variety of styles and genres with the instructor using models from fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.

Students should be on or near grade level for reading. Writing Well is offered each quarter under the same class name, but students may take it each quarter to continue to improve their writing skills.

Writing is not only a critical skill for school and life, it gives kids a voice! In this class, third and fourth graders will gain confidence, increase writing fluency, and learn how to incorporate writing into everyday work and play. The objective of this class is for each student to progress and improve his/her own writing. This class does not have a fixed curriculum trying to achieve the same outcome and same skillset for each child, because each student comes to class with different writing experience and varying needs. Instead, through personalized feedback from the instructor and peer feedback exercises, student writers will improve their writing skills from where they started.

Students will learn the steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. Key skills practiced at this level include organizing one's thoughts, defining a purpose and audience for the paper, formulating a topic sentence or main idea, developing supporting details, using correct sentence structure (for example, initial capitalization and end punctuation). Students will always be encouraged to write about what interests them. They will write for a few minutes in class each week and will be expected to write short assignments at home and submit their work to the instructor for feedback. Each week, the instructor will share brief lessons on grammar (such as correct capitalization, agreement, tenses, parts of speech, use of adjectives/adverbs), and/or style (for example, using metaphors, adding details, building tension). Examples and exercises will be presented from a variety of styles and genres with the instructor using models from fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.

Students should be on or near grade level for reading. Writing Wonders is offered each quarter under the same class name, but students may take it each quarter to continue to improve their writing skills.