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Literature-KristinaW-ColoradoThis course will develop students in habits of deep reading and thoughtful writing about the great literary texts in the
English tradition. In the composition half of the course, students will learn the fundamentals of structure and style for argumentative writing through short weekly assignments and four essays, including a research essay. In addition, students will practice writing descriptive paragraphs, creative essays, and poems during a series of short, thematic units throughout the year. In the literature half of the course, students will be introduced to many of the major writers in the English language, as well as to the major genres of literary fiction and nonfiction. Students will learn to read texts closely, with attention to structure, theme, and figurative language. At the end of the course, students should be able to confidently approach a difficult text, and both read it and write about it well. 
 
This course is designed for students with no previous experience in academic writing or literary analysis and as such is suitable for students in grades 7-10.
 
Required Texts:
C.S. Lewis
Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare
As You Like It, William Shakespeare
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
Poetry, Short Stories, and Essays (from online anthologies as assigned)
 
Instructor:
Miss Schroeder earned her bachelor’s degree in English Literature (summa cum laude) from Hillsdale College in 2010, where she was awarded the English Department Award for Excellence. She is currently a master’s degree student in Shakespeare Studies at King’s College, University of London. She has been a private tutor for junior high and high school students in English and writing for over six years, and before attending graduate school, she worked as the 6th grade teacher at Ambleside School in Denver, CO, teaching literature, composition, grammar, spelling, history, and geography, among other subjects.
 
Schedule:
We are offering two sections of this course. 
Section A meets on Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m Pacific Time
Section B  meets on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Pacific Time
 
Click below for Section A 
Click below for Section B

If you would like to enroll in the class but cannot attend at this time please let us know.  We have some flexibility with our schedule and may be able to open additional sections of the class.

Introduction to British Literature - High School

Literature-PamelaB-CaliforniaThis course will introduce high school students to the riches of the English literary tradition, from its roots in alliterative Anglo-Saxon poetry to its most modern playwrights and novelists. Readings in the course will examine the growth and development of English poetry, the English theatrical tradition, and the history of the English novel, and will acquaint students with genres as varied as epic poetry, plays, sonnets, and the fantasy novel. Students will write four essays in this course, culminating in a research paper on an author of their choice, and each class period will include specific instruction in the structure and style of academic writing. Students will learn to read closely for structure, theme, and style and to express their reading of a text in ordered arguments and accurate language. The course will also delve into the great questions of the literary tradition: What is the nature of man? What is the relationship between man and God? Between a man and his fellow men? Between man and the natural world? What is the nature of hope? Of grief? Of faith? In asking these questions of classic texts, students will begin a conversation with the classics that will last the rest of their lives.
 
This course assumes some previous writing instruction and wide reading, but it is appropriate for students with little experience in argumentative writing and literary analysis. For students with no previous writing instruction, the “Introduction to Literature and Composition” course is recommended. For more experienced readers and writers, the “Introduction to American Literature” is suggested, though students of any ability would profit from the reading list in the “Introduction to British Literature” course.
 
Reading List: 
Required Texts:
 
William Shakespeare
Poetry and Short Stories (from online anthologies, as assigned)
 
Recommended Supplementary Texts:
 
 
Instructor:
Miss Schroeder earned her bachelor’s degree in English Literature (summa cum laude) from Hillsdale College in 2010, where she was awarded the English Department Award for Excellence. She is currently a master’s degree student in Shakespeare Studies at King’s College, University of London. She has been a private tutor for junior high and high school students in English and writing for over six years, and before attending graduate school, she worked as the 6th grade teacher at Ambleside School in Denver, CO, teaching literature, composition, grammar, spelling, history, and geography, among other subjects.
 
Schedule:
The Introduction to British Literature class meets on Thursdays from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
 
If you would like to enroll in the class but cannot attend at this time please let us know.  We have some flexibility with our schedule and may be able to open additional sections of the class.
 
 
 
 

 American Literature - High School Level

Literature-JennyM-ConnecticutThis course will introduce high school students to the canon of American Literature while honing their skills as close readers and writers. The reading selections include major American novels such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Great Gatsby, as well as essays, short stories, and poetry, and class lectures and discussions will examine the Puritan influence on the American literary tradition, the New England Transcendentalists, "local color" or regional fiction in America, the "Great American Novel," and the American theatrical tradition.  Students will learn to examine each text for its structure, theme, and style, both in class and through a series of four essay assignments, the last of which is a research essay on an American author of the student's choice.  Short weekly writing assignments will become part of the discussion in class and will provide students with ample opportunities to practice their skills in both argumentative and creative writing. In class students will delve into the difficult questions asked by America’s greatest writers and thinkers: What does it mean to be an American? What do liberty, justice, and equality look like in the lives of everyday Americans? How do Americans relate to each other and to other nations? What role does God play in American public life? This course will endeavor, not to answer these questions, but to begin a discussion for students that will last for the remainder of their lives.
 
This course assumes a firm grounding in academic writing and strong reading abilities, and it is particularly appropriate for college-bound high school students.  For students with little or no previous writing instruction the "Introduction to Literature and Composition" course is recommended.  For students new to literary analysis, the "Introduction to British Literature" course is recommended.
 
Reading List:
 
 
Poetry, Essays, and Short Stories (from online anthologies, as assigned)
 
Recommended Supplementary Texts:
 
 
Instructor:
Miss Schroeder earned her bachelor’s degree in English Literature (summa cum laude) from Hillsdale College in 2010, where she was awarded the English Department Award for Excellence. She is currently a master’s degree student in Shakespeare Studies at King’s College, University of London. She has been a private tutor for junior high and high school students in English and writing for over six years, and before attending graduate school, she worked as the 6th grade teacher at Ambleside School in Denver, CO, teaching literature, composition, grammar, spelling, history, and geography, among other subjects.
 
Schedule:
The American Literature class meets on Mondays from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. Pacific Time.
 
If you would like to enroll in the class but cannot attend at this time please let us know.  We have some flexibility with our schedule and may be able to open additional sections of the class.
 
 
Learn practical tips to revise papers quickly for structure and style! For $15 per student, writing instructor Kiernan Schroeder will guide your Junior High or High School homeschool group (minimum number required for the session is 10)  through the mysteries of revision, equipping them to do basic proofreading and editing for themselves. Sessions last for one hour in a live, online classroom, where students can ask questions either in a chat box or over microphone. Handouts are included, and students can follow-up with a half-hour private session for individualized writing advice for a discounted price of $20.
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