Courses · English · Grades 3–12
Composition & Creative Writing
The classical progymnasmata, the graded writing exercises that trained writers from Quintilian to Shakespeare, alongside story, poetry and personal narrative. Each lesson reads a model passage, studies a picture, and ends with a writing project, and every grade is built to pair with our English Grammar course.
Choose a grade
Grades 3 and 4 are ready now (videos coming). Grades 5 through 12 are coming soon.
Ages 8–9
Grade 3: The Fable and the First Story
What a fable is, retelling in my own words, beginning, middle and end, fables in Scripture and history, rhyme and rhythm, describing simply, a day I remember, and a read-aloud review, plus a bonus Contest Lab.
Ages 9–10
Grade 4: The Fable Grown Up, and Narrative (videos coming)
Amplifying and condensing fables, the six questions of narrative, character and setting, the ballad and the friendly letter.
Ages 10–11
Grade 5: Narrative and the Chreia
Narrative mastery, the chreia of a famous saying or deed, dialogue, couplet and quatrain, paraphrase and summary, and the journal.
Coming soon
Ages 11–12
Grade 6: Maxim, Refutation and Confirmation
The maxim, refuting and confirming a story, conflict and plot, imagery, and the memoir scene.
Coming soon
Ages 12–13
Grade 7: Commonplace, Encomium and Invective
The commonplace, praise and blame, point of view, a first look at the sonnet, and the biographical sketch.
Coming soon
Ages 13–14
Grade 8: Comparison, Characterization and Description
Comparison, characterization, description, the short story, blank verse and the ode, and the reflective essay.
Coming soon
High school
Grade 9: Thesis I and the Full Essay
The thesis and the full essay, fable and parable for older readers, meter in depth, and the speech of testimony.
Coming soon
High school
Grade 10: Thesis II and Law
The proposal of law, the historical short story, the villanelle and sonnet, and the profile.
Coming soon
High school
Grade 11: The Persuasive and Research Essay
Persuasion and research, the ten-minute play, a poetry workshop, and the college essay.
Coming soon
High school
Grade 12: Capstone: Rhetoric and the Senior Thesis
The senior thesis, a novella chapter, a poetry chapbook, and the commencement speech.
Coming soon
How every lesson works
Each Grades 3–8 course is one school year: 8 units of 4 lessons in two sessions a week, plus an optional Contest Lab. Alongside Grammar's three short sessions a week, a student does both without overload.
- The model. A short passage from a fine writer, read aloud and imitated.
- Picture study. A public-domain painting or illustration to look at and describe.
- Write. A writing project and a notebook task, with a revision checklist that asks only for grammar already taught.
- Grammar link. Each lesson names the Grammar lesson it leans on.
Every course can also be downloaded as one printable PDF.