Introduction to Literature & Composition | 2023-24

Blue Tent Introduction to Literature & Composition

Introduction to Literature & Composition is designed for advanced 8th grade homeschoolers (13+). In weekly text-based conversations students will share and compare their views and writing with fellow homeschooled classmates who live across the country (and maybe around the globe). Through active forum discussions and interaction with their instructor and peers, they'll improve their understanding of the class reading and bolster their writing skills as a community.

Class Details

Intro to Lit is a full-year class.
Tuition: $775
Instructor: Anna Grace Freebersyser
Dates: August 21, 2023 to May 5, 2024. See our FAQ for a complete list of dates and breaks.
Format: This is an asynchronous class, so there are no regular live meeting dates.
- Live study halls will be offered intermittently to provide one-on-one writing assistance.
- This class is highly active, with student conversations taking place weekly in text-based discussion forums.
Grade level: 8th and up (13+)
- Students should be familiar with MLA formatting. Expertise is not expected, but some degree of prior practice is.
- Students should have had practice writing a five-paragraph essay.
- For age/grade guidelines, prerequisites, and class-fit recommendations for all classes, please see our FAQ.
Class size: 30
Course materials are listed HERE.

Foundational Elements

Intro to Lit is designed for students who enjoy reading and writing and who have a sincere desire to improve their skillfulness. They may be confident in their abilities, or may feel that they need more work on brainstorming, outlining, and getting thoughts down on paper. We'll work on all those things during the year in an incremental parts-to-whole approach.

Every week, students will be immersed in reading and in some sort of writing.
Students will complete short assignments weekly and will converse in both teacher-led and peer-led discussion forums. They will be actively discussing their reading to help improve proficiency in informal writing and literary analysis.
A short story and four different types of essays will be written during the year--each relating in some way to the assigned reading.
With the help of the instructor, students will work incrementally to plan, collect supporting evidence, create thesis statements and topic sentences, outline, and write their essays. Each final essay will receive detailed instructor feedback, and students will then polish their papers after receiving both instructor and peer suggestions.
Students should be familiar with MLA prior to entering the class. They will then refine, reinforce, and ultimately nail MLA formatting, citations, and works cited pages.
Don't be surprised to see "SAT" on the vocab flashcard box. While students might not be studying for the SAT quite yet, this flashcard approach will be an enjoyable break from vocabulary workbooks--helping students to familiarize themselves with words they can expect to see in their reading throughout high school and beyond.
Grammar practice will be woven into the year in a small, purposeful way.

Sharing writing on the class website throughout the year will offer modeling and gentle, friendly peer editing opportunities to help students grow and improve. Join other enthusiastic readers and learners who agree with Anna Quindlen, that "books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination and the journey."