With a solid foundation of literacy skills cemented in the Lower School, middle and upper school students extend their reading, writing, and research skills with confidence and independence. Our educators are prepared to challenge and support children to deepen their proficiency as they grow as readers and writers.
 Hallmarks of the program include advanced literary analysis and writing in a variety of genres: personal narratives, persuasive essays, nonfiction (fueled by social studies research), fiction, and poetry. In addition to assigned reading for Book Groups and research, all middle and upper schoolers spend 30 minutes each day reading for pleasure in our beautiful Library.
Topics by grade include:
3rd Grade (VIIIs)
• Reading aloud with fluency and expression
• Deepening comprehension of fiction and nonfiction texts
• Applying technical knowledge of conventions, including punctuation, spelling, and grammar
• Developing foundational paragraph writing skills
• Creative writing with a focus on folktales
• Developing transferable research skills that support close reading of nonfiction texts
• Non-fiction writing about research topics
4th Grade (IXs)
• Mastering paragraph writing
• Developing early essay skills
• Creative writing with a focus on personal narratives and tall tales
• Comprehension of fiction, with a focus on historical fiction
• Comprehension of topic-specific nonfiction texts
• Expanding research skills related to social studies
5th Grade (Xs)
• Increased independence with research skills
• Essay writing based on research
• Creative writing with a focus on a variety of fiction genres
• Comprehension of fiction, with a focus on mythology
• Comprehension of topic-specific nonfiction texts
6th Grade (XIs)
• Essay writing based on research
• Research using peer-reviewed, academic articles and nonfiction sources
• Presentations of individual research topics
• Comprehension of nonfiction texts
7th Grade (XIIs)
• Advanced research papers
• Research using peer-reviewed, academic articles and nonfiction sources
• Presentations of individual research topics
• Citations and publishing forms (MLA)
• Comprehension of nonfiction texts
8th Grade (XIIIs)
• Advanced persuasive essays based on research
• Research using peer-reviewed, academic articles and nonfiction sources
• Personal narratives and opinion papers
• Literary analysis of contemporary fiction texts
• Comprehension of sophisticated nonfiction texts
• Study of journalism and production of school newspaper
Our graduates stand out among their high school peers as extremely capable readers, writers, and public speakers, each with a strong ability to analyze text, craft compelling arguments, and boldly express themselves in a variety of modalities. Rigorous instruction and high expectations balanced with daily pleasure reading is the ideal combination to instill fluency, confidence, and joy in the written word and verbal expression.
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