In the beginning was the word…
Or perhaps it was the love of the word.
The foundations of deep literacy are genuine enjoyment of reading and writing. When parents ask how to prepare their younger students for advanced secondary studies, our recommendation is always to cultivate an intrinsic love of the word.
“Only in silence the word, Only in dark the light, Only in dying life: Bright the hawk's flight on the empty sky.”
-The Creation of Ea (Ursula K. Le Guin)
For Love of Literacy
The goal of this program is to develop fluent reading, writing, and speaking based on students’ intrinsic love of story. We believe that a love of reading is a lifelong treasure. We aim to develop it through a supported (and electronics-free) environment of deep and reflective reading, for ages 11-14 (some wiggle room). This program also doubles as effective preparation for our honors humanities high school immersion, The Creative World.
Classtime: Two Literacy Workshops per Month, 10am-4pm
Total student tuition annually (not including cost of books and snacks): $1500
Engaged Workshop Mornings
Sharing circle: How were the books? Group sharing about thoughts and feelings from readings, from life, and from ongoing projects.
Project playshop: Independent student creative work time with check-ins and mentorship to develop project autonomy, planning, and creativity skills. How can you engage your reading and personal interests in inspiring and exctiting ways?
Lunch Break
Reflective Workshop Afternoons
Storytime with Dr. Julian: Comfy space, settle in, Dr. Julian introduces books and reads from each. Hot cocoa (healthy version) served. We continue the stories reading silently on our own. Dictionary is available for students to quietly look up any words they don’t know. Make notes about new words and anything you find interesting or questions you have.
Reflective writing time: You can write anything you want. These can be reflections, questions, or opinions about the story you just read or how you felt about reading it, or you could even try writing your own story or poem or “fanfic” inspired by the reading.
Final sharing circle: Check in about ideas and expectations for the new books. What do we think so far? What do we imagine might happen? Are we excited by any elements? What will we look for as we read?
Project planning and final mentorship: Students write their plans for the intervening weeks including how they can keep developing their projects and how they might work their continued reading into the projects. Share the plan with Dr. Julian before they go.
Year 1 A
Month 1.1
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Holes by Louis Sachar
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Month 1.2
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham
Year 1 B
Month 1.3:
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Black Beauty by Anne Sewell
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Month 1.4:
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Month 1.5:
Dragon’s Blood by Jane Yolen
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Jurassic Park by Michael Crighton
Discworld 1 by Terry Pratchett
Year 1 C
Month 1.6: Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce
Month 1.7:
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Month 1.8: The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
Months 1.9-1.10: Chronicles of Narnia Books
+End of Year Project
Year 2 A
Month 2.1:
Redwall by Brian Jacques
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Month 2.2:
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Year 2 B
Month 2.3:
The Tripods Trilogy by John Christopher
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Month 2.4:
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Month 2.5:
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Nine Princes in Amber and The Guns of Avalon by Roger Zelazny
Kings Blood Four by Sherri S. Tepper
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peak
Months 2.6-2.7: Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Year 2 C
Month 2.8:
The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Month 2.9:
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Month 2.10: Student Individual Reading Plan
+End of Year Project
