Literature & Composition
“For a man to write well, there are required three necessaries: let him read the best authors; observe the best speakers; and have much exercise of his own style.”
-Ben Johnson
Here is the foundation of all good writing: reading worthy books, narrating and discussing living ideas, and writing frequently. This approach is based on the principle that students are people, made to communicate and understand the living ideas and language of great communicators. Students who pursue this method learn to communicate clearly and express themselves with vigor, grace, and ingenuity. The courses below contain literature, plays, and essays that give students a variety of ideas to inspire discussion and writing projects appropriate for their age.
All of these Literature and Composition courses pair well with another short companion course, Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, and Poetry (GUMP).
High School Year Two
10th Grade
Literature and Composition:
The American and French Revolutions
This literature class follows seven bold stories of men and women who encounter profound moral choices, navigate crisis, and grow in judgment. Through satire, heroism, virtue, and romance, these works cultivate your student's imagination, intuition, and reason.
Books & Themes
- Days with Sir Roger De Coverley by Richard Steele & Joseph Addison
- Civility, social virtue, and the comic portrait of an English gentleman
- Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
- Satire, political wisdom, and the limits of human reason
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
- Justice, sacrifice, and redemption in revolutionary times
- Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson
- Philosophy, happiness, and the search for purpose
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The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
- Revenge, mercy, and divine providence
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Wit, humility, and human nature
- Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott
- Loyalty, honor, and the making of a young man
- On Writing Well by William Zinsser
No particular editions or formats are required for books. You can use print books or ebooks for the books we read in class. Students can also listen to audiobooks for assigned reading outside of class.
Class Format
Small Group Class (6 students maximum)
Weekly 95-minute live class via Webex
Each session includes:
• 40 min – 1st Literature Reading, Written Narration, and Discussion
• 20 min – Composition Workshop with On Writing Well by William Zinsser
• 5 min – Short Break
• 30 min – 2nd Literature Reading, Oral Narration, and Discussion
Homework
• 30-45 minutes per week – Assigned Reading, Written or Recorded Narration
Class Details
- Ages: 15-16 (10th Grade)
- Start Date: August 13
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Schedule: Wednesday 10:30 AM - 12:05 PM (Central Standard Time)
- Three 11-week terms (Fall, Winter, Spring). The last week of each term is an exam. After each exam there is a make-up week for any missing homework or classes.
- Platform: Webex Meet + Student Hub on Notion
- Tuition: $180 per term OR $540 per year
- Sibling Discount: $150 per term OR $450 per year
High School Year Two
Class Application Details
Books and other materials not included in cost of tuition. Students and parents are responsible for acquiring copies of books before the first day of class.
To apply for this class, fill out the form below and send it to racheli@rachelteaches.com with a sample of your student's writing.
High School Year One
9th Grade
Literature and Composition:
The Renaissance and Reformation
This class introduces students into the rich world of allegory, moral struggle, and literary tradition that continues to inspire writers and thinkers throughout history. There are many crucial ideas found in these books and plays that students need to consider for their own personal growth and understanding of the people around them — responsibility, suffering, faith, repentance, redemption, justice, and more.
Book Selections
• The History of English Literature for Boys and Girls by H. E. Marshall
• Everyman, a Morality Play
• Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley
• I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed) by Alessandro Manzoni, translated by Bruce Penman.
• The Holy War by John Bunyan
• A New Grammar of the English Tongue by Mieklejohn, Hints on Composition
No particular editions or formats are required for books. You can use print books or ebooks for the books we read in class. Students can also listen to audiobooks for assigned reading outside of class.
Class Format
Small Group Class (6 students maximum)
Weekly 90-minute live class via Webex
Each session includes:
• 40 min – 1st Literature Reading, Written Narration, and Discussion
• 20 min – Composition Workshop with On Writing Well by William Zinsser
• 5 min – Short Break
• 30 min – 2nd Literature Reading, Oral Narration, and Discussion
Homework
• 30-45 minutes per week: assigned reading, written narration
Class Details
- Ages: 14-15 (9th Grade)
- Start Date: August 14
- Schedule: Thursday 10:30 AM - 12:05 PM (Central Standard Time)
- Three 11-week terms (Fall, Winter, Spring) The last week of each term is an exam. After each exam there is a make-up week for any missing homework or classes.
- Platform: Webex Meet + Student Hub on Notion
- Tuition: $180 per term OR $540 per year
- Sibling Discount: $150 per term OR $450 per year
High School Year One Class Application Details
Books and other materials not included in cost of tuition. Students and parents are responsible for acquiring copies of books before the first day of class.
To apply for this class, fill out the form below and send it to racheli@rachelteaches.com with a sample of your student's writing.
Upper Middle School
Grades 7-8
Literature and Composition: The Middle Ages
Join us as we explore epic tales of adventure and adversity in this online course rooted in classic literature. We’ll encounter timeless themes—honor and courage, loyalty and betrayal, perseverance and hardship, and the journey from folly to wisdom. Each of these living books will stir imagination and morality as we read deeply, narrate thoughtfully, and practice writing with clarity and grace.
This class is for 7th and 8th grade students who have strong Language Arts and Reading skills and want to challenge themselves to prepare for High School.
Book Selections
• The Once and Future King, Books I & II — T. H. White
• The Age of Chivalry (Part I) — Thomas Bulfinch
• Beowulf — Translated by Seamus Heaney
• Watership Down — Richard Adams
• Ivanhoe — Sir Walter Scott
• Chaucer for Children: A Golden Key — Mrs. H. R. Haweis
No particular editions or formats are required for books. You can use print books or ebooks for the books we read in class. Students can also listen to audiobooks for assigned reading outside of class.
Class Format
Small Group Class (6 students maximum)
Bi-weekly class online class via Webex
First weekly session includes:
• 40 min — 1st Literature Reading, Written Narration, Discussion
• 20 min — Composition Workshop
Second weekly session includes:
• 40 min — 2nd Literature Reading, Oral Narration, Discussion
Homework
• 30-45 minutes per week: assigned reading, written narration
Class Details
- Ages: 12–15 (Grades 7-8)
- Start Date: August 12
- Schedule: Tuesdays 1:00 - 2:00 PM, Fridays 1:00 - 1:40 PM (Central Standard Time)
- Terms: 3 terms of 11 weeks each (33 weeks total) The last week of each term is an exam. After each exam there is a make-up week for any missing homework or classes.
- Platform: Webex Meet + Student Hub on Notion
- Tuition: $180 per term OR $540 per year
- Sibling Discount: $150 per term OR $450 per year
Upper Middle School
Class Application Details
Books and other materials not included in cost of tuition. Students and parents are responsible for acquiring copies of books before the first day of class.
To apply for this class, fill out the form below and send it to racheli@rachelteaches.com with a sample of your student's writing.