English Studies Classes

Our English Studies incorporate grammar, composition, literary analysis, and poetry. The composition portion of the class is based on classical methodology, including an emphasis on the progymnasmata (progym) and literature-based lessons. Materials are from Cottage Press. Please note that for Bards & Poets and up, grammar instruction and assignments are based on the assumption that students are studying Latin concurrently. We require all students (6 th grade and older) to be concurrently enrolled in Latin at Providence Prep. Latin grammar and English grammar reinforce one another in a way that produces superior understanding and mastery of principles and concepts. Please note that there is a tuition charge for high school English Studies (Logic & Rhetoric, Poetics & Progym I, II, and III) because the teachers of these classes will provide evaluation of compositions and accountability for weekly written exercises.

  • Logic & Rhetoric (11th grade & up – Prerequisite Poetics & Progym III or equivalent) This course is a capstone course for students who have finished with all the required grammar and composition courses at Providence Prep. Course scope will include formal logic and classical rhetoric with all of the the canons of rhetoric, including Memory and Delivery. The class will feature a strong public speaking component aimed toward winsome and effective persuasion (logos and pathos), with an emphasis on the virtue of the speaker (ethos). Visit the Logic&Rhetoric Bookstore to see required and optional purchases for this course.
  • Poetics & Progym III (10th grade & up – Prerequisite Poetics & Progym II or equivalent) Students complete the Progym with the speech-in-character, description, thesis, and law exercises. We continue to study rhetorical and literary theory. Advanced poetry study continues, with analysis and composition. Students continue to identify and classify figures of speech and figures of description, and employ these in their own writing. Visit Cottage Press Language Arts for Upper School for more information. 
  • Poetics & Progym II (9th grade & up – Prerequisite Poetics & Progym I or equivalent) Students begin with the Progym  twin exercises confirmation and refutation, then practice the common-place exercise, then finish with triplet exercises encomium, invective, and comparison. These provide the basis for advancing essay analysis and composition. Students encounter more advanced rhetorical and literary theory, which they then apply in their essays. Poetry study continues, with analysis and composition. Students continue to identify and classify figures of speech and figures of description, and employ these in their own writing. Visit Cottage Press Language Arts for Upper School for more information. 
  • Poetics & Progym I (8th grade & up – Prerequisite Bards & Poets II) Students review and apply skills from previous levels, with abundant practice in outlining and summarizing, primarily in the study of Homer’s Odyssey. Poetics & Progym I introduces the basic expository essay via the proverb and anecdote exercises of the Progym. We continue to study and classify figures of speech, and employ them in student essays. Poetry study includes comprehension, scansion in four meters, and study of poetic forms. Literary terms and concepts are studied and cataloged in order to facilitate understanding in students’ Humanities studies.  Again, a student may profitably spend two years in this class to provide review and mastery. Visit Cottage Press Language Arts for Upper School for additional information. 
  • Chronicle & Verse (6th-8th grades) Students review and apply skills from previous levels. Advancing grammar studies accompany this level. In composition, students review the fable exercise of the Progym, and then move to the narrative exercise with models that increase in length and complexity through the year. Bards & Poets includes vocabulary analysis, advancing literary analysis, sentence construction skills, editing skills, and more complex outlining and summarizing skills. Students study beginning figures of speech and figures of description and apply these to writing assignments. Basic poetry scansion (analysis of meter) is introduced and practiced regularly. This course is an updated, redesigned version of Bards & Poets II.
  • Legends & Laureates (5th-7th grades) A more intensive study of grammar begins in this level. In composition, students review the fable exercise of the Progym, and then move to the narrative exercise. Bards & Poets includes vocabulary analysis, advancing literary analysis, sentence construction skills, editing skills, and more complex outlining and summarizing skills. Students study beginning figures of speech and figures of description and apply these to writing assignments. Basic poetry scansion (analysis of meter) is introduced and practiced regularly. This course is an updated, redesigned version of Bards & Poets I.
  • Parable & Poem (4th-5th grades, for children of on-site teachers) The focus of this class is the fable exercise of the Progym, with some short narratives and poems included as models. Beginning grammar is taught with an introduction to the parts of speech and basic sentence diagramming. Other skills taught and/or reinforced include spelling analysis, beginning literary analysis, and dictionary skills. This course is an updated, redesigned version of Fable & Song.
  • Primer One and Primer Two (2nd-3rd grade, for children of on-site teachers)  Students at this stage prepare for formal composition studies later by narrating fables and stories, and by copying and memorizing beautiful patterns of language in passages from the Bible, poetry, and well-written prose. A gentle introduction to spelling and grammar concepts is provided in the context of the copywork selections. Visit Cottage Press Language Lessons for Children for additional information. 
  • Pre-Primer (PreK-1st grade, for children of on-site teachers)  Our youngest students will grow in their awareness of language for everyday life-letters, numbers, calendar activities, and nature observation. They will be encouraged to describe and categorize their observations. 

OUR CLASSES


Humanities

English Studies

Latin

Adjunct