Over the course of the year, students learn at least 300  academic vocabulary words. Students are encouraged to reinforce their vocabulary knowledge through vocabulary games, in-class vocabulary quizzes, and vocabulary homework activities. Students are also encouraged to use these vocabulary words during in-class discussions and in their written homework assignments.

Each week, we hone our grammar skills by editing a passage of text for grammatical errors. After students take the time to review the text for errors on their own, the instructor walks them back through the text to see which errors they were able to identify. In the process, the instructor explains the nature of certain errors–making it easier for students to avoid them in future.

In our weekly reading and discussion time, we read a story or discuss a philosophical topic together. Students respond to questions designed to help them think critically, as well as to interpret and analyze texts with more complexity and depth. Corresponding writing assignments allow students to improve their writing skills, while giving them experience in several different genres.

Every in-class reading is accompanied by a Socratic discussion led by PhD and expert instructors. Students are expected to form their own positions on some “big ideas” and defend them in exchanges with the teacher and their classmates.  Critical thinking is fostered in classroom discussion and homework assignments that ask students to respond to readings in a variety of different ways.