Elementary Literature
Writing Section Optional
Do you know the best time to begin reading great books? Right now! Regardless of the age of the student or the reading level of the story, the same principles of good reading apply. What’s more, some of the very best stories ever told were written for children! Students in our elementary classes will learn basic principles of good reading and then apply them to a hand-picked selection of uplifting, inspiring stories. Not only will they love the experience in the moment, but they’ll be acquiring skills that will last a lifetime.
CenterForLit instructors use the Socratic method to conduct online discussions of classic books. This method involves asking questions that force them to think carefully about their reading, and then to think carefully about their thinking. Using the author's theme as the goal of the discussion, instructors encourage students to understand his message by discussing the structural and stylistic components that make up his story. Next, students are drawn by further questioning to critically examine their own assumptions about the author's theme. As a result, students gain a deeper understanding of the book, and also of themselves as readers and thinkers.
Course Details:
A sample discussion of the CenterForLit Online Academy.
Instructors: Megan Andrews
Schedule: Monthly 90-minute Socratic discussions with optional weekly writing classes (see full schedule and titles below) are held at 10:00 AM Pacific Time (1:00 PM Eastern) on Mondays.
Live webinars: Online meeting software (included in tuition) provides screen sharing and live audio with chat. Students raise hands to participate aloud, chat with instructors, and see instructors via live video.
Recordings: High quality audio recordings of each class (with discussion notes in PDF format) allow students to participate at their own pace if desired. Students receive an email invitation to join the student database, where they have access to recordings and notes from each discussion.
Grades and Credits (optional): Grades and Credits: Writing students receive regular report cards with suggestions for improvement. All students receive a certificate of completion/attendance upon request.
Tuition: $427.50 annually for the discussion-only class; an additional $270 for the optional writing section (these prices reflect the “Pelican discount” - 10% off our full price).
Optional Writing Section:
Availability: Open to students enrolled in the discussion course.
Instructor and Tutor: Megan Andrews
Schedule: Weekly 45-minute classes on Thursdays at 8:00 AM Pacific time (11:00 AM Eastern) or 9:00 AM Pacific time (12:00 Eastern, depending on your section.
Assignments: 32 weekly assignments addressing the fundamentals of English composition, beginning with vocabulary-level activities, proceeding to sentence structure and syntax, and concluding with paragraph-length compositions. Students submit assignments via the student database and receive line-by-line comments according to a pre-determined schedule.
Recordings: Writing lessons are recorded to allow for asynchronous participation; however, assignment due dates are not flexible.
Grading: Grades and Credits: Writing students receive regular report cards with suggestions for improvement. All students receive a certificate of completion/attendance upon request.
Teacher access: Instructor and tutors are always available via email to answer specific questions. Emails are generally returned within 24 hours.
Discussion Schedule
All discussion classes meet once per month at 10:00 AM Pacific time (1:00 PM Eastern) on Mondays. Section A and Section B meet on different weeks according to the following schedule:
*CenterForLit only requires that students come to class having read (or listened to) an unabridged edition of the assigned title. Obtaining the exact ISBN listed is not mandatory.
Writing Class Schedule:
The optional writing class is available to students enrolled in the Socratic discussion course. Section A writing classes meet at 8:00 AM Pacific time (11:00 AM Eastern) and Section B classes at 9:00 AM Pacific time (12:00 PM Eastern) on the following dates.
Upon enrollment, you will download a registration packet with complete instructions
for joining each online discussion and participating in the conversation board.
If you would like more information, you can email Principal Megan Andrews at m.andrews@centerforlit.com.
Tuition, Discounts, and Enrollment:
Tuition is $427.50 annually for the discussion-only class; an additional $270 for the optional writing section (these prices reflect the “Pelican discount” - 10% off our full price).
Early Bird Registration: Students enrolling before June 1, 2024 receive an additional 10% discount on all tuition fees for every course.
Sibling Discount: If you are enrolling more than one student from the same family, our system will automatically apply a sibling discount in addition to any other discounts or coupons. Simply make sure all registrations appear in the same shopping cart. You’ll receive a discount on each registration based on how many students are enrolling. Please note that our sibling discount structure amounts to a 100% tuition waiver for student number four!
Elementary Literature 2024-2025
Please consider purchasing your books for this course through one of our affiliate programs. CenterForLit earns a small profit from qualifying purchases. We appreciate your support! (See our official disclosure statement.)
We appreciate the responsibility involved in choosing curriculum materials for your students, and we ask you to make this decision carefully. If your plans change and your student must withdraw from a class, CenterForLit can transfer your registration to a different class or to a future term; however, THERE ARE NO REFUNDS FOR ONLINE CLASS REGISTRATIONS.