TPS Writing Courses – Become a skilled and confident writer!
“Our daughter’s growth as a writer through this course has been absolutely jaw-dropping. The creative knowledge-packed assignments in this course have sent her writing skills through the ceiling.” Parent of TPS elementary writing student
TPS has been teaching writing since 1997. Over more than two decades, the comment we still hear most often from our former English students is that they were among the strongest most confident writers in their college classes and beyond.
This page contains detailed information about our writing program and courses. If you are looking for our complete English Language Arts information, including reading, writing, literature, and integrated humanities courses and programs, please go to our extensive English Language Arts page.
Why are TPS English students such skilled and confident writers?
- TPS Elementary Writing courses delightfully provide a strong writing foundation, so our young writers are confidently prepared for middle school and high school writing.
- Every TPS English course develops specific writing and rhetoric skills based on the level of the course. We systematically progress writing through every stage of development (grammar, dialectic, rhetoric) from elementary to college level.
- All TPS English courses at every level — including our literature courses — teach writing with engaging purposeful instruction and assignments. We never stop teaching writing in our English courses, even in upper high school and college level courses.
Good writing — analytical, rhetorical, or creative — combines a set of skills (which can be learned) with individual self-expression (which can be encouraged and developed). Becoming a skilled and confident writer requires expert teaching and individual mentoring, not just practice and feedback. TPS has over two decades of proven excellence in teaching and developing strong and confident writers for college, career, and civic life.
How does TPS develop strong writers?
Our entire writing program is thoughtfully designed to delight young writers and engage maturing writers with gradually paced development at every stage from elementary to college level.
Elementary / Early Middle School
- Instill delight in writing and written expression.
- Focus on narrative and expository writing to promote academic development with comfortable pace.
- Dedicated (optional) Grammar 1 – Structure and Mechanics class for students who need to build grammar fundamentals to support their writing.
- Summer writing courses for preparation, remediation, or proficiency.
Grade 5-6
Grade 6 (Summer)
Grade 6-7
Middle School / Early High School
- Explore various writing styles.
- Begin to develop individual writing voice.
- Introduce analysis (point/counterpoint) and rhetoric (clarity, concision, persuasion).
- Dedicated (optional) Grammar 2 – Application and Style class for students who want advanced grammar tools for more polished, engaging, and persuasive writing.
- Summer writing courses for preparation, remediation, or proficiency.
In Middle School / Early High School, we have two types of writing courses: Lit and Comp and Confident Comp. We also offer summer writing courses for preparation, remediation, or proficiency.
Summer – Middle School / Early High School
Grade 7 (Summer)
Grade 8 (Summer)
Grade 9 (Summer)
Lit and Comp – Middle School / Early High School
The Lit and Comp series develops writing integrated with study of literature:
- Reading enjoyable literature motivates writing.
- Studying and discussing good literature develops analytical skills.
- Interaction with works of good writers improves writing.
Grade 7-8
- English 1 Lit and Comp – Discovering Courage
- English 1 Lit and Comp – Inspiring Hope
- Grammar 1 – Structure and Mechanics
Grade 8-9
- English 2 Lit and Comp – Challenges and Triumphs
- English 2 Lit and Comp – Intuition and Escapades
- Grammar 2 – Application and Style
Grade 9-10
Confident Comp – Middle School / Early High School
The Confident Comp series prepares for high school writing without the integrated literature component. Confident Comp is ideal for:
- Students taking a separate literature program without thorough writing instruction and evaluation.
- Reluctant writers to build confidence.
- Late-starting writers to develop more quickly by focusing on just the writing.
Grade 7-8
Grade 8-9
Grade 9-10
Upper High School / College Dual Credit / AP
- Develop advanced analysis and argumentation in writing.
- Improve writing with clarity and concision.
- Refine and polish writing style and rhetoric.
- Instill passion and persuasion with respect and politesse.
- Summer writing courses for preparation, remediation, or proficiency.
In Upper High School, we have two types of writing courses: Lit and Comp courses and individual dedicated writing courses, where each individual dedicated writing courses serves a different purpose and audience.
Summer – Upper High School
Grades 10-12 (Summer)
- Writing for Upper High School and College (summer before English 4/5/6)
- Grammar 2 – Application and Style
Lit and Comp – Upper High School / College Dual Credit / AP
All TPS upper level Lit and Comp courses continue to develop writing integrated with study of literature. TPS offers many exciting upper level Lit and Comp courses to engage a wide range of literary interests.
Grades 10-12
- English 4/5/6 Lit Survey and Composition
- English 4/5/6 Advanced Comp – Style and Rhetoric
- English 4/5/6 Western Lit and Comp (Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare, Defoe and others)
- English 4/5/6 Western Lit and Comp (Homer, Shelley, Dostoevsky, Twain, and others)
- English 4/5/6 Arthurian Lit and Comp
- English 4/5/6 God in Mordor – Modern Age Lit and Comp
- English 4/5/6 Banned Books Lit and Comp
- English 4/5/6 Fantastic Worlds and Epic Tales – Speculative Fiction Lit and Comp
- English 4/5/6 College British Lit and Comp
- English 4/5/6 College American Lit and Comp
- English 5/6 College World Lit and Comp
- Grammar 2 – Application and Style
Grades 11-12
Dedicated Writing Courses – Upper High School / College Dual Credit / AP
Grades 10-12
Grades 11-12
