Increasing Complexity: Grades 6 Through 8
In Middle School English classes, skill development spirals. Students read. They talk together in order to make meaning out of what they read. They write, reconsider and revise. They learn from each other, and they take action.
Sixth graders research and write about world issues such as human rights and the experiences of immigrants. Seventh graders draft and perform original spoken word poems in collaboration with Blake's annual Poet in Residence. Eighth graders work with a professional coach to hone their presentation skills and deliver persuasive speeches to an assembly of their peers. Students' deeper understanding of texts develops in tandem with a deeper understanding of the world.
An Array of Ideas: Grades 9 Through 12
Upper School students actively engage with the written and spoken word to gain intellectual and emotional insights about themselves, each other and the world. These opportunities help them become literate, compassionate and culturally competent global citizens.
Ninth graders hone critical and creative writing skills as they study literature in conjunction with world cultures, reading works that include The Odyssey, The Ramayana and Krik? Krak!
Sophomores develop close reading skills as they analyze, interpret and respond to works of American literature such as Their Eyes Were Watching God, the poetry of Emily Dickinson and The Things They Carried.
Juniors and seniors choose among an exciting variety of electives (structured as seminars) with an intensive focus on literary study and the writing process. Selections range from AP English Literature and Composition to electives such as Myth and Memory, Shakespeare, African American Literature, and Native American Fiction and Film.