|
|
| Summer 2011 courses
Note: My teaching hours during the summer of 2011 will be very limited, since I am devoting time to a number of other projects. Most of my teaching this summer will be in the form of private or semiprivate coaching sessions. If you would like to reserve time to work with me privately or semiprivately from now through August 2011, please e-mail me as soon as possible.
Click here for answers to frequently asked questions about my courses, including my priority enrollment policy.
"I learned more from your classes than anywhere else -- not only about reading, math, and writing, but about life in general. I miss your class, despite the hour-long drive there." -- a student who took my SAT/ACT prep courses
"It's not just my work that helped me improve, but also your help and encouragement. Without you, I don't think I could have done what I have done in the past three years. And it's not just SAT and ACT lessons that I gained from your classes. I will always remember your lessons about time management and study habits, and about just life in general -- those lessons were just as valuable." -- a student who took my prep courses, starting the summer after 8th grade; she also remarked that the writing, grammar, vocabulary, and critical reading skills she learned here have helped her excel in her AP English class (as a junior)
Intensive PSAT, SAT, and ACT Prep Workshop
- For students entering grades 9-11; advanced younger students may also enroll
- Six classes total:
- Class 1: Wed 7/13, 3-5 PM
- Class 2: Thu 7/21, 10 AM - 12 PM
- Class 3: Thu 7/28, 10 AM - 12 PM
- Class 4: Thu 8/4, 10 AM - 12 PM
- Class 5: Thu 8/11, 10 AM - 12 PM
- Class 6: Thu 8/18, 10 AM - 12 PM
Students may take as many classes as their schedules permit. The more classes a student attends, the more progress he/she will make.
Course description: This class will prepare students entering grades 9-11 for the October PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) and the SAT (to be taken later in 2011 or 2012). We will cover all three sections of the PSAT and SAT: Critical Reading (textual analysis, logical reasoning, and vocabulary); Writing (multiple-choice grammar; persuasive essay-writing); and Math. Students will also work on sample questions from the English (grammar), Reading, and Math sections of the ACT.
Because most of the students taking this course in the summer of 2011 are also taking the Expository Writing and Critical Reading Workshop, the Thursday PSAT/SAT/ACT classes will focus heavily on math. More than half of each class will be devoted to math, with emphasis on the most difficult math questions.
Expository Writing and Critical Reading Workshop- For students entering grades 9-11; advanced younger students may also enroll
- Seven classes total:
- Class 1: Mon 7/11, 3-5 PM
- Class 2: Tues 7/19, 10 AM - 12 PM
- Class 3: Tues 7/26, 10 AM - 12 PM
- Class 4: Tues 8/2, 10 AM - 12 PM
- Class 5: Tues 8/9, 10 AM - 12 PM
- Class 6: Tues 8/16, 10 AM - 12 PM
- Class 7: Tues 8/23, 10 AM - 12 PM
Students may take as many classes as their schedules permit. The
more classes a student attends, the more progress he/she will make.
Course description: This
small-group class is designed to prepare students for college-level
writing and reading assignments; we will use college textbooks, including one
written by the director of Harvard’s Expository Writing Program.
Expository Writing is one of my most popular courses; many students who
have taken it have dramatically improved their writing.
The Expository Writing and Critical Reading Workshop will cover the essential principles and skills taught in my regular Expository Writing Workshop, but will also include a substantial focus on critical reading and analysis of a variety texts, from essays to short fiction to poetry. By reading, discussing, and analyzing sophisticated works by well-known
authors, students will develop insights that will enable them to
critique and revise their own written work. Students will also learn how to apply their textual analysis skills to the Critical Reading section of the SAT and PSAT and the Reading section of the ACT.
Students will write short essays
using some of the major methods of development (e.g., narration, description,
analysis, comparison/contrast, argument/persuasion). I will provide
detailed written feedback on all assignments, and students will use that
feedback to revise their essays. We will spend extra time on
persuasive essays, the type of essay that the SAT and ACT require
students to write. Students will have the opportunity to write and
revise sample SAT/ACT essays.
Core Skills & Selective-Enrollment Prep: Writing, Reading, Vocabulary, Math, & Test-Taking Skills - For students entering grades 7-8 -
If offered during the summer of 2011, this course will be in a special
small-group format only, and will be offered in August and early
September. Please contact me to request further information.
Course
description: By focusing on the core skills that students entering high
school (or seeking admission to selective high schools) must have,
including test-taking skills, this course prepares students for the
following tests: 7th-grade ISAT or Iowa tests or equivalent (a major factor in admission to elite Chicago public high schools); Chicago Public Schools selective enrollment exam; ISEE & SSAT (for independent schools and boarding schools); HSPT (for Catholic high schools); and high-school placement tests (especially math and English).
Students
will read, analyze, and discuss challenging texts; write analytical and
persuasive essays; review important grammar points; and learn to use
advanced vocabulary. Analogies and other logic exercises will help
students hone their critical reasoning skills. We will review key
concepts and problem types in math, including percents, basic algebra
and geometry, and word problems. In addition, students will learn how to
demonstrate their full potential on standardized tests – how to manage
time effectively, how best to approach each type of question, and how to
minimize careless errors. Finally, there will be some discussion of
study skills and time management.
Expository Writing Workshop
- Only offered during summers
- This course will not be offered in the summer of 2011.
- For students entering grades 10-12; also open to rising 9th graders who are strong in reading and writing Course description: This small-group class is designed to prepare students for college-level writing assignments; we will use college textbooks, including one written by the director of Harvard’s Expository Writing Program. Expository Writing is one of my most popular courses; many students who have taken it have dramatically improved their writing. By reading, discussing, and analyzing sophisticated essays by well-known authors, students will develop insights that will enable them to critique and revise their own written work. Students will write essays using the major methods of development (e.g., narration, description, analysis, comparison/contrast, argument/persuasion). I will provide detailed written feedback on all assignments, and students will use that feedback to revise their essays. (We will spend extra time on persuasive essays, the type of essay that the SAT and ACT require students to write. Students will have the opportunity to write and revise sample SAT/ACT essays.)
Intensive PSAT Prep - For students entering grades 9-11; advanced younger students may also enroll
- This class will not be offered in the summer of 2011, but may be offered in the summer of 2012.
Students may take as many classes as their schedules permit. The
more classes a student attends, the more progress he/she will make.
Course
description: This class will prepare students entering grades 9-11 for
the October PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test). We
will cover all three sections of these tests: Critical Reading (textual
analysis, logical reasoning, and vocabulary); Writing (multiple-choice
grammar); and Math. (The content of the PSAT is very similar to that of
the SAT, so students taking this course will also strengthen their
skills in preparation for the SAT.) Students
who prepare for the PSAT during the summer achieve the highest scores;
students who begin last-minute preparation in September cannot realize
their full potential. For instance, two juniors who prepared for the
PSAT with me during the summer scored 230 out of a possible 240 and
qualified as National Merit Semifinalists, while a sophomore scored 216
(including a perfect 80 on Math and a near-perfect 77 on Writing). One
junior earned a perfect score on the Writing section, while another
earned a perfect score on the Critical Reading section.
Personal Essay Workshop - Only offered during the summer - Priority given to rising seniors, but also open to rising juniors - This course will not be offered in the summer of 2011. This intensive workshop will give students an opportunity to work on college application essays -- the most difficult part of college applications, but also one of the most important. Students will work on the long and short essays in the Common Application, as well as additional essays of their choice for specific colleges. Each student will receive detailed written feedback on all assignments, as well as individual coaching on which essay topics will work best for him or her in the context of college applications. Students will analyze and critique personal essays by well-known authors and develop their writing skills throughout the course. Preparation for High School: PSAT Prep, Expository Writing, and Literary Analysis - This course will not be offered in the summer of 2011. - For rising 9th graders only Course description: This course will introduce rising freshmen to the rigor and challenges of high-school coursework. We will focus on PSAT prep (math, vocabulary, critical reading, and grammar) and development of critical reading and expository writing skills in the context of humanities courses. Students will read and closely analyze at least one novel; they will learn how to read texts closely, how to annotate and take notes on what they read, and how to formulate a robust thesis or claim for every essay they write. We will discuss the key methods of development, including argument, analysis, example, narration, and description. Coaching in study skills, organization, and time management will be integrated into the course. | |
|