Reading Comprehension and Analytical Writing Camp

  This class is cancelled.

Program Description: This 5-day camp will focus on four key aspects of English Language Arts: reading comprehension, analytical writing, proper grammar and speaking skills.

Reading Comprehension: Students will learn how to read for understanding so they can identify the author’s tone and the primary purpose. They will also learn to think critically about a text and analyze the content.

Analytical Writing: Students will learn how to outline, draft, write, and revise, their writing to create fluid and impactful writing.

Proper Grammar: Daily grammar lessons will teach and reinforce proper use of the English language.

Speaking Skills: Group discussions will facilitate rapid digestion and analysis of readings, encourage natural and complete expression of ideas, and impart confidence in self-expression.

The course will build skills that allow students to read with understanding, and express themselves fluently through writing and speaking alike. These skills are invaluable for success in high school, standardized testing, college, and any career.We will read and analyze essays and short stories from a variety of sources, including but not limited to The New Yorker, TIME Magazine, and The Atlantic.

The format of the lessons will be modeled after the reading comprehension, grammar, and writing skills necessary to succeed in both standardized testing (like the SAT & ACT), and higher-level English classes.

Time: 9:00am to 1:00pm, 12/19 to 12/23, Monday to Friday (Students can stay at SpringLight until 6:30pm without extra charge)   This class is cancelled.

Address: 1340 S De Anza Blvd. Suite 204, San Jose, CA 95129

Contact: 408-981-5021, 408-480-7547, spring.light.office@gmail.com

Tuition: $420 ( or $85 each day for 4 hours)

Registration: https://goo.gl/oZ7euu

For whom: 9th & 10th graders. Younger students with demonstrable ability are also welcome.

Each class will be structured into 4 main sections.

  1. Students will come to class each day having read a lengthy article assigned before class, and written a response. We will begin class with a discussion of the article in which students will present their responses, and the class will discuss the ideas presented in the text. The written responses will be submitted to the instructor for marking.

  2. The next section of class will focused on reading for speed and understanding. This is one of the critical skills necessary for the ACT or SAT reading section. We will briefly review some tips for speed-reading and retention, and then practice our new skills by reading articles and remembering key facts. We will also learn how to infer the tone of the piece, the primary purpose, and how to identify rhetorical devices. Some articles for this section of class will be taken directly from practice SAT and ACT tests.

  3. We will review the rules of grammar and writing, including best practices, common errors, outlining, and proofreading. This will serve to not only bolster proper speaking and writing, but also provide a knowledge base for the writing section of the SAT or ACT. Students will be required to use proper grammar in their writing for this class.

  4. Finally, we will read a new article together. This article will be more complex than the ones students engaged with in the speed-reading exercises, but will be easier to understand than the take-home articles intended for deep analysis. We will engage in a discussion about this new article, which is intended to improve students’ abilities to quickly absorb information and formulate opinions on complex material, critical skills for high school English classes and the SAT essay.

 This class is cancelled.