None specifically, although it pulls from what we consider to be the best ideas of several major homeschooling ideologies. This curriculum is focused on helping students build the critical thinking skills and technical skills to help them successfully navigate college or other “post-high school” pursuits. It uses literary classics as its framework (both new and old), and it strives to include a variety of voices (culture, gender, race, etc) in the books selected.

Our curriculum is designed to support students who are reading a book for the first time, as well as avid readers who have read a book before. Because a classic book has new things to discover each time it is read, a student who is going through the book for the second (or third!) time benefits from being able to more easily discover the author’s craft and themes instead of just reading to know how the book ends. Our students regularly comment how they enjoy revisiting a book and that they find additional insight from class discussion about books they’ve already read. 

While it's never desirable to be exposed to rough language or graphic content, we believe you can't completely "bubble" the students. One of the reasons we put age limits on our classes is because we want to be able to discuss and wrestle with more difficult and “worldly” ideas, which students are usually exposed to already. Since they can't be shielded forever from these things, the goal is to provide a forum to discuss difficult concepts in the context of a solid, values-based foundation.

Also, the value of what can be learned from these books is extremely high. These are considered classics not just because of the plot but also the way the author crafts the story - including their use of symbolism, imagery, characterization, diction, tone and other literary techniques. How the author uses these techniques to unfold the themes in the book is one of the valuable processes that the students are learning because the depth of understanding of the theme only comes as it's discovered through each student's personal analysis and thinking.

We recognize that different students have different sensitivities. Either because of past experience or personal issues, a specific book may be “too much” for a student. If so, we have ways to accommodate them so they can still feel successful in the class.

We believe in the principle of low floor/high ceiling when developing our curriculum. That means that every student who is willing can come to class and feel successful. Homework assignments are designed to meet a variety of learning needs and accommodations can be made to help students, including listening to audio books, having parents help type papers, etc. This curriculum is specifically designed to support “learning-different” kids.

The low floor/high ceiling model we use is designed to accommodate a student who is ready to do more. We build in ways for them to push themselves throughout the curriculum, including additional reading options and bonus homework assignments. In addition, most of the activities and writing assignments are built so that no matter how “gifted” your student is, they will still have room to improve and build upon what they can already do. Also, our individual mentoring process for writing means each student gets feedback that aligns with what they need most to grow.

12 (7th grade): Beginning

13 (8th grade): Beginning

• If this is the first year in the program, we will discuss whether they are ready to move to Intermediate or would benefit from another year in Beginning.
• If students have spent two years in Beginning, they are ready to move to Intermediate.
  

14 (9th grade): Intermediate

• If your student is comfortable writing their ideas down and is ready for deeper-level discussions, they are a good fit for Intermediate.
• Consider Beginning if your student is still struggling with basic writing (sentence structure/writing a paragraph) and they need a more gentle book list.
• After one year in Intermediate, a few 14-year-old students may be ready to move to Advanced, but most will benefit from another year of Intermediate. Mentor approval is required.
  

15 (10th grade): Intermediate

• At the end of the year, most students are mature enough to move to Advanced.
  

16-18 (11th-12th grade): Advanced

• Due to the nature of discussions and level of maturity, almost all students benefit from being 16 before joining this class.
• Individualized writing mentoring supports students who have less experience with writing.
• A 15-year-old student may only take this class with mentor approval. 

Usually students benefit from staying in the age-range that’s outlined for the classes, including spending two years in a level. We have found that even gifted students benefit from being around peers of roughly the same age. Also, while a student may be able to read the content, they aren’t necessarily ready to do the level of critical thinking or have the emotional maturity required in the higher level classes.

If you feel that your child should be an exception, please reach out, and we will review your request.

Because we only meet once a week, the curriculum assigns homework to do anything that can be done at home, reserving class time for experiences that benefit the most from a group setting and in-person mentoring. That means most lecture-style teaching, all reading, and much of the writing will be done at home.

Each level has a different amount of time that students will spend on average. The amount of time a student spends will vary depending on how fast they read and how fast they write.

• Beginning: 1-2 hours per week
• Intermediate: 2-4 hours per week
• Advanced: 4-5 hours per week
  

All homework is listed each week in our assignment software.

All assignments are turned in digitally through a homework submission form.
 

Our goal is to prepare the kids to be strong critical thinkers, as well as have the practical skills they need to be successful in college, their careers, or other adult pursuits involving language and communication. To accomplish this, we teach skills using age-appropriate activities and assignments that are designed to build on themselves year after year. 

Yes! The individualized writing feedback provided by the mentor is one of the core elements of our writing program. Each mentor reads and comments on writing assignments that are turned in. They also provide in-class writing time for larger writing assignments, including revisions, so that a student can discuss in-person how to improve their writing with the mentor, as well as how to overcome mental blocks that often surface during the writing process. 

In class (every week):

• Laptop
• Internet access to access Google docs
• Intermediate/Advaced: Browser access for research
• Writing notebook
• Pens/pencils/sticky notes

At home for homework (every week):

• Laptop/Desktop to complete writing assignments
• Internet access
• Assigned YouTube & other recorded instructional videos
• Research for writing assignments
• Google docs & forms
• Writing notebook
• Pens/pencils/sticky notes
  

NOTE: Each student provides their own copy of assigned books. Book lists are provided well in advance so you have plenty of time to make sure your student has the books they need.

A binder with supplemental readings, grammar assignments, and activities is included with the cost of your tuition.
 

If you have questions about class content, scope and sequence, or anything else related to the curriculum, reach out to ToriAnn Perkey at toriann@ieprogram.org.

If you have questions regarding the level your student should take, class dynamics, or anything else related to a specific teacher, reach out to the teacher for the class day/time you are considering.