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Foundations in Writing

Master Teacher: Cherise Curby
Duration: Yearlong course offered in fall/spring (32 weeks).
Suggested High School Credit Value: 1 credit.
Suggested Grade Level: 8th grade level and up.
Tuition: $629 for HSLDA Members / $699 for non-members

Description: Foundations in Writing focuses on writing composition to equip students for advanced high school writing. The course emphasizes using grammar and punctuation accurately to aid in sentence development. Students complete reflective, explanatory, and argumentative essays, and learn to work as writers both independently and collaboratively. Literature is approached from a biblical perspective, and students are taught to analyze an author’s techniques, compare and contrast character development and plot analysis, and apply literary themes to life experiences. To understand the mechanics of writing, repetition is essential for best results; thus, this course includes weekly grammatical tests and writing activities, which ensure students understand the material and serve as building blocks for the advanced writing assignments to come.

Watch a sample clip of an Academy live class session. 

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Live Online Class Session Schedule

Dates: August 19, 2024 - May 2, 2025

Class Section

Weekly Meeting Time

Instructors
Section 1: Closed–Section is Full

Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Eastern

Ms. Devon Kelly
Section 2: Mondays, 3:00–4:30 p.m. Eastern

Mrs. Cherise Curby
Section 3: Tuesdays, 4:30–6:00 p.m. Eastern

Mrs. Susan Verner
Section 4: Mondays, 9:30–11:00 a.m. Eastern Mrs. Sara Hall
Additional class times may be added to the schedule later in the registration period. Please note: all class times are subject to the availability of each individual instructor. See this page for more information. If you have questions, please call 540-338-8290 or email academy@hslda.org. 

Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Students Will Learn

    • How to write effectively for a variety of purposes
    • How to understand English grammar and mechanics
    • How to edit their own and others’ writing
    • How to read and respond to literature from a biblical worldview
    • How to recognize and analyze basic literary elements
    • How to expand their vocabulary through reading
    • How writing and literature can bring them closer to God

  • How much homework is in Foundations in Writing?

    We estimate that the course workload will take 5-7 hours per week. During a typical week, students will complete the following assignments:

    • 60–90 minutes of live class instruction
    • Video lecture (5-10 minutes)
    • 4-10 pages of grammar exercises (self- or parent-graded)
    • 40-50 pages of reading (guided by questions)
    • Discussion forum posts
    • Weekly grammar test (peer- or parent-graded)
    • Weekly writing practice (activity varies by week)

    Throughout the year, students will complete four works of literature (eight weeks per book) and six long-form essays (including one multi-week research paper).

    Please see this Sample Schedule for an idea of the weekly workflow.

  • What books will I use in Foundations in Writing?

    The official booklist for Foundations in Writing is now available. In the official booklist, you will find information about the editions, book descriptions, and the reasons why HSLDA Online Academy selected these books.

    You can order course materials for competitive prices through the Christianbook.com bookstore. Use the Textbook Finder to locate the required resources for your courses. Please note that while most books are available through Christianbook.com, some titles are not carried and will need to be purchased elsewhere.

  • Prerequisites

    Students are expected to read at an 8th grade level and recognize basic parts of speech. We recommend students take Foundations in Writing before moving on to our other English courses, especially if they are weak in basic grammatical skills.

  • What is a Live Online Class Session in Foundations in Writing?

    In every HSLDA Academy course, students meet weekly with their instructor and classmates in an online classroom for additional teaching, discussion, Q&A, or group activities. The class sessions are interactive and are conducted using a web meeting software with video, audio, chat, and application sharing capabilities.

    Scheduled, real-time sessions in the online classroom are not the only form of instruction available in a HSLDA Online Academy course, but are offered in addition to lectures or other instructional materials that students are able to access online at their convenience.

    When they register, students will need to select a particular class section and live class meeting time. Additional class sections may be added to the schedule at a later point in the course registration period. Registered students will be notified of any changes to the live session schedule.

  • What if I have a schedule conflict with the listed Foundations in Writing class time?

    All live class sessions are recorded for later viewing. While it is recommended that students attend each live class session, students can make arrangements to watch the recordings and receive full participation credit.

    Students should contact their instructor at the start of their course to inform the instructor of any foreseen schedule conflicts.