The grammar component emphasizes the mechanics and usage which has direct application to writing. Writing and composition are developed through a variety of forms that include narrative stories, descriptive and expository essays, newspaper articles, research papers, book reports, poetry, letters, and dialogues. Students are encouraged to use their imagination and creativity as well as to develop unified and coherent writing styles. A process approach to writing is taught at all levels, and students are expected to demonstrate their understanding of this process through pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Activities include brainstorming, organizing, drafting, conferencing, revising, and proofreading before a work is submitted in its final form.
Literature is studied through the utilization of paperback books and anthologies.
The primary focus is on the short story and a core of American and foreign authors. Selected works of Arthur Conan Doyle, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Washington Irving, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, O.Henry, Mark Twain, and H. G. Wells are included. Students are also exposed to drama, poetry, contemporary and traditional classics in fiction and biography. The eighth grade program also introduces the students to Shakespeare. As part of their study of literature, students are also required to participate in individual reading activities and to submit book reports on a regular basis.