The Curriculum

What sets us apart?

Multimedia

At Quills, we use a multimedia approach to reinforce concepts. Quill classrooms will support:

• Assignment submission with Google Classroom to ensure timely feedback and allow quick correspondence between student and teacher. 

• Interactive lectures with PowerPoint slides to maximize class time

• Video examples for enhanced learning

• Hands-on learning at the whiteboard

• Group collaboration and group competition

• Student presentations delivered with visual aids (PowerPoint, Google slides)

• Media literacy 

Writing Skills

Writing a paragraph, essay or even comprehension response can be intimidating. At Quills, we break down the writing process into easy to understand, manageable steps. In addition, we cover a breadth of subjects:

• Expository essay

• Persuasive essay

• Research essay

• Argument essay

• Descriptive essay

• Narrative essay

• Personal response (academic applications)

• Professional e-mail and letter writing 

• Poetry

• Reading comprehension and research

• Advanced vocabulary building

• Grammar and Punctuation: basic and advance

Public Speaking

Public speaking is the most valuable skill a student can develop. Many opportunities are opened for students who speak with confidence and authority. We develop these skills through: 

• Debate

• Impromptu speeches

• Prepared speeches

• Informative speeches

• Persuasive speeches

• QUILL Talks (our version of a TED Talk)

• Interview practice

• Mastering use of expression, body language and gestures

• Power posing

• Studying the greatest speeches in history

Global Thinking

An English curriculum is an opportunity to teach students to write, think and speak; but even more important, it is an opportunity to learn about the world around them. At Quills and Quotes, we bring global thinking into our curriculum through:

• Vocabulary passages based on cutting edge news

• Comprehension questions to encourage research and reading

• Essay prompts based on current global issues

• Essay samples based on current global problems

• Media literacy

• Modelling historic speeches

• Studying historical figures

• Critical thinking around student issues 

What Makes Us Different?

Learning beyond the classroom

• Engaging lectures with slides, videos, whiteboard teaching and demonstrations

• 1.5 hours of weekly enriched instruction

• Detailed feedback for each step of the writing process (brainstorm, outline, draft, revision)

• Essay editing within a few days of submission

• Easy teacher accessibility for questions

• Small student: teacher ratio

• Highly qualified teachers 

• Core lessons on essay writing, grammar, punctuation, media literacy 

• Essay samples

• Invaluable writing resources

• Weekly vocabulary building(from GRE and SSAT prep lists) 

• Weekly reading comprehension exercises

• Supportive public speaking 

• Lessons on designing and delivering an effective PowerPoint presentation

• Preparation for higher level applications