Since most University Undergraduate and Teacher Professional Development Programs do not teach future teachers HOW TO TEACH ACADEMIC WRITING AND LITERARY, RHETORICAL, CRITICAL OR RESEARCH ANALYSIS, many high school classroom teachers do not have any specialized ACADEMIC WRITING TRAINING. Most English teachers are inherently strong writers, but teaching academic writing in front of a class of students requires training.  to teach academic writing.  

Consequently, manyEnglish teachers lack the EXPERTISE to DEMONSTRATE writing and analysis in front of students or GIVE them very specific ANALYSIS related feedback that allows students to clearly see and understand how they need to write in order to get A Pluses. Moreover, TIME is limited in the English classroom, so individual help is often not available to students.  

Yet, by 11th and 12th grades, teachers expect students to be able to think and write critically about fiction  and non-fiction, and universities demand it!  

So what happens?  

Students, who are able to access excellent IB and AP writing samples may be able to recognize and mirror the writing styles and patterns in those essays, and thus, get high marks. Alternatively, some students may be fortunate enough to  find a tutor who is able to demonstrate excellent academic writing and analysis skills, or the student may have an expansive enough vocabulary to “bluff” their way through essays, and get top marks.  

What happens to those students who are S.T.E.M. focused and don’t have the time to dissect student sample essays, aren’t  avid readers, or don’t find a specialized tutor? 

They typically move onto university with poor writing skills and then they have to expend time, energy and  money figuring it out anyway or they just cross their fingers and pray they can write well enough to pass their mandatory English writing courses; however, they often remain weak writers and will continue to be challenged anytime they have to write research reports, presentations, manuals and guides, proposals, market analyses, regulatory documents, and so forth.

Our combined decades of writing training and expertise allows us to fill fill the ANALYTICAL GAP that exists between high school classrooms and university expectations. We teach students how to master academic, rhetorical and critical writing and analysis, and prepare  for the demands of high-stakes exams and university classes.  

We are highly qualified to teach essay writing and analysis, and help 100% of our students achieve top marks, become extremely articulate and confident because we’re not just English teachers: we’re academic writing and analysis experts who have decades of training, experience, and time to spend with each student. 

Please read on to understand how we prepare students to the highest international writing standards.

Our writing programs approach fiction and non-fiction through the Demonstrate, Mirror and Analyze Method, also known as the D.M.A. METHOD. 

In the field of English Literature, Composition, and Academic Writing, this logical and time-tested approach  is vastly different from 99% of the classroom instruction found in modern day English high school  classrooms because the teacher DEMONSTRATES outstanding analysis and writing to students each class, and then students MIRROR the advanced techniques in real-time. This objective and interactive approach allows students, often for the first time in their lives, to see an essay being written, sentence by sentence, in front of them and for them. Over time, the continuous demonstration, practice and ability to integrate analysis into perfectly structured essays gives students full control over their English marks.  

Using the D.M.A. METHOD., our classes are unlike any other English class: 

• First, teachers DEMONSTRATE high-level writing. The teacher demonstrates excellent  analytical writing EVERY class allowing each student to see the writing process first-hand so that  they don’t feel intimidated by it, understand how to interact with words, sentences and paragraphs, and become comfortable with stringing together ideas from start to finish.  
•  Second, students MIRROR the writing. Our students mirror the analysis and writing demonstrated by the teacher in real-time each class, while receiving continuous and specific feedback, so they can achieve mastery. They are assessed EVERY class, and not just once a term or semester.  
•  Third, students INTEGRATE analytical insights into their essays. How? Students are asked specific thought-provoking questions based on the literary theories they learn to help them figure out the NUANCED meanings conveyed in fiction and non-fiction. They are taught to  cultivate their focus through patience and curiosity: two fundamental principles without which  analysis and “lightbulb moments” are not possible.  
• Teachers focus on INTEGRATING analysis into perfect essay structure. (Fact: English instruction in most classes focuses only on essay structure due to a lack of teacher training and expertise in teaching analysis).  

o We understand that students can only interpret texts correctly and cultivate their own writer’s voice if they learn how to analyze and where to insert the analysis in their essays.  

o To do this, they have to learn and understand LITERARY THEORY, which allows them to  understand how characters interact with their ‘internal and external environments’ and it allows them to see the deeper messages that writers are conveying about human behaviour. 

The DMA METHOD is a proven methodological approach to the analysis of texts: fiction and non-fiction. Students are taught Literary Theory, which brings together the study of English (eg:  features such as plot and character development)t is based on the idea of that texts must be intrewith Hermeneutics (the idea that to interpret correctly, people must take into account when and where something was written alongside the cultural and historical backgrounds), and sociological, psychological, and philosophical frameworks to analyze and interpret texts. 

Instead of examining fiction and non-fiction mainly through the lens of plot elements (e.g. character and setting), or literary devices / authorial choices only, (as is done in the majority of English classrooms) the analysis expands students' perspectives by giving them the knowledge and vocabulary to accurately express a writer's insights about human nature, behaviour, and society. For those familiar with how the IB English  curriculum wants students to demonstrate critical thinking by incorporating GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES into  their written and oral analysis, the D.M.A. approach is similar and complimentary insofar that students are  taught to examine readings from alternative perspectives, thus opening up their world-view and making it easier to spot and articulatenuanced insights.  

For instance, we teach students that they must examine how a character’s identity is influenced by the many facets of their internal and external environment, and how that identity is key to understanding how they navigate the conflicts they face. Then, they learn to see how many conflicts in literature revolve around a  protagonist’s identity formation, and they begin interpreting writers' messages clearly, whilst gaining the insights and vocabulary to express each writer’s intended meaning.  

For non-fiction, (eg: research / essays / news / informative articles & op-eds) students learn to understand  and spot the persuasive techniques, cognitive biases, and logical fallacies that can be woven through a text  by its author. They then learn to synthesize opinions and information to present the writer’s claim or  argument accurately. Even more importantly, they learn to effectively evaluate a writer's credibility and  legitimacy, and to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of articles and information in general.

Not yet. We are currently working with educators on all levels, so that students’ efforts can be recognized  and they can receive credits towards graduation and / or first year university English upon completion of  this course. We hope to receive accreditation in the upcoming years and have our courses count towards  high school and university credits.

Yes. All 11th and 12th graders enrolled in the writing program are encouraged to challenge the AP English Language and Composition Exam or AP English Literature and Composition Exam in May of their graduating  year (in school districts that allow this), so they can receive first year university credit. Typically, 80% of the  students who study with us for a minimum of 2 semesters successfully score a 4 or 5, and receive first year  English credit at university, even if they are not taking AP English at their school.  

***Note: students have to sign up for an AP Exam Session at another school if their school does not offer AP.

We teach age and grade appropriate readings taken from American, Canadian, British and International  writers. We teach both classical and modern pieces from numerous prize-winning authors, and cover social  themes from about 1800 to the present. 

The curriculum readings are all age/grade appropriate readings taken from regular, honors, IB, and AP  English classes.  

A sample of poets covered:  

Willian Blake, William Wordsworth, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, Matthew Arnold, William  Butler Yeats, Robert Frost, Theodore Roethke, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Mary Oliver,  Seamus Heaney, Lorna Crozier, Al Purdy, James Reaney, Marilyn Dumont, Pablo Neruda, Kalil  Gibran

A sample of fiction writers:  

Katherine Mansfield, Guy de Maupassant, D.H. Lawrence, Ernest Hemingway, Saki, Kate Chopin,  Alice Walker, Anton Chekov, Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood, Thomas King, Charles Mungoshi, Ray  Bradbury, Anita Desai, Roald Dahl, Isaac Babel, Hernando Tellez, Budge Wilson 

A sample of non-fiction writers:  

Paul Graham, Carl Sagan, Susan Sontag, David Foster Wallace, Margaret Atwood, George Orwell,  Oliver Sacks, Bertrand Russel, E.B.White

We teach creative writing at the tail-end of some of our courses or as a separate course after students have  completed one of our semester-long ‘foundations of writing’ courses.  

We believe that students can construct convincing life-like narratives much more effectively after they  have spent time learning how to de-construct narratives and analyzing how and why writers communicate  their messages to their audiences. We recognize that this is only one of many effective approaches to  teaching creative writing; it appeals to students who enjoy planning out their stories and having a clear  resolution (story ending) to work towards. 

The students who enroll in our writing classes come from both public and private schools and they are  enrolled in all kinds of English programs. About 40% are S.T.E.M. students (they especially enjoy the  objective approach of the course and the clarity around exactly what a 3/6 looks like versus a 5/6 and 6/6).  We also have manyAP, IB, Accel or A-levels, Gifted and Honors, and ambitious English learners since our core curriculum is easily applicable to all classes where high-level essay writing is expected.

Students who want to learn high-level academic writing must have two non-negotiable traits: one, they must  be willing to focus and work hard; two, they must be teachable. To be teachable, students must be open to  learning English and writing differently from their classrooms. The students who enroll in our courses understand and value the importance of continuous mental challenges, and they accept the pace and the  methodology of the course. We want students to participate, incorporate literary theory and to write,  write and write. They cannot just sit back and wait for the end of class. Thousands of instruction hours have gone into the planning and perfecting of the curriculum, and the courses are designed to get students to  writing and critical thinking mastery.

Students need to learn academic writing because it teaches them to be selective with information, to  interpret correctly by detecting revealing details, nuances, and insights that others often miss, and to articulate complex ideas clearly and easily. The writing course will provide them with an arsenal of critical  thinking tools that can be applied well beyond the English class; students who enjoy and value thinking  “outside of the box” will especially appreciate these tools.

Every single student who wants to go to college and then go on to excel in a knowledge-based career needs  

the ability to analyze texts, understand how nuanced messages are conveyed, and be able to write and convey their interpretations in a well-informed and articulate manner. These skills will allow all students,  particularly college undergraduates, to become independent thinkers and approach their essays, reports,  and presentations with confidence as a result of always analyzing and exceeding expectations.

Based on experience, the ideal age for starting writing classes that involve analysis is 14-15, or freshman  year (9th grade) for most students, but some may prefer to start in 8th grade.

This is not an easy question to answer because each student’s ability to grasp analysis varies. Here are some  average statistics based on course enrollment in the past decade and across 1500 students. 

Students who start the writing course in 9th grade:  

85% take the writing course for 3 consecutive academic years 

15% take the writing course for 4 consecutive academic years 

5% take the writing course for 1 -2 consecutive academic years 

Students who start the writing course in 10th grade:  

50% take the writing course for 2 consecutive academic years 

50% take the writing course for 3 consecutive academic years 

Students who start the writing course in 11th grade:  

90% take the writing course for 2 consecutive academic years 

10% take the writing course for 1 academic year 

*IB students who have learned strong analysis skills in IB Prelude at their schools (the foundational IB  program that all IB students have to take before being admitted into the IB Certificate /Diploma Programs),  will sometimes only require 1 year of writing courses because the analysis they learn in our writing courses  shows them how to score 7/7.

There is one immersive 90 minute class for younger students taking Foundations and Level I and one  immersive 105 minute writing class a week for older students taking Levels II - IV. 

The once-weekly classes have 36 weeks (54 -64 hours) of live instruction (September – June).

There is no instruction on most statutory holidays, and we pause classes on the week of December 25th and  January 1st for two weeks, as well as two weeks in late March. 

If a student is away for whatever reason, they will receive a recording of the missed class. If they need extra  assistance to understand the concepts covered in these classes, they are encouraged to seek out extra help  from us during a regularly scheduled tutorial (at no additional cost).

All classes are typically divided into two parts. The first half of class focuses on theoretical concepts and  analysis through interactive lectures, and the second half of class focuses on the practical application of  these concepts through both interactive and independent writing.  

We use a scaffolding technique to teach our lessons: as students’ analytical skills develop, they have to  demonstrate more in-depth critical thinking.

 Both the twice-weekly and once-weekly writing courses are structured the same and teach the same  content. The first simply moves students along at a faster pace and is ideal for students who enjoy momentum and need to see results quickly; the second is often preferred by students who have a very busy  extra-curricular schedule, prefer slower paced courses and are patient (slow and steady wins the race  mentality). 

When deciding this, consider:  

Are they extremely busy outside of school?  

(4 additional extra-curriculars is the MAXIMUM recommended work load to be able to handle this course - eg: volunteer once a week, physics once or twice twice a week, basketball practise three times a week) 

Since we use scaffolding teaching techniques, at the start of the course students will typically have about 10- 15 minutes of homework for each class; however, as the course progresses and students advance, they will  often have about 30-35 minutes of homework for each class.

The writing classes have a minimum of 4 students and a maximum of 8 students.

Twenty years of teaching have shown us that adolescents perform significantly better when they are in a  small class where their peers are like-minded and focused on the same academic outcomes. They work  much harder, participate more eagerly, stay accountable, and focus on their writing tasks. The classes are  very interactive and students are called upon frequently in order to keep them engaged, accountable and  focused. By having a sense of responsibility to the “community” that is the class, students always complete  their homework and come prepared every class because they know their peers will do the same.  

In individual one-on-one classes, even the brightest and most high-achieving students tend to work slower,  often try to intentionally slow the lessons, or don’t complete their homework. Since they don’t have a sense  of social responsibility to the “class community”, they can become complacent about their own academic  development.

Yes. Students can schedule private online sessions to get help, they can attend weekly open office hours / tutorials, and they can get unlimited email help for their class assignments free of charge at no additional  cost.

Yes. Students can get critical feedback on their work, and can get help preparing for in-class essays and tests.  We like to see what students are working on in their classrooms and we help dispel the myth that it’s not  possible to study for English classes. We teach them how to analyze text and prepare thesis statements and  critical outlines for any in-class essay or test. By working with the text beforehand, students avoid  procrastination and learn how to prepare A papers for writing assessments of all kinds.

No. Help for school assignments is included in the price of the program through tutorials, private  appointments and email. 

Yes. We have helped hundreds of students almost exclusively through word-of-mouth referrals. We credit  students 3 hours of instruction ($195) when they refer a friend or a sibling. We also offer a 5% discount  from the total tuition and monthly instalments, when two or more siblings attend writing classes at the same  time.

1. 36-week linear school year writing program (Sep – June) 

Higher-level classes (LEVELS II, III, and IV) are 1 time /week @ 105 minutes each 

Total number of live instruction hours: 63 

Hourly cost: $65 /hr  

***Monthly installment cost: $409.50 over 10 months (63 x 1.75hrs) /Total: $4095 

2. 36-week linear school year writing program (Sep – June) 

Lower-level classes (FOUNDATIONS AND LEVEL I) are 1 time /week @ 90 minutes each Total number of live instruction hours: 54 

Hourly cost: $65 /hr  

***Monthly installment cost: $351.00 over 10 months (54 x 1.5hrs)/Total: $3510 

***To assist families in need, we can offer financial assistance by discounting the tuition up to 25%  or we can spread out the number of monthly installments over 12-14 months. We want to help  every hard-working student (who values critical thinking) advance their writing and thinking skills,  and prepare for university.  

3. One-on-one instruction: $195 /hr

Classes must either be 2 times /week @ 90 minutes each for a minimum of 18 weeks, or 1 time /week  @ 105 minutes for 36 weeks. 

4. **18-week school semester writing program (Sep – Jan /Feb – June) 

Classes are 2 times /week @ 90 minutes each 

Total number of live instruction hours: 54 

Hourly cost: $65  

***Monthly installment cost: $702 over 5 months (54 x 1.5hrs) /Total: $3510 

**Please note: we don’t offer the 2 times /week semester courses every term

The tuition can be paid in: 

1. Monthly installments  

10 equal monthly installments for the yearly programs. 

5 equal monthly installments for the semester programs.  

2. One installment 

(receive 5% deduction from the total)

Absolutely. We don’t want to deny access to our writing programs to students who truly want to excel in  their academic studies, and who understand the value of strong writing and analytical skills for higher education and life. If your family requires financial assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out and talk to  us privately about the aforementioned options available to make the course accessible.

While there are many skilled tutors with numerous diplomas offering their services to high  school students, knowing how to write an A+ level essay does not mean that a tutor knows how to teach students how to write an A+ level essay. Many tutors do not roll up their sleeves  and demonstrate how to write full paragraphs and essays and equip students with lifelong  foundational writing skills. Instead, they correct students’ work or give them limited  feedback that does not link back to a structured method or curriculum that allows students  to assess their own writing critically.

Writing is a learned skill, and like any other skill, you become great at it if you put in the time  and practice it.

More reading doesn’t necessarily equal better writing. Certainly, avid readers may have a  wider vocabulary and perhaps see nuances that others miss, but critical analysis skills do not depend on being a book worm. Analysis is not intuitive: analysis is a learned skill.

Wordiness is the enemy of writing; it’s better to be shorter and sweeter. Expert-guided  writing and mirroring are the keys to learning brevity and clarity.

No, no, and nope. Following the “hamburger”, “sandwich”, or “keyhole” essay structure is a  must, but these “structures” only tell you where to place the evidence and analysis. They do  not show students how to select evidence, how to analyze proof, and good structure alone  will never satisfy university-level analysis requirements.

Any course that promises to turn a student into a skilled writer in a few weeks will  

undoubtedly fail to live up to that promise. (Comparatively, most students would not be able  to master Calculus in 3-4 weeks, so they will also not be able to master Academic Writing in  3-4 weeks). Students may learn some valuable writing skills, but based on evidence, students  need approximately 100 – 240 hours (equivalent of 2 – 4 semesters) of writing- based  instruction and practice between grades 9-12 to reach university-level analysis / competency. Parents need to be wary of writing courses that promise results “quickly”, and yes,  that even includes Summer writing courses offered by many of the Ivy Leagues at exorbitant costs.  

While we may offer summer writing courses some years, we openly admit that they are  foundational courses in preparation for the full-year academic writing courses. Students will not master analysis in 4 weeks.

Creative writing and academic writing require two different processes. One focuses on  constructing a story and weaving in meaning through nuanced techniques (eg: literary  devices, diction and characterization), while the other focuses on de-constructing a story and analyzing the depths of meaning. Our approach is to teach students how to deconstruct  stories first and then have them build their own narratives with an in-depth understanding of  how the many moving plot parts and nuanced literary techniques come together to convey a  universal insight about human nature or human behaviour.