Teach Writing Classically

"Prune what is turgid, elevate what is commonplace, arrange what is disorderly, introduce rhythm where the language is harsh."
- Writing advice from Quintilian, c. AD 95

In Greek, the word literally means "the before exercises." The progymnasmata are preliminary writing exercises that teach students basic rhetorical concepts and methods.

In classical rhetoric, the progymnasmata were "structured so that the student moved from strict imitation to a more artistic melding of the often disparate concerns of speaker, subject, and audience" (Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition, 1996).

Before advancing to training as an orator, a student would work through the 14 exercises of the progymnasmata: fable, narrative, chreia, maxim, refutation, confirmation, commonplace, encomium, invective, comparison, characterization, description, thesis, and law.

Ancient writers never asked students to write from their personal experience. Instead, they gave their students worthy models to imitate and manipulate so they could hone writing as a craft while also cultivating moral sense and taste.

Ideal for new and experienced homeschooling moms from all backgrounds, "Teach Writing Classically with the Progymnasmata" provides

A 30-minute video explanation of each progymnasmata exercise.
Twelve 10-minute segments on how to give constructive feedback on writing assignments.
Sample assignments you can copy or adapt for each exercise.
Feedback on your own practice assignments if you participate live June 26-August 3, 2023.
A flexible method that is all you need to teach writing to children ages 11-16, after which they will be ready for rhetoric.
A simple way to integrate writing with any and every other subject you're reading about in your homeschool.

Hi - We're the Scholé Sisters!

And, like you, we homeschool our kids - for better or for worse.

We all have struggled feeling like our abilities did not match up to our vocation as a homeschool mom. We have hard and rough days that include yelling, huffy comments, and messy houses. We can cry about that (and sometimes we do). Or, we can laugh. We think we should choose laughter more often.

Homeschooling well can be an overwhelming and lonely task. We will give you practical help to make it less overwhelming and connect you with sisters who can relate to what you are going through and who will help you grow in love of God, your family, and wisdom as you do.

Meet the teacher -

Renee Shepard

Renee was one of the fortunate few to be homeschooled back when that wasn’t really a thing. When she had her own children, she wanted to provide an even better education for them. That drove her to a study of classical education and over the last 10 years she has been homeschooling her children while staying a step ahead of them as she completed her Masters in Classical Christian Studies at New Saint Andrews college. She has been teaching the progym at various homeschool co ops for the last 5 years and next year will begin teaching part time at Logos School.

Ancient and medieval educators wanted more for their students than to write clearly. Their first goal was to form a love and desire and aptitude for virtue in their students - and they did it even in how they taught writing.

Instead of asking students to have something original to say or to dwell on their own experiences, teachers gave them models that were not only excellent in style, but excellent in content. These the students studied, imitated, and recited.

The progymnasmata was designed to be both writing instruction and character training in one.

We still can and should do so today.

When you register for the Teaching Writing Classically with the Progymnasmata, you get

TWELVE recorded lessons explaining and illustrating each progymnasmata exercise.
TWELVE mini coaching sessions on how to give helpful writing feedback so you and your student can be more skilled writers.
THREE live Q&A sessions with Renee, Mystie, Brandy, and Abby. Replays will also be available (see Course Syllabus for dates and times).
Lifetime access to all the sessions.
Documents with example assignments you can use and adapt.
Examples of completed writing exercises.
If you participate live June 26-August 3, you can also get writing feedback and coaching in the community from Renee, Mystie, and Brandy, including the opportunity to participate in FIVE "Writing Feedback" Small Group meetings live via Zoom (see Course Syllabus for dates and times).

Learning to write takes a coach, not a curriculum.

Writing is an essential skill, but one few learn to do well.