Lost Tools of Writing
Grades 7+
Once students have mastered the building blocks of writing through the IEW program, they are ready to learn a new structure, which is just what the Lost Tools of Writing supplies. The Lost Tools method supports maturing writers who are emotionally and academically ready to begin communicating and defending truths by laying a solid foundation in the art of reasoning and eloquent communication.
CiRCE Lost Tools of Writing Courses
Listed below are our group classes, which have a maximum of six students per course. These students will study together each week on Zoom at the class’s designated meeting time.
We also run smaller semi-private classes! Contact info@rosewritingcenter.com to arrange a custom group with your child’s friends.
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Learn the process for crafting persuasive essays of various lengths, all centered on characters in important works of fiction. Level 1A progresses at a gentler pace, so students have more time to practice the techniques they learn.
Texts: The Gift of the Magi, The Little Mermaid, Rumpelstiltskin, How Disease and Cares Came into the World, The Fir Tree, Rikki Tikki Tavi, John Henry, Monkey's Paw, Seventh Grade
Lost Tools of Writing - Level 1A (Grades 7-8), Mrs. Lisa, Mondays 4:45-5:45p ET, $275/mo
Lost Tools of Writing - Level 1A (Grades 7-8), Mrs. Lisa, Tuesday 4:45-5:45p ET, $275/mo
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Learn the process for crafting persuasive essays of various lengths, all centered on characters in important works of fiction. Level 1B progresses at a faster pace, so students learn more techniques throughout the year.
Texts: The Wind and the Willows (Chapter 1), Damon and Pythias, The Landlady, The Lady or the Tiger, The Barmecide Feast, The Treasure of Lemon Brown, Ransom of Red Chief, Benjamin Franklin
Lost Tools of Writing - Level 1B (Grades 8-9), Mrs. Lisa, Wednesdays 4:45-5:45p ET, $275/mo
Lost Tools of Writing - Level 1B (Grades 8-9), Mrs. Lisa, Thursdays 6:00-7:00p ET, $275/mo
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Continue to study classical rhetoric by learning the judicial address, which refines the persuasive essay taught in Level 1.
Lost Tools of Writing - Level 2A (Grade 9), Mrs. Rebekah, Mondays 4:45-5:45p ET, $275/mo
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Continue to study classical rhetoric by learning the judicial address, which refines the persuasive essay taught in Level 1.
We will offer Level 2B in 2025-26!
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Solidify the foundations laid in Levels 1 and 2, develop advanced writing skills, master additional forms of persuasive address, and study the deliberative address.
We will offer Level 3A in 2025-26!
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Solidify the foundations laid in Levels 1 and 2, develop advanced writing skills, master additional forms of persuasive address, and study the deliberative address.
We will offer Level 3B in 2025-26!
2024-25 Academic Year Calendar
Term Dates: Our academic year will span from September 9, 2024, to June 13, 2025.
Total Classes: There will be 35 classes throughout this term.
Scheduled Breaks: Please note the following scheduled breaks when no classes will be held:
Thanksgiving Break: November 25-29, 2024
Winter Break: December 23, 2024 - January 3, 2025
Mid-Winter Break: February 17-21, 2025
Spring Break: April 14-18, 2025
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We select classic texts with high-quality language, such as Roald Dahl's Landlady and O. Henry's Gift of the Magi.
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Issues are debatable "whether" statements. Students engage in a brainstorming process to determine potential issues that could be the focus of their essay.
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Next, students brainstorm all reasons supporting the affirmative and negative positions of their issue. They group these reasons together, and they become the proofs and sub-proofs for their argument, and then they select the side for which they plan to argue.
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Students organize their thesis statement, proofs, and sub-proofs into an outline template that we provide so all of their ideas are neatly organized before they begin writing.
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Now it's time to write! Students prepare a draft of their essay following their outline and incorporating the techniques and devices they learned in class.
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Students are responsible for self-editing their compositions according to an editing process we teach.
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Students submit their final essay to be graded by their instructor. Essays are returned with meaningful written feedback within one week.
Our Learning Process
We train students to follow the below steps to construct logical, compelling rhetorical essays. We spend 3-4 weeks on each essay so that students have ample time to engage in each stage of the process.
Skills Acquired
Students gain both writing and thinking skills.
Essay Writing: Schemes, Tropes, Editing, Exordium, Division, Narratio, Thesis, Proofs, Arguments, Refutation, Conclusion, Amplification
Material Logic: Common Topics (Definition, Comparison, Circumstance, Testimony, Relationship)
