Pre-Grammar School:

CCA’s language arts program begins at the pre-grammar school level. Students focus on alphabet sequencing, letter recognition, and letter/sound identification. Students apply the rules of phonetics as they learn to sound out words and to construct basic sentences. CCA uses SRA Open Court Reading, a research-based curriculum grounded in clear, systematic instruction. Pre-grammar students are given the opportunity to develop their comprehension skills, reading strategies, writing ability, and language artistry. They also work on their manuscript handwriting. Social studies, art, dramatic play, and center-based activities are integrated with Bible and language art themes to enhance the child's understanding about the world around him. Instruction takes a hands-on approach which fosters creativity and cooperation.

Grammar School:

Students entering first grade continue to build on the foundation laid in the pre-grammar school. The language arts program hinges mainly on two important tools: the SRA Open Court Reading curriculum and Shurley Grammar. Open Court for these grades is strictly literature-based; it emphasizes quality classical and contemporary works. Students using this curriculum are more likely to deepen their understanding of phonics and sentence structure as they develop their comprehension skills and reading strategies. Students also build their vocabulary through quizzes, spelling exercises, and a wide variety of writing assignments. Students begin cursive writing in second grade. From the fourth through sixth grades, students also begin to read novels and to think more analytically about literature. They begin to examine characters, settings, plot, and themes, and to write interactively about them.

Shurley Grammar tackles the mechanics of language arts through a unique combination of rote memorization and catchy jingles. Thus, students master the parts of speech and proper sentence structure, which enables them to become more proficient speakers and writers.

CCA students compete in several ACSI activities, including a Creative Writing contest, a Speech Meet, and a Spelling Bee.

Logic School:

Logic School students (grades 5 – 8) focus much of their time on developing good writing skills. They practice most of their writing as a response to various kinds of literature. Beginning in the seventh grade, students read challenging stories that ask them to read beneath the surface. They look primarily at characterization, setting, theme, and imagery. They think about issues relevant to their own lives: the need for acceptance, the willingness to be courageous in difficult times, the pursuit of truth, the quest for love, and the desire for adventure. These topics are seen in classic works, like April Morning, The Diary of Anne Frank, Of Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet, and Treasure Island. They also read a wide selection of poetry.

Eighth graders continue to fine tune their writing skills as they delve deeper into literary themes and symbolism. They study motifs, irony, allegory, and social satire. They read important novels and plays, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Red Badge of Courage, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Crucible, and Animal Farm. Students also read a selection of Southern short stories. They write timed, in-class essays throughout the year, as well as major essays written at home. Seventh and eighth graders are also introduced to Socratic teaching through student-led seminars.

Rhetoric School:

From grades nine through eleven, the English and history lessons are integrated into a single Humanities class, giving students a broader understanding of the development of Western civilization. In other words, students examine a particular period of history, and then read literature generally written during that time period. This serves two purposes: (1) the literature helps to bring the history alive for the students, and (2) the literature is studied in a meaningful context. Students also look at the emerging philosophy, art, and music of the period.

Freshmen begin a three-year survey of the history of Western civilization, beginning with the earliest records. Their summer reading is largely about beginnings: Genesis, Exodus, and a text that pre-dates Moses – The Epic of Gilgamesh. From there, students read about ancient Greek life, as depicted in Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days. They read epics, ranging from Homer’s Odyssey to Virgil’s Aeneid. They also study the Greek tragedies of Aeschylus and Euripides, including Prometheus Bound, The Oresteia, Medea, Trojan Women, and The Bacchants. They read two of Aristophanes’ comedies, Clouds and Birds, and Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Julius Caesar, which deals with the fall of the Roman Republic. The year concludes with the inspiring story of St. Augustine’s conversion to Christianity: Confessions. Freshmen also write timed, in-class essays throughout the year, in addition to two major literary papers. They also practice their analytical skills through student-led seminars and class discussion.

Sophomores continue their examination of Western culture, beginning with writings from the Middle Ages, including Beowulf, The Song of Roland, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and selections from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.  Students also learn about the impact of Neoplatonism on Western thinking through Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy. They study the nature of the hero in selections from Don Quixote and The Merchant of Venice. They consider emerging views of Christianity through Erasmus’ Praise of Folly, as well as various writings of early church fathers and Dante’s masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. They look at the development of government and the struggle for control. They examine the influential role of the church, both in politics and in society. These issues are confronted in works, like The Prince, Utopia, Dr. Faustus, and Henry IV, Part I. Sophomores conclude the year with an in-depth look at the Reformation and its greatest example of literary art: Paradise Lost. Students continue to write timed, in-class essays, as well as a major research paper.

Juniors pick up where the sophomores left off, beginning with a detailed study of the Enlightenment. They trace the literary response to key, political movements, like the French Revolution and the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions. They study the philosophies behind Romanticism and Realism. Juniors embark on a journey that begins with a desire for independence, as seen in Defoe’s seventeenth-century classic, Robinson Crusoe, and continues through the search for meaning in A Tale of Two Cities, Frankenstein, The Scarlet Letter, and The Great Gatsby. They ponder the serious results when characters reject the existence of absolute truth in Fathers and Sons and Waiting for Godot. They discuss the depravity of man in Heart of Darkness, Lord of the Flies, Confession, and Night. Juniors also read Sire’s The Universe Next Door and examine major worldviews through the lens of Christian theism. They write timed, in-class, AP-styled essays throughout the year and one larger literary analysis in the spring. They also continue to develop their critical thinking skills through class discussion and student-led seminars. In the spring, students may take the AP Language and Composition exam, in addition to the AP European History exam.

Senior English is separated from the history class and is an Advanced Placement course. This class focuses on Aristotle’s four genres of literature: tragedy, comedy, epic, and lyric. Each genre has its own distinctive “landscape” that helps students identify the type of literature they are reading. By exploring a specific literary “terrain,” they learn to appreciate an art form and to grasp the meaning that lies below the surface. As seniors read great works of literature, they learn to recognize the characteristics that make each book unique – and classic. They begin their study with Aristotle’s Poetics, the earliest example of literary criticism. From there, they explore the development of tragedy through works like Hamlet, Oedipus the King, and Death of a Salesman. They confront the conflicting, terrifying, and redemptive themes found in Dostoevsky’s great novel, Crime and Punishment. Their study of comedy includes a broad range of classics, from Metamorphosis to One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich to Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About Nothing. They also compare and contrast ancient and modern epics through Homer’s Iliad and Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea. The year concludes with a detailed look at poetry, including Petrarchan, Spenserian, and Shakespearean sonnets, as well as Romantic, Metaphysical, and modern poetry. Seniors write a variety of timed, AP-styled essays and continue to hone their critical thinking skills in student-led seminars. One of the focal points of the senior AP English class is the critical research paper, a six- to eight-page MLA-styled analysis of a particular literary image or theme. This is a college-level paper that is designed to prepare students for writing classes they will have at their respective universities. Towards the end of the year, students may take the AP Literature exam.