Help! Which level is the right starting point for my kid?
We are frequently asked by parents where their children should start in our curriculum. We’ve recently updated our policy to direct families to one of two starting places:
Level 1: Complex Sentences - For kids who are not yet comfortable consistently writing five excellent, complex sentences. Use this resource to assess your child if you’re not sure about their skill level.
Level 2: Arguments in Microcosm - For everyone else. Use this resource to assess your child’s readiness.
We made this change after noticing that all of our students beginning in the upper levels of our program benefited from a quick pass through foundational argument development, which we teach in Level 2. Though these children were used to writing long essays and narrative stories, they weren’t yet adept at making nuanced, three-layer arguments. We describe this phenomenon in more detail here.
Take a look at the typical journey of three types of students to understand what this means for your child:
Student #1: The Shallow End of the Pool
I can write phrases.
Existing Skills: Can write phrases or complex sentences, either by hand or on a keyboard
Path Forward: Begins at Level 1 and follows our curriculum path
Student #2: Ready for the Deep End of the Pool
I can write five excellent sentences.
Existing Skills: Can write five excellent, complex sentences (two clauses or more) in one sitting with little issue, preferably on a keyboard; has the emotional maturity to write in more depth
Path Forward: Begins at Level 2. The first lesson of Level 2 will assess their familiarity with foundational grammar topics and emotional readiness for this level of writing. We will add lessons from Level 1 to their Activity Feed if the student is shaky on a foundational grammar or punctuation skill or needs to ease into this level of work. Otherwise your child follows the Level 2 curriculum path, with acceleration as needed.
Student #3: The Lap Swimmer
I write essays.
Existing Skills: Can write essays and longer narrative texts.
Path Forward: Begins at Level 2 but takes an accelerated path focused on picking up our argument development system and other foundational skills before moving on to Level 3. (These are the skills we want them to have before embarking on Level 3.) We may add foundational grammar and punctuation lessons from Levels 1 and 4 to this student’s feed, as needed. This student frequently makes use of our optional help with school assignments and application essays. If you strongly believe that your child should start at Level 3, please email us with a sample of their writing.
Ready to get your swimmer cat into the pool? Enroll here.
