All courses are limited to a maximum of 12 students. School-year courses are comprised of twelve one-hour lessons. Summer courses are comprised of five two-hour-twenty-minute lessons. All courses will be held at 4662 Barranca Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92604. Courses are $525.   

ESSAY AND DEBATE:

The Essay and Debate course covers the art of persuasive argument. Students learn how to develop a thesis and how to use evidence to back up their point of view. They will learn how to write effective introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs, and they will also hone their public speaking skills by arguing their point of view with students who have developed contrary arguments.

NARRATIVE:

The Narrative course covers nonfiction and fiction story writing. Topics include plot development, effective openings, character development, active/passive voice, detailed descriptions, sentence variety, and effective verb use. The aim of the course is to make the students better storytellers, and in so doing also make them more insightful readers.

RESEARCH AND PRESENTATION:

Have you ever seen a TED talk? The aim of the Research and Presentation course is to have students produce the youthful equivalent of a TED talk. Research strategies, dynamic expository writing, voice projection, positive body language, and effective slide development are all topics covered in the course. In addition to honing their presentation skills, students will learn how to synthesize data into clear, engaging reports, and also build confidence and leadership skills.

ENGLISH CONVENTIONS AND VOCABULARY:

Students will learn how to use various sentence structures, apply punctuation and grammar rules, and incorporate figurative language to improve their writing. Students will also study the meanings and etymology of words in order to expand their active vocabulary.

READING AND WRITING CONNECTION

Students will closely analyze a selection of published essays, poems and narratives. In the process of aligning their own writing to that of each master text they study, students will learn how to organize their writing, practice effective word choice, and develop sentence fluency.

***NOTE: The curriculum of each course is different from trimester to trimester. However, essential strategies will be woven throughout each trimester. Summer courses will cover the highlights of the school-year courses.

1. Download the application.

2. Fill out the application, photograph/scan it, and email it to contact.manchesterwriting@gmail.com.

3. Wait for confirmation of your class selections. DO NOT PAY UNTIL YOU RECEIVE CONFIRMATION. All classes
    are $525.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellations more than three weeks before the start of the course will receive a full refund. Cancellations between three and two weeks before the start of the course will receive a 75% refund. Cancellations between two and one week before the start of the course will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations less than one week before the start of the course will receive a 25% refund, and cancellations during the course will not be refunded.