Mastering the Academic Essay: Prompt-Based Responses | Write From the Heart
In this 8-week live class, students learn to confidently write response essays to fiction, nonfiction, and quotes. Step-by-step guidance helps them develop thesis statements, organize ideas, and write clearly for school, tests, and college.
Write from the Heart
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(1)
What's included
8 live meetings
6 in-class hoursAssignments
1 hour per week. 3-6 throughout the classLetter Grade
includedClass Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Intermediate Level
Essay writing doesn’t have to be intimidating. In this 8-week live class, students learn how to confidently respond to fiction, nonfiction, and quote-based prompts—just like the ones found on standardized tests, in high school classes, and in college classes.
Each week, students receive direct instruction, group discussion, and teacher-guided writing time. Together, we break down how to analyze a prompt, brainstorm effectively, build strong thesis statements, and craft well-organized responses. The course ends with a timed essay to help students prepare for real academic settings.
At Write from the Heart, your ideas come first. We believe that students grow when they learn how to communicate clearly and authentically. We teach structure, grammar, and organization as tools—not rules—to help students express their thoughts with confidence.
This class is:
>Live and structured—runs for 8 weeks
>Ideal for homeschool high schoolers preparing for academic writing
>Focused on building clear, confident essay writing skills
>Supportive, encouraging, and step-by-stepLearning Goals
Students will write clear, focused thesis statementsStudents will organize and develop essays
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
Introduction to Response Essays
This lesson introduces the idea of an essay prompt and the skills that are needed to do well on them, including understanding directional words and development. 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Thesis Statements & Timed Essay
This lesson reviews thesis statements: how to write them and the part they play in the overall essay. We will put it into practice with a timed essay. 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Reading Fiction for Essay Writing
In this lesson, we will discuss literary analysis and how to read fiction when you know that you will need to respond, summarize, or use the text in your writing. 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Brainstorming & Outlining
In this lesson, we discuss using freewriting and clustering to brainstorm and create an outline for an essay prompt to start planning well. We will work on formulating an outline as a response to a question about the short story "The Necklace." 45 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
Please communicate with the instructor if accommodations or modifications are needed. Write from the Heart teachers are trained and educated on how to meet unique learning needs and classes can be adjusted as needed.
Parental Guidance
This class involves responding to three short stories and articles (listed in the sources). These are standard works covered in high school. These works are taught as the author's opinion and students are given the opportunity to analyze the works.
Pre-Requisites
Students should be familiar with thesis statements and the 5-paragraph essay as a technique, but do not need to have mastery. Students should also understand main ideas and the parts of fiction (character, plot, setting, theme).
Supply List
All materials for the class will be supplied
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
All materials were created by Write from the Heart. The following pieces will be read and discussed in class:
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
"Superman and Me" by Sherman Alexie
Joined November, 2024
5.0
1reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
1 teacher has a Graduate degree
Master's Degree in Film/Cinema/Video Studies from University of Pittsburgh
2 teachers have a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's Degree in English Language and Literature from Grove City College
Bachelor's Degree in English Language and Literature from Grove City College
At Write from the Heart, our goal is to help students find their voices and grow in writing and critical thinking skills. Above all, we believe that education is a personal journey of discovery. It is shaped by the personality of the child, the beliefs and values of the child’s family, and the experiences that the child encounters. It should never be undervalued. We desire to come alongside parents in helping each child through that personal journey.
Veldorah Rice, who is the director of Write from the Heart, as a BA in English, History, and Communication and a MA in English and Film Studies. She oversees the classes and enjoys creating new curriculum and tools for student writers. She has worked at both the high school and collegiate level. Additionally, Veldorah enjoys speaking at homeschool and teacher conferences about writing and helping students find their voices. In her free time, she loves knitting, watching bad movies with her husband and three children, and blogging for the Write from the Heart community.
Veldorah has been a teacher for over 25 years, focusing on cultivating critical thinking skills within the act of writing. She has worked at both the high school and collegiate level. Reviews
Live Group Course
$22
weekly1x per week, 8 weeks
45 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 15-18
1-6 learners per class
