Literary Focus is a nonprofit organization that provides live, online literature courses for highly motivated, college-bound students in Grades 7-12.
We offer courses at three levels of difficulty to accommodate various ages and abilities:
Level I
Our Level I books are typically taught in Grades 7-9 and utilize relatively simple vocabulary and straightforward syntax. The underlying themes can be nuanced, however, and students will need to learn how to read closely and think deeply to uncover the work's hidden meaning. These books offer a solid foundation for those students who are still developing the basic skills and knowledge necessary for more advanced literary analysis.
Level II
Level II books are generally taught in Grades 10-11 and contain more advanced vocabulary, challenging syntax, and complex themes. Students will need to learn how to read between the lines to understand the writer's true intent. The most widely read classics in American and World Literature fall in this category, and most colleges will expect incoming students to have read these books at some point in their high school careers.
Level III
Level III books are the most challenging that students will read at the high school level. They are usually reserved for AP classes in Grade 12 and represent the type of books that students will read at the college level. These books are subtle and complex, often employing difficult syntax that requires careful reading to decipher the underlying themes. When students are comfortable reading Level III books, they know that they are ready for college-level coursework.
February 17, 2025
"My 7th grade daughter has taken several sessions with Derek, and we cannot be more pleased with the content. After a pretty awful experience with another online homeschool literature course which featured a book containing racist elements (and a refusal by the teacher to address the concern, use the content as an exploration of race, or remove the book), we were desperate for a platform where a diverse selection of literature is offered and discussed in an authentic way. The challenge level of Derek's courses is excellent. My daughter's thinking and writing abilities have grown to a much more advanced and sophisticated level since working with him. I believe the individual writing conferences have been so useful for stretching her writing and thinking abilities and have allowed her to write more like a high school student while still in 7th grade. These courses are wonderful!"
- Ashanta A.
Boston, Massachusetts
Why should you enroll in one of our literature courses?
College Preparation
If you have a passion for literature and are looking to challenge yourself to prepare for the rigor of the AP Literature Exam and college-level coursework, we encourage you to take one of our live, online courses.
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Our curriculum is based on the College Board's Advanced Placement program, which gives students an opportunity to earn college credit at the high school level. Even though Literary Focus is not specifically an AP-prep class, we believe that students who are prepared to succeed on those types of assessments will be prepared for any challenge they might face in literature courses at the college level.
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Being ready for college-level coursework is a multi-year process, so whether you are reading a Level I, Level II, or Level III book, each activity, assignment, and assessment with Literary Focus is designed to make you a more nuanced reader, a more coherent writer, and a more complex thinker so you will feel confident that you are ready for any future challenge in the study of literature.
Small Classes
We limit our live, online literature courses to a maximum of 12 students to ensure that every voice is heard. Our classes are discussion-based and will be similar to the small-group seminars that you will take in upper-level English courses at the college level.
With small classes, teachers can give extra attention to individual students to ensure that they understand the material and have mastered the knowledge and skills necessary to analyze literature effectively.
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In addition to time spent in class, students will also have an opportunity every week to schedule individual writing conferences to receive extra help or additional feedback on their essays.
Diverse Perspectives
While it is important to invest in the communities in which we live, it is also important to interact with people outside of our neighborhoods so we can consider perspectives different from our own.
Literary Focus is an academic program that uses online instruction to bridge geographical divides that often prevent us from working with people who have backgrounds and experiences unlike our own.
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Our goal is to create classes that are as diverse as possible so that we can learn from one another and discover that, despite our various backgrounds and experiences, we have much in common as well.
Individual Attention
In addition to our small classes, students at Literary Focus will have an opportunity to meet every week for individual writing conferences to receive help in structuring their essays, clarifying their ideas, and editing their final drafts.
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Our live, online classes are conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but students can also schedule 15-minute individual writing conferences on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the same time slot.
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Students email a draft of their essay to their teacher a day before the conference so teachers can prepare feedback. Then, through the shared screen option, students can make adjustments to their essays while the teacher provides guidance and feedback.
Dedicated Faculty
Literary Focus does not just offer online literature courses for motivated students; we also provide professional development for English teachers who are eager to share ideas with their colleagues in pursuit of best practices in the profession.
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The result is that you will be taught by teachers who are actively engaged in a collaborative effort to provide the most effective and engaging instruction possible. In fact, you often will have two teachers in your class: a veteran lead teacher and a second teacher who is part of our formal induction program.
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Teachers with Literary Focus will be as invested in the experience as you are. We are confident that our live, online courses will not only be challenging, but fun and thought-provoking as well.
Financial Support
Our goal at Literary Focus is to provide online literature courses for all students who are interested—regardless of their family's current financial situation.
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If you qualify for free or reduced-price lunches as part of the USDA National School Lunch Program, you will automatically receive a tuition waiver to attend any of our courses.
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We actively pursue donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund our scholarships, so if your family qualifies, we encourage you to fill out a scholarship application.