St. Mark's School

The English Department seeks to develop sensitive and critical readers and writers who value reading and writing as modes of discovery, thought, and communication.

In our approach to reading, we challenge students to be honest to the text and to read with precision, attentive to nuances of tone and voice, image and symbol, plot and theme. We encourage our students to become lifelong readers, capable of responding to literature as an artistic form and as a means of understanding one’s self and others. As students move through the reading program, they receive a balanced and broad exposure to world literature.

Central to our approach to writing is a shared emphasis on the composition process. Students learn the basic skills in moving from the sentence to the paragraph to the critical essay. As these skills develop, we encourage each student to develop his or her personal writing voice, to take intellectual risks, and to understand the intended audience. We place special emphasis on revision. Frequent conferences and written comments on papers assure both discussion of student work and mentoring through the process of drafting and revision.

Verbal communication is an essential, real life skill that we incorporate into all of our classes in each Form.We emphasize listening and speaking through class discussion, dramatic reading, and oral reports.