Writing is a vital tool used throughout a lifetime to express creativity and original thought. A strong, creative, and engaging approach to writing will grab students’ attention and equip them to use this tool to great effect. With our Writing & Rhetoric series, we are changing how students learn writing. Using tested content, beautiful design, and proven classical pedagogy, we have developed this series to provide students with a clear path to mastery.

What are the progymnasmata (progym)? Derived from the same root for “gymnasium” and “gymnastics,” the word means “preliminary exercises.” It is a writing system so dynamic, so effective, that it outlasted the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance, and has even survived into early modern times. The progym will prepare your students to enjoy transforming that blank sheet of paper into a spectacular view from atop the pinnacle of their own imagination.

The goal of the progym is to prepare students for the art of writing well and speaking persuasively. Through the Writing & Rhetoric series, students will not only learn these skills but also enjoy the journey to mastering modern composition—including narrative, expository, descriptive, and persuasive writing—while simultaneously developing unique rhetorical muscle. This series builds a solid foundation of mastery, imparting new skills incrementally while blending those taught in preceding books. The exercises are arranged from simple to more complex, and what’s more, they are cumulative, meaning that later exercises incorporate the skills acquired in preceding exercises.

Our hope is to provide you with resources and tools that will accompany Writing & Rhetoric. Please scroll through the options below!