WCDC Launches New Online Close Reading & ELA Classes

Online Close Reading and ELA Classes for 2nd and 5th Grade Students in Westchester and Beyond

As children move through elementary school, reading becomes about much more than recognizing words or answering basic comprehension questions. Students are increasingly expected to understand what they read, identify important details, support ideas with evidence, analyze characters and themes, and communicate their thinking clearly in writing.

This fall, Westchester Child Development Center (WCDC) is launching two new live online Close Reading and ELA small-group classes designed to help elementary students build these skills through meaningful literature rather than repetitive worksheets.

With convenient evening schedules, live teacher instruction, and small groups of approximately 4–6 students, families can access WCDC's literacy instruction from home—without adding another afternoon of driving and transportation to an already busy school week.

Why Close Reading Matters in Elementary School

There is an important difference between being able to read a book and being able to understand, analyze, and discuss a book.

Close Reading teaches students to slow down and interact with a text more thoughtfully. Instead of simply asking, “What happened in this chapter?”, students begin exploring questions such as:

• Why did a character make a particular decision?

• Which details in the text support that conclusion?

• How does the author develop a character or idea?

• What does an unfamiliar word mean in context?

• How are events, characters, and themes connected?

• How can I explain my interpretation using evidence from the text?

These habits become increasingly important as students progress into upper elementary and middle school, where reading comprehension, analytical writing, and evidence-based responses become central parts of ELA instruction.

WCDC has long incorporated literacy, reading comprehension, writing, and public speaking into its academic enrichment programming. The new online classes extend that focus into a convenient evening format for families seeking structured literacy enrichment.

Grade 2 Online Close Reading

Mondays | 7:30–8:30 PM

Starts September 14, 2026

11 Sessions | $40 per Session

Live Online Small Group | Approximately 4–6 Students

Second grade is an important transition point in literacy development. Children are beginning to move from simply learning how to read toward reading in order to understand, think, and communicate.

WCDC's Grade 2 Close Reading class is designed to support that transition.

Rather than focusing primarily on isolated reading-comprehension exercises, students will read and discuss literature together with teacher guidance. Lessons will explore characters, plot, vocabulary, important details, comprehension, textual analysis, and verbal expression.

Featured Books

📖 Treasure Island: Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure story introduces students to an exciting world of treasure maps, voyages, pirates, courage, and unexpected challenges.

📖 Stuart Little: E. B. White's beloved story provides rich opportunities to discuss character development, relationships, problem-solving, and adventure while building comprehension and vocabulary.

By working through complete literary texts, students can begin developing the habit of asking not only “What happened?” but also “Why did it happen, and what in the book helps me understand it?”

Who Is This Class For?

The Grade 2 class is especially appropriate for children who can already read independently at an age-appropriate level but would benefit from additional support in:

Reading comprehension • vocabulary • identifying important details • discussing characters and events • explaining ideas • developing deeper reading habits

The goal is to help children make the transition from:

“I can read the words.”

to:

“I understand what I read, and I can explain my thinking.”

Grade 5 Online ELA + Close Reading

Tuesdays | 7:30–9:00 PMStarts September 1, 202614 Sessions | $60 per SessionLive Online Small Group | Approximately 4–6 Students

By fifth grade, ELA expectations become significantly more sophisticated.

Students are expected not only to comprehend increasingly complex texts, but also to analyze them, find textual evidence, develop written responses, understand vocabulary in context, and communicate ideas clearly.

WCDC's Grade 5 program therefore combines Close Reading + ELA Writing + NYS ELA preparation into one integrated class.

The curriculum is designed around the New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards, with an emphasis on developing transferable reading and writing skills rather than relying exclusively on test-preparation exercises.

Featured Literature

📘 Dragonwings: Laurence Yep's historical novel provides opportunities to explore family, immigration, identity, perseverance, cultural experiences, and historical context.

📘 The Call of the Wild: Jack London's classic provides students with a more challenging literary text through which they can examine character transformation, setting, conflict, survival, and theme.

Four Core Areas of Learning

1. Reading ComprehensionStudents practice understanding increasingly complex passages and identifying central ideas, important details, character motivations, relationships, and themes.

2. Text Evidence & AnalysisStudents learn to move beyond giving an answer and begin explaining why they reached that conclusion using evidence from the text.

3. VocabularyInstead of memorizing disconnected vocabulary lists, students encounter words within authentic literary contexts and learn strategies for determining meaning.

4. ELA WritingReading and writing are connected throughout the course. Students practice organizing ideas and developing written responses based on what they have read.

Literature First, Test Skills Along the Way

One of the principles behind WCDC's approach is that ELA enrichment should not become endless test preparation.

Test-taking skills matter—particularly as fifth graders prepare for the New York State ELA assessment—but strong test performance ultimately depends on strong underlying literacy skills.

Students need to understand complex passages. They need to recognize important information. They need to make inferences. They need to support conclusions with evidence. And they need to communicate those conclusions effectively.

That is why the Grade 5 course combines authentic literary reading with the analytical reading and writing skills students need for school and standardized assessments.

The objective isn't simply:

“Can the student select the correct answer?”

It is:

“Can the student understand the text, think about it critically, find evidence, and explain an idea clearly?”

Those skills extend far beyond a single test.

Why WCDC Is Keeping These Classes Small

Close Reading works best when students have opportunities to speak, question, discuss, and receive feedback.

For that reason, these online classes are being organized as small groups of approximately 4–6 students, rather than large online lectures.

Students can interact directly with the instructor, hear different interpretations from classmates, explain their own reasoning, ask questions, and receive more individualized guidance.

WCDC's broader academic enrichment philosophy emphasizes literacy, confidence-building, structured learning, and small-group educational experiences. Its existing programs include reading comprehension, creative writing, public speaking, homework assistance, STEM, and other academic enrichment opportunities.

High-Quality ELA Enrichment—Without Another Commute

For many Westchester families, one of the biggest challenges with enrichment programs isn't finding something valuable for their children—it's fitting another activity into the family's schedule.

The new Close Reading classes are 100% online and scheduled in the evening.

Children can attend from home, while parents avoid another round of school pickups, driving, waiting, and commuting.

Fall 2026 Online Class Schedule

Program	Schedule	Sessions	Tuition
Grade 2 Close Reading	Monday, 7:30–8:30 PM	11	$40/session
Grade 5 ELA + Close Reading	Tuesday, 7:30–9:00 PM	13	$60/session

Grade 2 begins September 14, 2026.Grade 5 begins September 8, 2026.

Both programs are currently forming small groups, with approximately 4–6 students per class.

From “Reading More” to “Reading Deeper”

Children certainly benefit from reading more books.

But as they grow, how they read becomes just as important as how much they read.

A strong reader learns to notice details, question the text, interpret characters, understand unfamiliar language, connect ideas, find evidence, and communicate an interpretation.

Those are the habits WCDC's new online Close Reading and ELA classes are designed to develop.

Whether your second grader is beginning the transition from learning to read toward reading to understand, or your fifth grader needs a stronger combination of literature, analytical reading, writing, and NYS ELA preparation, the goal remains the same:

Build stronger readers, clearer writers, and more confident thinkers.

Enrollment is now forming for both classes. Families interested in joining can contact WCDC office@nywcdc.com for registration information and availability or call 914-829-2694