Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum for High School

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High school is a critical time for students to learn how to write well. Whether they are planning to attend college or go straight into the workforce, students need to understand the basic methods and techniques of writing in order to effectively communicate with those around them as adults. In our article Best English Homeschool Curriculum for High School, we told you about some of the best homeschool English programs available for high school students. In this article, we’ll focus specifically on high school writing curriculums for homeschoolers. Our top picks are listed below. To learn more about each one, keep reading.

Our picks for the best homeschool writing curriculum for high school:

If you have an older or younger student, check out our related articles, Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum for Middle School and Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum for Elementary Students. 

Best All-Around Program

Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) High School Series, Andrew Pudewa

Are you looking for an excellent homeschool writing program that will help your high school student gain the skills and confidence to become a talented independent writer? The homeschool writing program designed by the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) is truly exceptional in its approach to teaching writing. This program doesn’t just teach writing “rules” and ask students to complete writing assignments. Rather, it really immerses students in the nitty-gritty details of how to write well using quality models and step-by-step instruction. High school students who take the IEW homeschool courses will be far ahead of their peers in writing when they enter college.

The IEW high school program is referred to as “Level C” (Levels A and B refer to the elementary and middle school programs) and can be taken anytime in grades 9-12. Level C includes two courses, each of which is designed to take about 24 weeks – many homeschoolers choose to stretch the lessons out or supplement them with other materials in order to fill out a whole school year. 

The IEW program is structured in an approachable and straightforward way that helps students build confidence in their writing skills one step at a time. The program teaches nine structural models central to the writing process: note-taking, paragraph writing, stories, basic reports, writing from pictures, research reports, creative writing, essays, and critiques. Each lesson begins with video instruction by Andrew Pudewa, the curriculum’s author. Pudewa shows students how to create an outline for that week’s assignment and then improve the writing itself through various stylistic techniques. Students then complete the assignment on their own before beginning the next lesson.

All the materials for the course can be purchased in a set. Two options are available: one with the video instruction on DVD and the other with the video lessons available online. Students who complete Year 1 of the IEW’s high school program can go on to the Year 2 course. The IEW also offers an Advanced Communication Series for advanced high school writers. 

Best Classical Program

Classical Composition Series, Jim Selby/Memoria Press

If you are looking for a homeschool writing program that will teach your high schooler to write using the same techniques that were taught to William Shakespeare, Benjamin Franklin, and John Milton, consider the Classical Composition series by Memoria Press. This is a rigorous and classically-based series that will thoroughly immerse your student in the techniques used by many great writers since ancient times.

The Classical Composition series is based in the progymnasmata, a method of teaching writing that was invented in ancient times and used by writers such as Cicero and Quintilian to teach effective communication. The progymnasmata was comprised of fourteen exercises designed to improve the student’s rhetorical skills. The Classical Composition series has adapted these same fourteen exercises for the modern student. 

This is a rigorous series, and a valuable one for students following a classical homeschool tract. Students who take this series will not only learn how to write very, very well; they will also understand the way writing as an artform has developed in the Western hemisphere since ancient times. Their ability to understand classic literature and ancient philosophy will be all the greater because of their immersion in this classical approach to writing. 

The first course in the high school series is Classical Composition VI, which can be taken in ninth grade or later. You’ll need to purchase the Student Book, the Teacher Guide, and the Instructional DVDs, all of which are available at Christian Book. You can also purchase the course as a package on Memoria Press’s website; if you choose this option, you’ll receive access to the instructional videos online rather than on DVD. 

Best Christian Program

Lifepac Select Composition, Alpha Omega Publications

If you are looking for a homeschool writing program with a Christian worldview, consider the excellent Composition course by Lifepac. Produced by Alpha Omega Publications, a leader in Christian homeschool curriculum, this course provides an approachable and user-friendly writing course that requires minimal parental involvement.

Like other Lifepac courses, this one uses a consumable worktext format that allows students to work through the material independently and at their own pace. The Teacher Guide includes answer keys and everything else parents need to assess their students’ progress. Unlike the other courses I’ve discussed in this article, the Lifepac course is only one semester long; it can thus be used as an elective to bolster students’ writing skills or provide extra practice in written composition. 

The program, which is designed for students in grades 7-12, is actually comprised of various critical units from Lifepac’s middle and high school language arts courses. The following units are included: “The Nature of English”, “Composition”, “Punctuation and Writing”, “Critical Reading and Paragraph Skills”, and “Practical English”. Students who complete this program will have gained a strong foundation in basic writing skills that will nicely prepare them for college. 

Conclusion

High school is a critically time for learning solid writing skills. Fortunately, there are several excellent writing curriculums available for homeschooled high schoolers. If you are looking for homeschool English curriculums that provide broader language arts instruction, check out our article Best English Homeschool Curriculum for High School. If you have an older or younger student, check out our related articles, Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum for Middle School and Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum for Elementary Students. If you have questions or would like more information on this topic, please email us!