creative writing curriculum high school homeschool

Our Favorite Creative Writing Curriculum

You guys. Next year my daughter will be in 9th grade. Do you know what that means? Yep. High School.

As a relaxed homeschooler who teeters on the verge of unschooling, the idea of earning credits and completing an entire curriculum has me shaking in my boots. Long gone are my days of “winging it” and letting the weeks slip by without touching our curriculum. Now, I must keep track of credits and plan ahead to ensure my daughter completes everything needed in order to attend college.

When I sat my daughter down and started discussing which classes she’d take, she had only one request: a creative writing curriculum. As a blogger, I’ve always loved writing, so I was giddy at her request. But even after all of the creative writing classes I’ve taken, I still don’t really know how to teach creative writing. So I set out to find a curriculum that would take the guesswork out of it.

This post is sponsored by WriteShop. I received the products for free & was compensated for my time. All opinions are 100% my own.

Going from relaxed homeschoolers to “semi-strict, gotta-get-this-done homeschoolers” is a huge change. My daughter isn’t the only one who is struggling with the thought of it. I knew there were several creative writing curriculum options on the market and I hoped and prayed that one of them would help us with the transition.

I had a few things that I really wanted included in our creative writing curriculum and I wasn’t willing to budge on them.

We didn’t want a dry and boring curriculum that would make my daughter despise writing.
I wanted something that brought her out of her shell and helped her feel more confident in her writing.
There were dreams of a curriculum that didn’t require me to spend hours prepping and teaching. It needed to take out all the guesswork and clearly lay out all expectations for her.
I still needed flexibility, as my other kids are still relaxed, almost-unschoolers . A rigorous schedule would interfere in life’s natural learning process.

Lucky for me, I found all of these things wrapped up in WriteShop I.

Our creative writing curriculum is engaging and easy-easy for mama! Take the resistance out of writing and make it fun for EVERYONE!

A Creative Writing Curriculum That Sparks Imagination

With WriteShop I, we opted to take the 2 year path so we could enjoy some flexibility in our writing. Each lesson takes 2 weeks to complete so there’s no need to rush through the information. Each concept is presented and built upon until the idea becomes second natural to the student.

In each lesson, kids will work through a series of hands-on activities to help them thoroughly understand each concept:

Pre-writing activity:.

Activities that are designed to build skills, help kids understand the introduced concepts and help them feel more comfortable with new ideas.

Brainstorm & Write a Practice Paragraph:

Students will brainstorm for the upcoming assignment and construct a practice paragraph.

Jot Down a Sloppy Copy:

The sloppy copy is a great way to help kids focus on getting their pencil on paper and not worry about grammar, spelling and other details. They organize their ideas into paragraphs and add more details and information.

First Revision:

Give the kids a chance to edit their own work before you dive into it. This will put the responsibility back on the writer to find and correct mistakes.

Teacher/Parenting Edit:

Using the Teacher Checklist, editing writing has never been so easy! Simply go through the steps and make suggestions as the list suggests. You want in on a secret? Us mamas don’t have to be a word-lover to be able to edit your child’s papers. You just need the perfect creative writing curriculum. ( Hint: this is it!!! )

WriteShop also stole my heart when I found the “Addressing Errors Lesson by Lesson” section of my teacher’s manual. WOWZA! It addresses every single issue I’ve ever came across and it offers solutions to help your child become a better writer.

Final Draft:

Students will create a final draft based on the edits and suggestions of the teacher. They’ll learn new concepts and key points to becoming a better essay writer through each lesson. They’ll even be proud to show off their compositions!

Teaching with a Creative Writing Curriculum that Covers It All

If you’re anything like me, you are struggling to find the perfect creative writing curriculum. But teaching creative writing doesn’t have to be scary or hard. I kid you not when I say that WriteShop has outdone themselves. I’ve seen plenty of curriculum and I’ve never laid eyes on a Teacher’s Manual that covers everything as completely and thoroughly as WriteShop has done. The sections it covers takes the guesswork out of teaching and editing your students’ work. Each section is neatly organized and streamlined with only the most vital information.

Sections include:

Lesson Plans

Editing & Evaluating

Positive & Encouraging Comments

Addressing Errors Lesson by Lesson

Common Problems of Mechanics

Student Writing Samples

Skill Builder Keys

Pre-Writing & Lesson Activity Keys

Appendix A: Handy References

Appendix B: Supplemental Activities

Seriously! Have you ever seen anything so thorough? I love the fact that the folks at WriteShop want to make sure ALL of the bases are covered. They’ve thought of the issues I’ve faced, long before I’ve faced them. And even better, they’re ready and waiting with a solution right at my fingertips!

If you’re looking for a comprehensive creative writing curriculum that won’t break the bank, you do NOT want to miss WriteShop! Down to the last details, they’ve gone above and beyond to make it easier for you and your child to fall in love for writing.

Want More From WriteShop?

Grab a free gift.

You don’t want to miss this bundle! It includes a total of 480 writing and essay prompts to inspire both elementary and teen students for an entire calendar year! You get two different products with a total value of $7.00.

Print the prompts in your choice of three formats: calendars, cards, or strips. Only available for a limited time.

Grab their “Journal All Year!” Elementary Writing Prompt Calendar Scoop up the “Journal All Year!” Teen Writing Prompt Calendar

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2023 Cyber Monday Deals for Homeschoolers

Top 10 Homeschooling High School Writing Curriculum Choices For 2021

Writing is very personal. When we share our efforts, we are hoping to evoke an emotion, stir a reaction, and touch your life in some way. Ignore the glaring misspellings and dangling participles for now. Simply enjoy what your child has to offer.

We have asked some Teach Them Diligently families what their favorite High School Writing curriculums are. Those are listed below with a link to our complete Homeschool Family Favorite Guide.

The Top 3…

Institute for Excellence in Writing – From their website: At the Institute for Excellence in Writing, we train teachers to model an oral and written pathway of communication which develops the language skills of all students through imitation to innovation. Because every teacher can use the method in his or her classroom, every parent can be confident that every student can learn to listen, speak, read, write, and think effectively and eloquently.

Memoria Press Classical Composition – From their website: Memoria Press’ composition program, Classical Composition, is based on the original classical method of teaching writing called the “progymnasmata.” It was the program that produced John Milton and William Shakespeare. This method involved learning fourteen skills, organized from the simplest and most basic to the most complex and sophisticated. In addition, our English Grammar Recitation program will solidify the grammar your child has learned in Latin through memorizing and reciting the essential grammatical and usage rules in English.

BJU Press Grammar and Writing – From their website: Few skills are more essential today than effective communication. Help your children sharpen the tools of language use–writing and grammar skills. Your children’s analytical abilities will grow as they expand their vocabulary and learn to use words in context. They will learn how to read literature in the light of biblical truth and how to deal biblically with objectionable elements. BJU Press Literature teaches an appreciation for literary techniques in Scripture, presents a variety of genres from a range of cultures, and develops critical thinking skills.

Top High School Writing Curriculums 4-5

4. One year Adventure Novel – From their website: Through 78 video lessons, the One Year Adventure Novel guides high school writers (9th – 12th grade) step by step in creating an original, fully-structured adventure novel—in one school year (two semesters

5. Writing with Ease From Well-Trained Mind – From their website: Susan Wise Bauer’s writing instruction book, newly revised and updated, is part I of The Complete Writer series, a curriculum helping you to take charge of your child’s writing skills now

Top High School Writing Curriculums 6-10

6. Gather Round Homeschool

7. Lost Tools of Writing

8. Writing Skills for Today

9. Sharron Watson Resources

10. Writers in Residence

Lizzie Gray Fritz

A Complete Guide To Creative Writing Curriculum for Homeschool High School

I feel like creative writing is either one of those things kids love or one that they hate. Whichever way your child leans, there is sure to be something to get their creative juices flowing. When it comes to teaching writing, specifically for high school, I have created a collection of your options for creative writing curriculum for high school.

Creative Writing Curriculum for Homeschool High School is a collection of curriculum options and other ways to teach creative writing to high schoolers.

I often feel as though high school writing is solely focused on essay writing, response, and research papers. While all of these are important types of written work, we should not be leaving out creative writing in our homeschool high school studies.

Creative Writing Curriculum Options

One Year Adventure Novel – a high school fiction writing curriculum through which the kids write an entire novel by the end of the year. It’s entertaining, educational, adventurous and fun!

Cover Story – From the same company as the One Year Adventure Novel. While it is listed as a middle school curriculum it is great for your struggling or reluctant high schoolers.

Bardsy Homeschool – an online program with multiple digital helps for writing

Byline Video Writing Program – turns students into time-traveling reporters who practice journalism in the forgotten corners of history.

No Plot! No Problem – is a low-stress, high velocity guide to writing a novel in 30 days.

Writing Workshop for Multiple Ages – Sometimes in our homeschool we just need to focus on a certain subject. In this case, writing. See how multiple curriculum options are used to infuse writing into your homeschool.

Other Ways to Teach Creative Writing

There are more ways to teach creative writing for homeschool high school than with a full curriculum. Here are some writing prompt and project ideas to get you started.

Writing About Nature: A Creative Writing Book for Your Homeschool – The Writing About Nature book will help a wide range of writers who find their passion for nature moves them to document in words the creatures, plants, rhythms and cycles experienced in the great outdoors.

Fairy Tale Retelling – is a great Creative Writing assessment. For this project, students choose a fairy tale. Then, they rewrite the story from the perspective of the villain.

Author Study – In this project, students choose one author to study in-depth. Then, they attempt to replicate that author’s style in an original work.

55 Creative Writing Activities and Exercises – Activities that teach creative writing serve as drills to exercise your student’s writing muscle. When used effectively, they help reluctant writers get past that intimidating blank paper and encourage the words to flow.

Engaging Homeschool Literature Activities Your Kids Will Love – With these engaging homeschool literature activities, you can create a homeschool learning environment that celebrates the wonder of the written word and the magic of storytelling. Literature can come to life by infusing your homeschool studies with imagination, hands-on activities, and student-led learning.

37 Creative Writing Prompts for High School – Prompts for poetry, fiction (long and short), and even non-fiction.

The Ultimate Guide to Nature Journaling: Tips for Writing About Nature – A creative writing idea from the Outdoor Nature Challenge

More Writing Options for High School

Homeschool Writing Curriculum Round Up – a collection of all the writing curriculum reviews here at The Curriculum Choice
Essay Rockstar – Writing courses for grades 7-12 in The Expository Essay, The Textual Analysis Essay, The Persuasive Essay, The Personal Statement
Using Writing & Rhetoric for Homeschool Writing – a 12-book series that will teach students to write and speak persuasively

creative writing curriculum high school homeschool

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Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum for High School

This post contains affiliate links and we may earn a commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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:

Best All-Around Program: Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) High School Series , Andrew Pudewa
Best Classical Program: Classical Composition Series , Jim Selby/Memoria Press
Best Christian Program: Lifepac Select Composition , Alpha Omega Publications

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.

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!

Homeschool High School Writing — Tips and Curriculum Reviews

Overview: Read my best homeschool high school writing curriculum recommendations and tips for how to grade your teen's writing and how to approach SAT / ACT essays. Note: May contain referral links.

Writing has been a sore spot in my career as a homeschool teacher since day one. It's hard to be objective about your little one's poem about a flower; you know what I mean?

And it only gets worse as they get older and the writing assignments become more in depth — and the writing itself becomes more personal. It's like you're reading a bit of their heart. How is it possible to take a red pen to that?

And actually giving a grade that has any authority behind it? Forget it! I'm too busy giggling as my teen tries to persuade me via a five-paragraph essay that they should receive an ipod for Christmas. Or I'm battling tears as they describe a favorite event from their childhood.

I've often felt like I could not give them any meaningful feedback about their high school writing, because I was too closely connected to them — and therefore to it. Ya know?

Over the years, however, we've come across a few gems of curriculum that have helped with this dilemma, and I'd like to share them with you today.

Homeschool high school writing curriculum recommendations and tips for how to grade your teen's writing and how to approach SAT / ACT essays. This part of language arts doesn't have to be difficult for either teacher or student! Also links to other resources to help kids at this age with learning to write well.

But first, some general suggestions about homeschool high school writing:

Let me first just say that since all of our homeschool graduates who have gone to college so far did successfully complete college freshman writing courses — despite my limitations — I have come to the conclusion that (no shocker here, if you know me at all) high school writing doesn't have to be that hard.

1) The big thing is just to get the student to write and to play with language. Help them to not be afraid of writing by giving them many opportunities to put their thoughts on paper.

Related: Episode 51 — How to Make Writing More Fun for Your Homeschooled Teen

2) Also, make sure they have access to lots of great books , so they are exposed to great writing all. the. time. It does rub off, believe it or not.

3) I will also say for the record that I do think thorough and fairly demanding grammar instruction — yes, into the high school years — is definitely in order. No one can be a great writer who cannot handle grammar and spelling. More on that a little further down the page.

4) When it comes to GRADING the writing, you don't have to get super specific. These days I often just assign a number of total points for a given assignment and deduct as I see things that are not working — such as poor grammar/spelling, a flimsy introduction or conclusion, not supporting their opinion, poor transitions, etc.

But mostly I am fairly generous; in fact, I have been known to add points for a particularly effective turn of phrase or creative spin. Obviously, in high school there is a certain minimum standard to expect from their writing; but on the whole I want it to be a positive experience so that they will continue to enjoy putting their thoughts on paper.

UPDATE: After writing this article, I discovered an amazing thing called a RUBRIC. More on that in a minute.

Now for some homeschool high school writing curriculum we've used successfully:

WriteShop is a homeschool high school writing option that is VERY user-friendly. It helps your teen work on the writing process step-by-step, and it also provides a LOT of support for whoever is doing the grading (that's you, mom!).

WriteShop provides a rubric (i.e., grading checklist) for each assignment, so there is no more guessing about how to grade your precious little lamb's writing. I love this, because it removes the subjectivity that we moms tend to have towards our own kids and gives us a very objective way to evaluate their work.

WriteShop also provides UMPTEEN other resources to help both mom and kid feel confident about the writing instruction that is happening in your homeschool.

The high school level curricula for WriteShop is WriteShop I & II. You can see them here: Write Shop I and II for high school.

Also, I've written an in-depth review of the WriteShop curriculum for high school which includes two videos so you can see the product and hear me wax eloquent about it, LOL. Click here: Write Shop Curriculum for Homeschool High School .

Bravewriter — Help for High School

This course is specifically geared towards homeschool high school students and has been a big help for us. We found it after my eldest, who has a great vocabulary and grammar, received only a so-so score on her ACT writing. I realized it was because she didn't use the format that they were expecting to see.

Help for High School remedied that. It teaches the student how to write an expository essay.

What's so neat is the way it's done. The first several chapters are called “Preparation for Essay Writing”, and they are filled with ideas and exercises designed to get your child to just start writing. Topics are ones the kid is familiar with, such as his own life experiences, and these chapters guide the student in getting something on paper that has creative words and sentence structures. The student also learns to look at different sides of an argument. And one of the neatest things is that they learn to look at their own writing and communicate about it.

The second and larger section of the book gives them the tools they need to craft an expository essay. They learn how to choose a topic and analyze it, how to write a thesis statement, how to design and execute supporting paragraphs, and how to write an effective introduction and conclusion.

The entire course is written to the student , so it is suitable for independent learning — although the parent will need to give feedback on writing samples on a regular basis.

And therein would be my one difficulty with the course: there is not a lot of information for how the parent is to evaluate the student's efforts. There was a rubric about how to comment on your child's work, but I confess that I was hoping for something a little more concrete.

I did write the author about this at one point, and she was very helpful. She told me to not stress too much about the grades but to concentrate on looking at the overall quality of the given paper. The examples in the book were A papers, and I could compare my child's to those, if that was helpful.

I do see this as a valid grading philosophy, but for myself I prefer the objectivity of a rubric such as is found in WriteShop .

Rod & Staff 9 & 10 (Communicating Effective ly Boo ks 1 & 2)

These are primarily a grammar curriculum . As I said, I think grammar is über-important, even at this age. (We love this curriculum . See my mini-review here .)

However, they do also include writing. There are several chapters (alternating with the chapters that focus on grammar) that deal with different types of writing — persuasive, descriptive, etc. These contain thorough instructions about how to write each genre.

What I really like is they provide a detailed grading scale for the teacher AND the student. So the teacher knows exactly what to look for, and the student knows what to work towards.

If you are new to Rod & Staff, though, it might be best to start at a lower level. The 9th and 10th grade books might be a bit overwhelming if you have not already been using their grammar curriculum . Their 7th and 8th grade books are both very high level grammar, also, and to my mind they would be sufficient for a solid grammar foundation.

And we know that as homeschoolers we don't have to be dependent on a number to tell us what level is best for our child. If it is challenging to your high schooler and they spend an appropriate amount of time on it, you can count it as high school credit. :-)

Lightning Literatur e

Any of Hewitt's Lightning Literature courses are a great way to include literature (which is often required by colleges) in your child's high school curriculum . (I've written short reviews on two of their courses here .)

Lightning Literature courses don't FOCUS on writing, but most of the assignments given require some type of writing. What I like is how creative they get with their assignments. They might ask the student to write a poem about a theme in the book, or describe the setting in their own words, or write a scene from a different character's perspective. In this way the student is not bored, so they tend to write more creatively and spontaneously.

Again, there's not much help with the grading end of it; but I focused mostly on whether the child got their point across, used language in a colorful and effective way, and avoided grammatical errors.

More on conquering the SAT/ACT essay:

I confess that when my eldest got that mediocre score on her ACT writing, I was somewhat surprised. I read her essay, and while it wasn't amazingly fantasmagorical, it wasn't super poor, either, like they seemed to think.

But the fact is that those scorers truly are looking for a very specific format and for very specific literary devices; and if you don't do it their way, they don't like you. Which is ridiculous, really, but we must be practical and realize that these scores, however stupidly come by, are important to colleges, for whatever reason!

Related: Episode 52: How to Prepare your Homeschooled Teen for College Writing

So we did a google search on “how to write an SAT [or ACT] essay.” There are a gazillion articles out there that are very helpful with concrete, specific tips for how to conquer the beast. To practice with these tips, I had my kids take a sample SAT prompt and write an essay with a 25-minute timer at least twice a week during the last part of the semester that they took the Bravewriter course mentioned above.

UPDATE: We have since learned even more about how to write the type of essay the ACT/SAT scorers are looking for. Read The Five-Paragraph Essay: What, Why, and How for Homeschoolers for more information.

Teaching writing in your high school homeschool isn't necessarily easy — but it doesn't have to be difficult, either. I hope these suggestions have helped!

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6 thoughts on “Homeschool High School Writing — Tips and Curriculum Reviews”

The quest for finding the perfect writing homeschool curriculum requires a great deal of research to determine the best one for you and your kids. Great share, thank you

You’re welcome, Lisa. Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Thank you for all of the information that you provided. I was wondering if you used Brave Writer, Rod and Staff and Lightning Literature as one combined course for English that would give one credit?

Hi Susan, Great question. NO I DID NOT. It is not necessary to pile on all the different aspects of Language Arts, all of which alone might be worth a credit in themselves, and then call the conglomeration only one credit. BraveWriter was a half credit, Rod and Staff was a full credit, and Lightning Lit was a half credit. Sometimes my kids were taking two English courses at the same time, which means they were earning more than one credit at a time. More on this whole question of what constitutes an English credit here: https://www.notthathardtohomeschool.com/homeschool-high-school-english-curriculum/ . Hope this helps, and thanks for stopping by!

Thank you so much for responding. Thank you for clearing up the credit question and I guess I’m still confused on the 3 parts of Language Arts. I hear so much about needing the literature portion as well as reading the classics. My son has been doing the IEW and Fix It for the past two years and I had him read literary classics from our Notgrass history and he did the questions they provided. I counted all of that as one credit each year. My son is not interested in college but wants to attend a trade school. He is not interested in the literature learning but has enjoyed some of the books. This fall is his senior year and do I need to even included a literature curriculum? It is not something he is interested in and not a strength of his for sure. Most of the language curriculum I’m interested in seems to be a full credit so I don’t want to overwhelm him. I will check out the link you provided and really appreciate all of the resources that you have provided. It has been extremely helpful. :).

Susan, maybe this is what you need: What does a high school English credit include?

Homeschool Writing Curriculum: 17 Actually Engaging Options

The specifics of a writing curriculum will vary, but a comprehensive curriculum should cover a progression of skills, increasing in complexity and sophistication from elementary to high school. Here's which homeschool writing programs best prepare kids to be great writers.

Prisma is the world’s most engaging virtual school that combines a fun, real-world curriculum with powerful mentorship from experienced coaches and a supportive peer community.

The Power of Being a Great Writer

Living in an era dominated by rapid technological advances and artificial intelligence, it’s harder than ever, as educators and homeschooling parents, to figure out what skills kids will need to succeed in the future.

For example, why should we care about writing in the age of AI? Will technology make traditional skills like writing obsolete? On the contrary, at Prisma we believe the rise of AI makes writing more important than ever . While AI can generate text and even mimic human-like writing, it lacks the nuance, critical thinking, and empathy that are the hallmarks of human communication. The best human writers will always be able to use their command of language arts to influence others.

Plus, the practice of writing skills is important for children’s brain development. As Flannery O’Connor aptly stated, "I write because I don't know what I think until I read what I say." The writing process enables us to crystallize our thoughts, stimulating disciplined and critical thinking —a skill that remains irreplaceable by AI. Whether it's a scientist explaining a complicated theory or an entrepreneur pitching their company to investors, the ability to articulate thoughts clearly & with originality is indispensable.

Moreover, writing fosters empathy . Writing, especially creative writing, allows us to imagine and understand different perspectives—an emotional skill that even the most advanced AI lacks. Empathy is vital for personal relationships, teamwork, and any profession involving human interaction.

Furthermore, writing teaches resilience . It's a journey filled with trials and errors. Children learn to handle setbacks, receive criticism, while continuously revising their work, skills that instill adaptability and persistence.

And it's a skill where we see a worrisome trend. According to a recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report, only 27% of students in America achieved or exceeded proficiency in writing. This statistic rings alarm bells about the declining writing skills among our children.

As we guide our children's learning paths at home, our responsibility extends beyond teaching writing. Our aim is to help them appreciate writing as a tool for thinking, empathizing, and persevering. Despite the rise of AI, the art of writing is here to stay. It's not just a skill, it's a compass—a compass that will guide our learners to navigate the evolving landscape of the future with thoughtfulness, empathy, and resilience.

Selecting a Homeschool Writing Curriculum: Key Factors

Choosing a homeschool writing curriculum is a crucial decision, as it will greatly impact your child's development of writing skills. Here are some key factors to consider:

Your Child’s Interest in Writing: Is your child a very reluctant writer who may need an online app with gamified elements or lots of varied, hands-on worksheets to stay interested? Or is your child a voracious reader & enthusiastic future author who might do better with open-ended journaling, creative writing prompts , and research papers on topics they’re interested in?
Your Child’s Learning Needs & Style: If your child has any learning differences, such as dyslexia , ADHD, or autism, you should evaluate any possible curriculum for accommodations and supports. Also consider the way your child prefers to learn. Do they like variety or lots of structure? Pen and paper or digital? Visual, audio, or hands-on?
Level of Interaction: Consider the level of interaction the curriculum offers. Does it provide opportunities for discussions, peer review, or one-on-one feedback sessions? Interaction can often boost motivation and improve learning outcomes. You could even look for programs that offer live online instruction (we share a few options below).
Alignment with Goals: What are your goals for your child's writing education? Do you want them to homeschool permanently, or do you hope to have them transition to a more traditional high school or college? If so, make sure the curriculum you choose prepares your learner to write aligned to Common Core standards , and make sure you feel comfortable supporting them.
Flexibility: Look for a curriculum that allows flexibility in pace and approach. Every child is unique and might not fit into a rigid learning structure.
Incorporation of Writing Process: The curriculum should teach the writing process – brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. This will help your child understand that good writing often involves rewriting and refining.
Grammar and Mechanics: While the primary focus might be on developing expressive and organized writing, the curriculum should also help your child learn the grammar and mechanics necessary for clarity and correctness. But we personally feel at Prisma that too many grammar drills can be counterproductive, and many writing experts recommend teaching grammar mostly in the context of a real writing assignment after elementary age.
Integration with Other Subjects: Writing is a skill that can and should be integrated into other subject areas. A curriculum that encourages writing across subjects can foster more meaningful learning experiences. At Prisma, all writing happens in the context of our fun interdisciplinary themes , like Cities of the Future (where kids wrote a speech proposing a new law for their dream city), Build a Business (where kids wrote a business pitch), and Unsolved Mysteries (where kids wrote research-driven podcast & video scripts for a real life mystery).

Writing Curriculum Guidelines by Grade Level

The specifics of a writing curriculum will vary, but a comprehensive curriculum should cover a progression of skills, increasing in complexity and sophistication from elementary to high school. Here's a broad guideline to assess curriculum options, or if you feel like building your own curriculum from scratch:

Elementary School Writing Curriculum

‍ At Prisma, elementary school writers focus on developing key skills in our live Literacy Labs & completing writing missions connected to our project-based themes. Content covers:

Sentence Structure: Understanding the basic elements of a sentence, like nouns, verbs, and adjectives, and how to construct simple sentences.
Paragraph Writing: Introduce the concept of a paragraph, topic sentences, and supporting sentences. Graphic organizers often help in this process.
Basic Grammar and Punctuation: Understanding the rules of capitalization, the usage of periods, question marks, and exclamation points.
Story Writing: Introduction to narrative writing, creating simple stories with a beginning, middle, and end.
Writing for Different Purposes: Practice writing informative, persuasive, and narrative pieces.

Middle School Writing Curriculum

‍ Middle school Prisma learners build up to longer writing assignments to prepare for high school writing, and increasingly complete multiple revisions and use peer feedback to perfect their work. They build skills of:

Advanced Grammar and Punctuation: Dive deeper into the intricacies of grammar and the use of more advanced punctuation marks like semicolons and colons.
Essay Writing: Understanding essay structure, crafting thesis statements, and creating coherent arguments.
Narrative Writing: Developing complex narrative techniques, such as point of view, character development, plot structure, and dialogue.
Research Skills: Learning how to conduct research, evaluate sources, and incorporate evidence into their writing.
Revision and Editing: Strengthening the ability to revise and edit their own work for clarity, coherence, and correctness.

High School Writing Curriculum

‍ Prisma high school students develop real-world writing assignments for real audiences, preparing to share their writing with the world and developing college-ready writing skills:

Advanced Essay Writing: Enhancing argumentative, expository, and analytical writing skills. Practice writing longer, more complex essays.
Literary Analysis: Writing essays that analyze literature for theme, symbolism, and other literary devices.
Research Papers: Learning to write comprehensive research papers with proper citation and referencing.
Persuasive Writing: Developing the ability to write persuasively, shaping arguments and using evidence effectively.
Creative Writing: Exploring different creative writing genres like poetry, short stories, and script writing.
College Application Essays: Learning to write personal essays that can be used for college applications.
Critical Thinking: Developing the ability to critique, analyze, and evaluate arguments in writing.

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Prisma is an accredited, project-based, online program for grades 4-12.
Our personalized curriculum builds love of learning and prepares kids to thrive.
Our middle school , high school , and parent-coach programs provide 1:1 coaching and supportive peer cohorts .

Online Homeschool Writing Programs

Live online writing courses.

If you don’t feel comfortable teaching or designing writing curriculum yourself, an online course can be a great way to give your learner an interactive, high-quality language arts curriculum.

In a nutshell: Marketplace for online courses in all subjects, including writing. You can read teacher reviews and course descriptions to get a good feel of which classes will work best for your child (and try a bunch to see what works!)

Grade Levels: K-12 and above

Cost: Depends on the length, format, and teacher. Expect to pay around $10/class for most offerings, and up to $50/class for private, 1-to-1 tutoring.

Format: Depends on the class and instructor. Some courses may only be live sessions, and others may include asynchronous materials like worksheets, rubrics, and journal prompts.

Pros: Low-lift for parents, high interactivity; and often fun, engaging topics like Comic Strip Stories or Fan Fiction

Cons: If you switch instructors frequently, your child may have gaps in their knowledge or struggle to build momentum with one writing process

Written Out Loud

In a nutshell: Written Out Loud’s three core principles are transforming how kids learn - and love - to write. Prisma partnered with this organization the past two years and we can say that kids LOVE learning to write with this program. Kids write a whole book as part of a team.

Grade Levels: Ages 10+

Cost: Fee per class or camp. Current summer camp offerings are $529.

Format: In virtual courses (or in-person if a homeschool group reaches out to form a class together), kids work in teams to “break” a story in the style of Hollywood writers (decide verbally as a team what the story will look like) and then write their portions, ending in the publication of a full-length book!

Pros: Helps kids love writing, low-lift for parents, high interactivity

Cons: Doesn’t teach more traditional or “academic” forms of writing, so likely will need to be a supplement.

Prisma & Other Online Private Schools

Some homeschooling families choose to enroll in comprehensive online schools like Prisma, especially as their children get older and need more teacher support or rigorous curriculum. Although these options do charge tuition, they offer a comprehensive, intentional, expert-driven approach to academics (including writing) while still offering the personalization, flexibility, and environment of homeschooling.

Best Online Writing Apps & Websites for Homeschoolers

Choosing an online program is great if you want something your learner can do at their own pace with minimal supervision from you. These programs can also be great at motivating learners by providing gamified elements (like points, badges, and achievements).

Essentials in Writing

In a nutshell: Former schoolteacher Matthew Stephens’ popular online program delivers direct instruction & writing practice aligned with the traditional way of teaching writing.

Grade Levels: K-12

Cost: $69-89

Format: A video-based online course with corresponding workbooks

Pros: Low-lift for parents with a consistent structure

Cons: May not be enough variety or interactivity for easily bored learners

Night Zookeeper

In a nutshell: A highly engaging game-based online world for kids to explore writing through mini games, interesting writing prompts, and drills

Grade Levels: Ages 6-12

Cost: Subscription costing about $9-13/month, depending on if you pay annually or monthly

Format: Learners sign on to the platform and explore the online activities freely. Parents can view insights into their progress on the back-end.

Pros: Both reluctant and enthusiastic writers tend to LOVE this platform, and the subscription model makes it easy to try out.

Cons: Doesn’t offer as much instruction as more traditional programs.

In a nutshell: No Red Ink is used in 60% of school districts and although the platform is primarily built for teachers, homeschool parents can register for teacher accounts and provide their children access to this interactive, comprehensive writing program.

Grade Levels: Grades 3-12

Cost: Free version, plus a premium version with additional features

Format: A mix of targeted exercises to help students master sentence structure & grammar, scaffolded writing and revising activities for a range of genres, and diagnostics & quizzes to assess your learner’s skills

Pros: Research-driven, interactive, and incorporates learner interests (kids take a fun quiz at the beginning to tailor the curriculum to what they like to write about), plus built-in assessment (a rarity for writing platforms!)

Cons: Since it’s built for teachers, may not be user-friendly for solo homeschooling parents

Online Grammar & Comprehension Practice

At Prisma, we use grammar apps to supplement our more in-depth writing assignments. Some of our favorites are:

IXL : We like their initial diagnostic and that you can assign individual skills to learners to practice. The format is not the most exciting or engaging, though.
Freckle : Elementary school-age writers enjoy the gamified elements of this math & language arts platform.
Quill : Built around the research-backed strategy of sentence combining & revising as a way to learn key grammar and mechanics, this tool is both free and highly effective (though it may get boring if used too often!).

Best Traditional Homeschool Writing Curricula

Brave writer.

In a nutshell: Brave Writer is a writing curriculum designed to help children discover their own unique voice in writing. It emphasizes creativity and individuality, incorporating various elements of language arts such as grammar, spelling, literature, and writing. This curriculum is by far the most popular one with Prisma parents!

Grade Levels : Pre-K to 12th grade

Cost: Individual online classes range from $99 to $199 per course. Home study courses are available from $79 to $149.

Format: Online classes, home study courses with lesson plans and teacher’s guides, and resources for self-study. The courses take a unique approach, focusing on having lots of conversations before getting writing out on the page.

Pros: The curriculum is flexible and customizable to meet the needs of each student. It also encourages a positive attitude towards writing, reducing stress and resistance. It’s great for engaging and empowering young writers.

Cons: The less structured format may not work for all families. Parents may need to be more involved and excited about teaching writing to ensure progress and there is no built-in evaluation or assessment.

The Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW)

In a nutshell: IEW is a tried-and-true homeschool curriculum option that employs a method that builds writing confidence and competence. It uses a structured and systematic approach, focused on helping students create quality writing pieces.

Grade Levels: K to 12th grade

Cost: The cost can range from $19 for single items up to $249 for a comprehensive level course.

Format: Mostly DVD-based courses, workbooks, and some online classes.

Pros: Provides clear instruction and step-by-step methods that are easy to follow. It is suitable for a variety of learning styles and abilities. The curriculum covers a broad range of writing styles.

Cons: It can be perceived as rigid by some and may stifle creativity for others. It is more traditional, we have found, than many Prisma parents are looking for. It might be too intensive for students who are not used to structured learning.

Classical Composition

In a nutshell: Based on the ancient principles of storytelling and rhetoric, Classical Composition is a rigorous writing program that leads students step-by-step through the process of writing. If you resonate with the classical approach to homeschooling, you’ll likely be drawn in by this approach.

Grade Levels: 4th to 12th grade

Cost: The cost can vary, but most books range from $15 to $30. DVDs range from $55 to $85.

Format: Textbooks and DVDs.

Pros: It provides a thorough, rigorous program that can help students become proficient writers. It's ideal for parents who prefer a traditional, structured approach to teaching writing, similarly to IEW.

Cons: According to curriculum reviews, it can be challenging and time-consuming. Some students may find it too rigorous or not creative enough.

In a nutshell: WriteShop is a writing curriculum that helps parents teach writing to their children in a step-by-step manner. It focuses on both the creative and mechanical aspects of writing.

Cost: Books and resources range from $7 to $50. Full-set curriculum kits range from $120 to $160.

Format: Books, digital downloads, and online resources.

Pros: The curriculum is easy to use and provides parents with detailed lesson plans. It encourages more creativity than some of the traditional options above while still teaching the technical aspects of writing.

Cons: Some parents have found it to be too teacher-intensive. It requires more preparation than other programs.

Writing Strands

In a nutshell: Writing Strands provides a step-by-step approach to teaching writing, focusing on a broad range of skills such as creative writing, report writing, composition, and critical thinking.

Grade Levels: 2nd to 12th grade

Cost: Individual books cost about $20 each.

Format : Books.

Pros: Even though it’s step-by-step, it is flexible and can be adapted to suit individual student needs. It's also affordable.

Cons: It lacks extensive grammar instruction, and some parents find it lacks depth in certain writing skills. The book-only format may not work for some kids who need more varied types of assignments.

New York Times Writing Curriculum

In a nutshell: This is a modern, real-world-focused curriculum, drawing from The New York Times resources. It emphasizes critical thinking, research, and journalistic writing skills.

Grade Levels: Middle school to high school

Cost: The online resources from The New York Times are often free, but for detailed curriculum materials, cost can vary.

Format: Online, leveraging articles, essays, and multimedia from The New York Times.

Pros: It offers contemporary, engaging, and relevant content. It helps students understand and engage with current events. Great for developing research and critical thinking skills.

Cons: Less emphasis on creative writing. The content might be advanced for younger students. Parental guidance might be necessary due to potentially sensitive topics.

BJU Press Writing & Grammar

In a nutshell: BJU Press Writing & Grammar is a Christian-oriented program that emphasizes grammar and the writing process, incorporating both traditional and creative assignments.

Grade Levels: 1st to 12th grade

Cost: Subject kits can range from $100 to $150, while individual books can range from $15 to $40.

Format: Textbooks, workbooks, and tests.

Pros: The program provides a comprehensive approach to teaching grammar and writing. It's straightforward and structured, providing detailed lesson plans.

Cons: Some parents have found the curriculum to be too rigid and not engaging enough. The Christian worldview integrated throughout the material may not be appealing to everyone.

Well-Trained Mind

In a nutshell: Based on classical education principles, the Well-Trained Mind approach guides parents in crafting a rigorous, comprehensive homeschool curriculum.

Cost: The core book "The Well-Trained Mind" costs around $20 - $30. Other resources' costs vary.

Format: Books and online resources.

Pros: It provides a detailed, rigorous roadmap for classical education at home. It is highly customizable, allowing parents to adapt to their children's learning style and interests.

Cons: It requires significant time and effort from parents. The approach may be too rigorous or structured for some students.

Does Your Writing Curriculum Prepare Your Kids for the Real World?

At Prisma, one of our learning values is that education should prepare learners for the real world . 98% of Prisma parents say that our school does a better job preparing their learner for the real world than their last school. “The real world problem solving the learners do is unlike anything they do in more conventional schools,” says one parent. “If anyone tells you kids aren't ‘ready’ to consider meaningful topics like the world refugee crisis, neurodiversity, building a business, or scientific research, don't listen!”

When kids see why what they’re learning matters, they’re much more motivated and engaged . When we compartmentalize subjects, we make it unclear for learners how those subjects are used in the real world. When the only writing assignments you are given in school are to write 5-paragraph essays only your English teacher (or parent!) will read, you’re unlikely to grasp why writing is an essential skill in so many careers. Imagine if, instead, you’re asked to write a product pitch for an invention you developed to solve a real-world sustainability problem, like our learners did for the Biomimicry Youth Design Challenge in our interdisciplinary theme Wild Inventions . Prisma learners are still taught foundational writing skills, they’re just asked to apply them to real world problem-solving in an interdisciplinary way.

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Our Top Homeschool Writing Curriculum Picks

Hi friends! Today I’m sharing our top homeschool curriculum picks for writing !

The curriculum I’m mentioning today are all things that we have used in the past and enjoyed. Hopefully they will help you get started when researching the best curriculum for your family.

Watch my Top Homeschool Writing Curriculum Picks video here!

Here are links to some of my favorite Science resources:

IEW Writing
IEW Writing REVIEW
WriteShop Writing
WriteShop REVIEW

Want more info? Stop by my Writing Curriculum Forum where I shared some of my favorite resources and my community piped in with their favorites too!

And don’t forget to check out our COAH Community where we all share and discuss our favorite curriculum too!

Need help getting started homeschooling?

Make sure to check out my Homeschooling 101 book available now! Homeschooling 101 is a step by step practical guide that will help you to get started, and continue on in your homeschooling journey. It is designed to help guide you through all of the steps to getting started, choosing and gathering curriculum, creating effective lesson plans, scheduling your day, organizing your home, staying the course and more! It even includes helpful homeschooling forms!

I love IEW sources!

Thank you! My son comes up with great stories with a ton of detail, but he really struggles with getting them from his brain onto the paper so he hates writing. He’s in a rough place because he’s 6 so just finishing Kindergarten, he’s reading at a 3rd grade level but definitely writing at a Kindergarten level. Most writing programs are tied to reading so they feel really trivial to him and he gets frustrated by that.

Thank you so much for sharing the list!

Thank you for sharing this Erica! I think homeschooling is becoming more popular and in some ways more important these days. Also, great science resources, especially the BJU Press link – lots of helpful info there too.

Writing Doesn't Have to be a Struggle

Lessons break down writing into bite-sized pieces so students confidently move step-by-step to complete their writing assignments.
Repetition of the basics reinforces the concepts until they are learned.

The proven writing program gives you the tools to teach your students how to effectively plan and write a quality essay from scratch, by equipping them with the writing skills needed to easily write a variety of paper and essays.

ORDER NOW: Complete Curriculum Packages (includes 1 set of Student Worksheets)

Need extra set(s) of worksheets? Need just a set of Student Worksheets for a class? ORDER NOW: Student Worksheets Only

This is a writing program I believe any parent could comfortably teach-even those who call themselves “non-writing” parents. Rebecca is a customer service dream, readily and efficiently responding to any questions I’ve had via email or phone.

Heather Sanders, The Pioneer Woman Homeschool Blog

TWF Curriculum Descriptions: Click Here to Order Now

The Write Foundation has 5 levels available. Each level can be completed in 1 or 2 years depending on your schedule and your student’s maturity and ability level.

Jr. High and High School Level Courses

Does your student struggle to easily write a well-written paragraph?
Can your student take any topic and develop into a well-written paragraph?
Your student may be able to write fairly decent paragraphs, but does his or her writing meet at least high school if not college level formal writing standards?
Well-written papers are logical and easily developed when students are equipped with the right writing tools.

Level 1: Sentence to Paragraph : (Ages 12 - 14, 6th-9th Grade) Students creatively develop descriptive and more complex sentences. They quickly move to writing basic 1-paragraph and then 2-paragraph compositions using the writing process with a variety of brainstorming techniques and outlines. Samples / Assessment Test / Order Now

Level 2: Paragraph Writing : (Ages 13 - 16, 7th-10th Grade) Students improve and develop their paragraph writing skills, while being challenged to quickly grasp more complex pieces of the writing puzzle, and advancing to a basic 5-paragraph college-level essay. Samples / Assessment Test / Order Now

Level 3: Essay Writing (Ages 14 - 18, 9th-12th Grade) Can your student take any topic and independently write a college-level essay easily and successfully? Students gain a solid foundation of the writing process and writing structure so they can take a complicated subject and make it easy to understand through a well-written essay. Essay Writing gives them the skills to confidently write to please any professor. Samples / Assessment Test / Order Now

Elementary Level Courses

Entry level i & ii: well written paragraphs have well written sentences..

Each lesson uses engaging writing activities and games, which develop and advance students' creative writing abilities and other writing skills.

Does your student struggle to write a basic simple sentence? Does your student need to improve his or her sentence writing skills? Entry Level I: Prepare to Write : (Ages 8 – 10, Grades 2-4) Students begin by writing complete basic sentences and quickly develop their basic sentences into creative, more complex sentences using the 9 foundational parts of speech. Samples / Assessment Test / Order Now

Does your student write simple sentences? Does he or she need to begin developing higher level sentence writing skills? Entry Level II: Creating Sentences : (Ages 9 – 11, Grades 3-5) Students continue developing descriptive, informative sentences from basic sentences using grammar and figures of speech. Students learn to avoid common errors people make when casually and formally writing for school and work. Samples / Assessment Test / Order Now

Eight (8) free lessons, a syllabus for each level, free consultations, articles and curriculum information videos are available on this website.

View the syllabus and try free lessons for each level. Print and use the sample writing lessons with detailed lesson plans if you want to try this writing curriculum before you buy it.

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION TESTS: Determine the right level for your student(s).

Placement/assessment tests are available to help you determine the right level for your student. /assessment
Rebecca Celsor is available for free email (rebecca@thewritefoundation.org) consultation to help you determine which level is right for your student(s).
Get hands-on writing practice using our writing method before you make your purchase. Two (2) free sample writing lessons per level (8 lessons) with student worksheets, teaching instructions with teacher presentation information included, separate teacher presentation pages, and daily schedules are available on this website.
A syllabus for each of the 4 levels is also available on this website. The syllabi lay out lesson by lesson the writing skills as they are taught, so you can see what types of writing, grammar and figures of speech are covered in each level.
Articles are also available on this website to help you determine what levels would be appropriate for your children. /age-levels/

New Interactive Digital Format : You type on the Teacher Presentation as your students write on their worksheets. Now a part of each curriculum package in the Additional Resources.

Intimidated about grading? The Write Foundation offers Online Grading .

I am very happy with the results I am seeing. There is noticeable improvement in my son's writing from week to week. To date, this is the most effective writing curriculum I have used in our 13+ years of homeschooling. If you are looking for simple, hands-off writing lessons, this product is not for you. If you want a curriculum that will produce students skilled in all areas of writing, you need The Write Foundation.

Lorie D., The Midlife Housewife

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Have a struggling writer? Maybe he hates writing? Does your student just need to learn how to write? Long for teacher-friendly lesson plans you can quickly prepare and teach? Desire a writing curriculum your children will enjoy while learning creatively?

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Open doors to writing success!

Contact Rebecca . Rebecca Celsor will answer your questions regarding how to easily teach your child to write.

" The daily lessons grow and build my child in the process. The instruction is easy to understand. He likes that he feels like he is being instructed at his age level while helping him to 'catch' up. It has encouraged him. "

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Which One is Really the Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum (a comparison)

June 7, 2022 | 1 Comment This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy .

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I’ve used some of the best homeschool writing curriculum ; I hope you’ll benefit from my experience. Also, I’m going to help you hone your goals. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter.

Your goals are key to choosing a homeschool writing course which works for your family.

Then, I’ll share some quick comparisons between the best homeschool writing curriculum.

Besides, what is the best homeschool writing program during the elementary years is not always the best writing course in high school.

First, look at how I honed my writing goals and standards for my children.

This is your beginning point. Isolate your goals with clarity.

Table of Contents

4 Ways to Identify the Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum

Identify what type of writing curriculum your family needs now . A curriculum can include the physical act of learning how to write which is penmanship. In addition, it may only be the mental part of writing which is composition. Penmanship is learned in the early grades; a good rule of thumb for beginning composition is fourth grade.
Narrow down the choices to either a complete language arts course or just the writing component . I prefer to keep language arts separated components because my children were at different levels. From my experience, my children learned better by not heaping grammar, reading, and spelling into one lump. Isolating just to composition or writing courses helped my children to learn the art of writing.
Understand that learning how to write is an interactive skill but that doesn’t mean it should always be learned online . Although I didn’t have experience teaching composition when I started, I chose detailed teaching manuals so I could understand the writing process. I’ve learned that most children just need a caring adult to guide them even if they choose an online course. So, even if you choose an online writing course, your writer, no matter the age still needs you.
Be sure these vital components can be identified in a writing curriculum: brainstorming tips, prewriting, drafting, editing/rewriting, and publishing.

Homeschool Writing Courses for Elementary Students

Next, look at these writing courses I used for varying purposes and times through my journey.

In my children’s early years, I used curriculum which encouraged copywork, but equally important was what was being copied.

I hail to the mindset the great writers need to see excellent writing, hear beautiful words, and copy them.

We used part of Aesop for Children: Story and D’Nealian Copybook Volume I and Writing Strands .

However, I started by using the older version of Writing Strands; a newer one has come out. I have mixed feelings about Writing Strands.

While it sometimes did not give an abundance of clear direction for me, it was a lightweight and fun curriculum.

At the time when I was struggling with an outline of what to teach in each grade, it eased the burden I had put on myself.

It gave me a glimpse of how easy it can be teaching writing logically.

Another curriculum I loved and used in the early years was Writing with Ease by Susan Wise Bauer .

As an artist when it comes to writing, you’ll love her methods for teaching writing.

Did I mention Susan Wise Bauer is a homeschool mom whose career was based on writing?

Not only is her passion for writing contagious, but she understands that as parents we want comprehensive teaching tips.

It’s true that Writing with Ease is a classical approach which means a heavier focus on writing, but it’s a solid writing program for the younger years.

Then, WriteShop is another favorite written by two homeschool moms. We loved the crafts and hands-on way to bring writing to life and reduce the struggling writer syndrome.

WriteShop worked for me when I needed step-by-step instructions of the writing process. In addition, I’ve learned to toggle between a gentle and rigorous approach in the early years. This means mixing curriculum.

Writing Reference and Supplement Tools for Young Children

Besides, mixing curriculum with different approaches is based on my child’s development.

Some years we did more writing.

Other years my children focused more on brainstorming and organizing thoughts.

It’s all part of the whole writing process.

So you need a variety of tools and references for your child to get the whole picture of writing. Don’t feel like you need to stick to just one curriculum.

For example, I love Daily Paragraph Editing.

Besides, essays at the higher grades are really just bigger paragraphs. If a child struggles with writing, typically it can be traced to the basics — a lack of variety of sentences and how to write a paragraph.

Next, I’ve always used these books by Emma Serl because they use a gentle Charlotte Mason approach.

Intermediate Language Lessons
Writing Fabulous Sentences & Paragraphs, Grades 4-6.

Moving on to the older grades there are just as many solid choices for writing curriculum as they are for the early grades.

Middle School and High School Writing Curriculum

We have loved Institute for Excellence in Writing for middle school and high school.

Institute for Excellence helped to foster independence in my kids for writing. Having a fun writing teacher to teach my kids was one of the best parts.

I didn’t completely abdicate all teaching to Mr. Pudewa but it was hard to contend with him.

He is funny and teaches writing to be something that my children looked forward to.

And although it’s more structured writing curriculum it still maintains a Charlotte Mason flare.

The next one I used with my middle son was Jump In: Middle School Composition .

It’s a great example of how a curriculum should take a student from brainstorming to prewriting and end with a final version.

Jump In: Middle School Composition takes a traditional approach to teaching writing.

I found it quite easy to implement with my teen and it presented the writing steps in a coherent way. We loved the step-by-step help.

Finally, like any conscientious parent, I worried about finding the perfect homeschool essay writing curriculum.

More Homeschooling in Middle School Resources

How to Successfully Homeschool Middle School
A to Z List: Middle and High School Homeschool Electives
Fun Winter Craft Ideas for Middle School Homeschool
Beginning Homeschooling in Middle School – 3 Questions Worth Asking
10 Best Science Movies for Middle School
How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Middle and High School Language Arts Curriculum & Options
Free Middle School Science Curriculum and Magazines

Little did I realize that Jump In: Middle School Composition had already given my sons a great start in how to write essays.

Once I learned that all essays follow the same format — introduction, body, and conclusion, I encouraged my sons to write on a variety of topics.

Homeschool Essay Writing Curriculum

Similarly, The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School is written by the same author as . Jump In: Middle School Composition . It’s another winner for us during the high school years.

One year I felt one of my sons needed more of a challenge and the curriculum touted to be a college-prep course.

He absolutely soaked up the challenge.

Look at my post Review of The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School.

Another one we used in high school was Essentials in Writing .

Although it is a complete language arts curriculum by the time your teen gets to high school, he needs those teens.

One of my sons loved using Institute for Excellence in Writing for his essays and preferred their structure. At this age, I do think your teen should have a voice in how he learns best.

My vote is for Essentials in Writing and The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School for essays because I love things that are detailed and simple.

Both programs have visuals to help my teen organize his writing and evaluate his work.

Also, another resource which has helped me through the years is Write Source 2000 .

Beyond writing, it helps your middle school and high school students learn how to think. All the parts of learning how to write are connected.

It’s not just about putting pen to paper. Why?

Because a teen needs to learn how to learn, how to organize his thoughts, understand his audience, and know the difference between formal and informal writing. Write Source 2000 has served as guide to me and a reference.

Did this help you to identify a few writing courses which can help you this year?

Moreover, here are more homeschool curriculum posts.

BEST Digital Homeschool Curriculum – Big Ol’ List
Big Ol’ List of All-In-One Homeschool Curriculum (a.k.a Boxed)
10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum
Best High School Homeschool Curriculum Packages (Accredited and Not Accredited)

Find more writing curriculum tips here:

How to Rock Homeschool Creative Writing (when you don’t feel like THAT creative mom)
5 Creative Ways to Boost Handwriting in Older Kids
Cursive Matters; Handwriting Style Doesn’t + Free Resources
T eaching Handwriting When Homeschooling the Early Years Part 3
Faith-Neutral Homeschool Grammar and Writing Program
Homeschool Writing Program For Middle and High School Students
3 Ways to Choose the BEST Writing Curriculum (for a Growing Homeschool Family)

Reader Interactions

[…] Which One is Really the Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum (a comparison) […]

In Your Own Words Creative Writing Journal for High School

study the characteristics of multiple forms of poetry AND prose.
encounter specifically-chosen literary examples that are both thought-provoking and enjoyable to read.
learn the steps of the writing process so they can confidently approach any writing project.
measure learning with both a poetry and prose review and assessment.
be encouraged to share their work and continue to develop in their writing ability.
find a balance between education and passion, honing their skills in many areas while discovering what they most enjoy writing.
develop their communication skills to be better equipped for future education and careers.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT!

High School Creative Writing Curriculum for homeschool

Fostering creativity is not easy, and even the most eager of students can become overwhelmed. In Your Own Words keeps creative writing manageable and enjoyable by carefully and clearly explaining new concepts while allowing your high schooler to practice what they're learning. Through daily exercises and writing assignments at the end of each unit, students are challenged to expand their creative horizons and practice techniques they may never have attempted before.

High School Creative Writing Curriculum sample

Each unit of the journal breaks down the writing process into manageable pieces, clearly explaining each step. Checklists and reminders ensure your student understands what is required of them and what parts of their writing to focus on at each stage of the process. Students complete a review and assessment after both the poetry and prose sections of the book in order to refresh their memory and show how much they have learned. From brainstorming to finalizing, students are taught and equipped!

By examining a wide variety of literature, from journal entries to ballads, students are taught to engage with many styles of writing. Helpful questions and prompts get your student thinking outside their comfort zone and equip them to grow their reading, writing, and overall communication skills even after they've completed the journal.

Not sure your student will love poetry? That's okay! In Your Own Words demystifies poetry by explaining poetic styles, meter, literary devices, and structures like feet, lines, and stanzas. Then, your high schooler is challenged to write their own poetry using the tools they've been given and the concepts they've learned.

HOW IT WORKS:

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VIDEO REVIEWS

In Your Own Words unboxing and flipthrough || Not Consumed Ministries

by Life in the Mundane, April 2024

IN YOUR OWN WORDS FAQ

God has blessed the Not Consumed team with a great deal of education (including a variety of degrees) and decades of combined homeschool experience. Several team members have subject specific degrees or master's degrees in education, specifically curriculum design.

I believe that the Bible is the absolute authority in matters of faith and practice. It's 100% true, with no exceptions or figurative sections. I believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture; in one God eternally existing in three Persons; in the creation of all things, including man, as the direct act of God; in eternally secure salvation by grace through faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ; in the incarnation and virgin birth of Christ, and in His bodily resurrection; in the personal, bodily, premillennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ and His millennial reign on earth.

Though schools can be accredited, there is not an accreditation program for curriculum.

This course is designed to be completed in grades 9-12. Students should have a firm grasp of the use of language. In Your Own Words does not include grammar or spelling instruction.

In Your Own Words is an independent learning-based course and does not require a teacher’s manual. A digital answer key that can be downloaded to your device is available.

In Your Own Words is a full year course. Suggested pacing guidelines are given in the introductory lesson. The book can be completed by following 5 lessons per week for 24 weeks or 4 lessons per week for 30 weeks. However, the schedule can also be spread out to fit your student's course load or academic plan.

In Your Own Words has 156 pages, covers 120 lessons plus 10 bonus challenges, and includes many literary examples.

Customer Reviews

This curriculum book is super extensive about the material we'll be covering. It has a beautiful and easy to learn layout and walk through of the materials that makes sense to the student. I'm kind of tempted to get a set for myself to learn alongside my kids!Cross learning at it's finest!

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Written for Mom or Dad to read aloud.
Children color, trace, draw lines, or place stickers to complete each lesson activity.
Written in short, catchy rhymes that children can easily understand.
Written in paragraph form for Mom/Dad to read aloud.
Children draw in response to questions.
Written in language young children can easily understand.
Children work independently then discuss with the family.
Children have lines and boxes to write or draw responses.
Written with a focus on issues school-aged kids face.
Teens work independently then discuss with the family.
Teens write their responses with a focus on application and apologetics.
Written with a focus on issues teens face.
Parents work independently then discuss with the family.
Parents write responses with a focus on application and apologetics.
Written with parent tips to guide family discussion.

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Eight Free Creative Writing Lessons

February 17, 2012 by Ami 17 Comments

I know I throw around the word favorite all the time. But this is the truth: teaching creative writing lessons is my favorite.

I have taught creative writing enrichment for summer school students. I have taught creative writing in various homeschool settings and co-ops. I have taught big students and little students. And I love it.

Since I love to share homeschool co-op class ideas , I have compiled the creative writing lessons from a co-op class that I taught.

Creative Writing Lessons for a Homeschool Co-op Class

First, please remember that any teacher can use these creative writing lessons. You don’t need to be teaching homeschoolers. You can be a classroom teacher or a homeschool teacher at home with one student. You can even be a librarian who needs a fun program series.

Second, I used these creative writing lesson plans with upper elementary students (with maybe a few 7th graders thrown in). However, you can adapt and use them for older students or younger students!

Creative Writing Lesson Plans

Creative writing lesson one.

The first lesson focuses on cliché and metaphor. It prompts students to consider how words matter.

Grab lesson one here .

Creative Writing Lesson Two

The second lesson teaches students about sensory details: why they are important and how to include them in their writing. Students will begin using sensory details to evoke smells and sounds and sights.

Grab lesson two here.

Creative Writing Lesson Three

The third lesson introduces showing vs. telling. Students learn how to recognize authors who utilize showing, and students are able to articulate the difference between showing and telling.

Grab lesson three here.

Creative Writing Lesson Four

The fourth lesson teaches students how to capture images. We use examples of poetry and prose to discuss this important writing skill.

Grab lesson four here.

Creative Writing Lesson Five

The fifth lesson introduces the story elements of character and conflict.

Note: You may choose to split this lesson into two lessons since it covers two big elements. I only had nine weeks with my students, so I had to jam character and conflict together.

Grab lesson five here.

Creative Writing Lesson Six

The sixth lesson introduces the students to point of view and perspective. We have fun reading poems and using pictures to write descriptions from different points of view.

Grab lesson six here.

Creative Writing Lesson Seven

The seventh lesson puts everything we’ve learned together. I read the students some fractured fairy tales, and we watch some, too. Students then use the prewriting activities and their imaginations to begin drafting their own fractured fairy tales.

Grab lesson seven here.

Creative Writing Lesson Eight

The eighth lesson focuses on revision. After a mini-lesson, students partner up for peer editing.

Grab lesson eight here .

For our final class day, students bring revised work, and I host coffee shop readings. This is a memorable experience for students (and their teacher).

Creative Writing Lessons FAQ

Since posting these creative writing lessons, I have had lots of questions. I decided to compile them here in case you have the same question.

Q: What are copywork quotes? A: Copywork quotes are simply great quotes that students copy as part of their homework assignments. You can use any quotes about writing. I’ve included my favorites throughout the printable packs.

Q: Can I use this with a younger or older student? A: Absolutely! Just adapt it to meet the needs of your student.

Q: Can I use this for my library’s programming or my homeschool co-op class? A: Yes! I just ask that it not be used for profit.

Do you have any questions about teaching creative writing? What’s your biggest hang-up when it comes to teaching creative writing? I’d love to hear from you and help you solve the issue.

January 7, 2016 at 1:57 pm

Hi Theresa,

As long as you are not profitting from using them, they are yours to use! Enjoy! Wish I could be there to help facilitate all those young writers!

[…] Creative Writing Class […]

Composition and Grammar

Parent resources.

Any Child Can Write
How to Write Clearly: The Meaning Approach
The Three R's

Ungraded, Multi-level Resources - Comprehensive

Aesop's Fables: My Book About Reading, Writing, Thinking
Ancient History: Adam to Messiah
Brave Writer
Bridgeway English 1 and 2
Character Quality Language Arts (CQLA)
Christian Cottage Unit Studies, Volumes I-IV
Classical Writing
Connecting With History: World History through Catholic Principles
Constructing the House of Language: A Helpful Workbook of Essential Language Skills
Emma Serl's Language Lessons from Hillside Education
English for the Thoughtful Child, Volumes 1 and 2
Girls of American History Curriculum
Go Phonics Reading Program, 2nd edition
Grammar for Writers
Grammar Galaxy
Guest Hollow’s Language Arts
Handbook for Writers
KONOS Character Curriculum
Language Lessons
Learning Adventures Unit Studies
The Logic of English Essentials
Loving Literature Grammar Packs
Movies as Literature
Online Book Clubs for Middle School - High School
The Prairie Primer
Primary Arts of Language: Reading & Writing
Primary Language Lessons and Intermediate Language Lessons
ShillerLearning Language Arts
Simply Classical Writing, Step-By-Step Sentences
Sonlight Language Arts J
Spell to Write and Read
Structure and Style for Students
Tapestry of Grace
Trail Guide to Learning
WinterPromise Curriculum
Wonders of Science Writing Lessons
Writing Aids
Writing Strands
Writing Through History series

Ungraded, Multi-level Resources - Grammar

Advancing Through Grammar
The Aesop for Children: Story and D’Nealian Copywork Books
All-in-One Straightforward English Series Master Book
Alphabet Woods Game
Analytical Grammar
Basic English (Power Basics series)
Beowulf’s Grammar
Beyond the Book Report
The Big Bad Grammar Slammer
Caught'ya!: Grammar with a Giggle
Claritas Publishing Memory Work Program
Classical Writing Primer Series
Clover Leap Game
Cross Seven Classically Based Memory Work
Daily Grammar website
Easy Grammar series
Egumpp - Electronic Grammar Usage Mechanics Proficiency Program
Elephango Curriculum Companion Website
English Grammar Recitation, Workbooks One - Three
The First Whole Book of Diagrams
Fix It! Grammar Series
Get Smart: Grammar Through Sentence Diagramming
The Grammar Ace
Grammar Castle and the Kingdom of Writing
Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind
The Grammar Key (online)
Grammar Songs
GrammarFlip.com
Grammaropolis
GrammarPlanet
The Great Editing Adventure Series, Volumes 1 and 2
Great Explorations in Editing
The Great Grammar Book: Mastering Grammar Usage and the Essentials of Composition, second edition
Harvey's Revised English Grammar
How to Diagram Any Sentence: Exercises to Accompany the Diagramming Dictionary
How To Series
I Laid an Egg on Aunt Ruth's Head
Introduction to English Grammar
Jensen's Grammar
Jensen's Punctuation
Language and Thinking for Young Children
Learning English with the Bible series
Learning Grammar Through Writing
Life of Fred Language Arts Series
Literary Mad Libs
Night Zookeeper (online writing and language arts)
Our Mother Tongue
Painless Grammar
Rules of the Game
Script-n-Scribe Cursive Courses
Simply Grammar
SimplyFun Games
Take 5! for Language Arts
Treehouse Town Parts of Speech Game and Companion Books
Well-Ordered Language: The Curious Child’s Guide to Grammar
Winston Grammar
Write from the Heart: A Resource Guide to Engage Writers

Ungraded, Multi-level Resources - Composition

1001 Writing Projects for Students
American Literature: The Westward Journey Course
The Art of Poetry
The Baran Method: Writing for Success
Bible-Based Writing Lessons in Structure and Style
Big Book of Writing Prompts for Kids, Vol. 1
Blackbird & Company Literature Discovery Guides
Building Writing Skills Series
Byline essay writing course
College-Ready Writing Essentials
Compass Classroom Membership
Complete Writing Lessons For the Middle Grades
Composition One and Two (Veritas Press)
Comprehensive Composition
Cover Story Middle School Writing Curriculum
The Creative Writer
Creative Writing Made Easy! series
Creative Writing through Literature-Online Writing Courses
Drawn into the Heart of Reading
Easy Writing
The Elegant Essay Writing Lessons: Building Blocks for Analytical Writing
The Elements of Style Workbook
Emma Serl's Language Lessons from Living Books Press
The Essay: Intermediate and Advanced Composition Courses
Excellence in Literature: English I - V
The Exciting World of Creative Writing
Exploring Poetry: A Journey Through the Forms and Fundamentals of Poetry
Fitting Words Classical Rhetoric
Getting Your Point Across in Writing: How to Write Essays That Have Impact
Here to Help Learning’s Writing Program
History-Based Writing Lessons In Structure and Style
In Their Sandals
Intro to Composition: The Essay, Volumes 1-3
Introduction to Composition
Jensen's Format Writing
Journalism Basics: An Introduction to Print Journalism, second edition
Jump In: Middle School Composition
Learn to Write the Novel Way
Lightning Lit & Comp - Speech
The Lost Tools of Writing
Meaningful Composition
My First Reports
NotebookingPages.com
One Year Adventure Novel
Operation Lexicon Series
Paragraph Writing for Kids
Philosophy Adventure
The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School
Research Discovery Guide Series
Rhetoric Alive!
Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis Student Workbook
A Rhetoric of Love
Story Starters
Storymaker Series
Taxonomy of Living Things: The Five Kingdoms
Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Writing Seminar
Tell Me A Story - Journaling One Day At A Time: For the Budding Writer
Total Language Plus (Study Guides for Novels)
The Word Artist: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Poetry and Bookbinding
A Word Write Now: A Thematic Thesaurus for Stylized Writing
Wordsmith series
Write By Number
The Write Stuff Adventure: Exploring the Art of Writing
Write with the Best: Modeling Writing after Great Works of World Literature
Write with World
Write Your Own Book
Writer’s Gold Mine and Writer’s Roundup
WriteShop: An Incremental Writing Program, 5th edition
WriteShop Primary, Books A, B, and C and WriteShop Junior, Books D, E, and F
WriteStories
Writing a Research Paper, second edition
Writing for 100 Days & Fairview's Guide to Composition and Essay Writing
Writing for Today

Writing & Rhetoric Series

Graded language arts curricula.

Abeka Language series
Adventures in Pine Hollow - Reading and Language Arts
Age 6-8 Reading
Alpha Omega Language Arts 1
The American Language Series
Applications of Grammar, Books 1 through 6
Beginnings K5
Beyond the Page
Beyond the Page High School Language Arts
Building Christian English series
Christian Light Reading and Language Arts for Grades 1 and 2
Christian Light Reading and Language Arts Grades 3-8
Classical Composition
The Complete Writer: Writing With Ease
The Complete Writer: Writing With Skill
Daily 6-Trait Writing series
Daily Grammar Practice
Discover! Curriculum and Blended Online Courses
English (A.C.E.) high school level
English and Spelling 3 course (E115)
English for Young Catholics series for grades 1-8
English I - IV (Landmark's Freedom Baptist Curriculum)
English Lessons Through Literature
Essentials in Writing
Evan-Moor Language Arts Workbooks
First Language Lessons
g.u.m. drops (Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics)
The Good and the Beautiful High School Language Arts
The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts: Level Eight
The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts: Levels 3 through 5
The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Levels 6 and 7
Growing with Grammar
Hatchling Discover: Reading, Writing, and Phonics
Heart of Dakota Program (Prek - 8)
Hearth & Story Language Arts
Implications of Literature Language Arts Courses
Khan Academy Courses
Language Arts LIFEPAC curriculum (grades 9-12)
Language Lessons for a Living Education
Language Lessons for Today
Language of God series
Language Smarts
Learning Language Arts through Literature
Learning Language Arts through Literature - The Blue Book
Lepanto Grammar
Lighted Lanterns: A Catholic Language Arts Program
Lightning Lit & Comp Courses - High School Level
Lightning Lit & Comp Courses - Junior High Level
Lightning Literature and Composition - Grades 1-6
Literature and Creative Writing PACE courses
McRuffy Language Arts Programs
Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts
Nautilus Homeschool
Pinwheels (Rooted in Language)
Plain and Not So Plain Curriculum
Saxon Grammar and Writing Series
Shurley English
Sonlight Curriculum
Sonlight Grammar 5 and 6
Sonlight Language Arts 2
Sonlight Phonics K Program
Study.com for Homeschool
TeacherFileBox
Thoughtful Learning Language Arts
Writing and Grammar 7 and 8, third editions
Writing and Grammar 9, 10, 11, and 12 (third editions)
Writing Skills for Today
Copy the Classics
Komodo Math and Language Arts
Play by the Rules
Sound Speech: Public Speaking & Communication Studies

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Art & Music
Bible & Religion
Catholic Curricula
Early Learning / Preschool
Foreign Language
Handwriting
History & Geography
Grade Level Packages & Courses
Math Supplements
Phonics & Reading
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Unit Studies & All-In-One Programs

Featured Ungraded, Multi-level Resources - Composition Resource

The goal of the Writing & Rhetoric series is “to prepare students for rhetoric, which is the art of writing well and speaking persuasively” ( Writing & Rhetoric: Fable , p. x). Many classical educators have begun to implement the progymnasmata , the ancient classical exercises for teaching writing and speaking skills. In the Writing & Rhetoric series, author Paul Kortepeter builds on the foundation of the progymnasmata and updates it with methods such as those recommended by Charlotte Mason . The progymnasmata are based on the idea that children should learn how to write by working from exemplary models rather than by dreaming up their own ideas. So students work through models of various forms of writing, beginning with narratives and working up through expository, descriptive, and persuasive writing. Students simultaneously develop public speaking skills.

Read full review for Writing & Rhetoric Series

Popular Reviews: Composition & Grammar

Note: Publishers, authors, and service providers never pay to be reviewed. They do provide free review copies or online access to programs for review purposes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guidelines Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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Quality, parent-approved writing resources, award-winning.

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Levi has really enjoyed this program. It has taken the pressure off of him to read and write, and just allowed him to be creative … Our kindergarten year has been a pretty rough start up to the last couple of months. But WriteShop has really changed things at our house!

Ashley, using WriteShop I

My 13 yo has gone from tears over more than 2 sentences to beautiful paragraphs in the year and a half that we’ve been using Write Shop.

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Thank you very much for creating Write Shop! It has been a pleasure to teach this curriculum and the results are phenomenal. Our son went from hating writing to asking for more!

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Nikki, using WriteShop Primary Book C

You know this is a good product when your reluctant writer asks, “Mom, when are we going to write another story?” My son has always struggled with writing. Because of Write Shop, my son has enjoyed writing creative stories, and I am tearing up as I type this.

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Somehow the words fun and writing have become connected, ever since we started using WriteShop. That, along with the progress I’m seeing in my students’ writing, is the highest recommendation I can give.

Let's Make History Fun: Timelines & Printables

Free & Affordable Homeschool Resources

Between keeping everything going to teaching your awesome kids, you are working hard! So let us give you a hand with this weeks guide with free, affordable homeschool resources and printables.

	- In this recorded course, we will identify different types of speeches, learn how to format a speech, magic words that will draw in the audience, and tips to being an amazing presenter! Ages 8-13 $30
	Get a head start planning your new year with this adorable wild animal undated calendar, ready to download in three fun colors! For grades Pre-K - 5.
	Empower. Inspire. Transform. From unleashing potential to igniting inner strength, we offer a pathway toward self-discovery and growth. $27 a month with a 10 day 100% refund no-questions-asked guarantee.
	FREE 5 Garden Scavenger Hunts: Fun Family Activities! Whether you're not quite ready to start gardening or want to give your kids more exposure to growing a garden, these scavenger hunts are the perfect way to get them involved and ready for the next gardening season.
	Great Halloween Escape : Home escape kit! Welcome to an immersive family and kid escape game kit! A perfect activity to boost confidence, teamwork and creative thinking in children.The Great Halloween Escape plays in 60 minutes and requires an adult Game Master. Solve as a team varied puzzles throughout an unforgettable adventure set in the scary Manor of the Spooks family. $19

Let's Make History Fun: Timelines & Printables

Read the latest issue of The Homeschool Quest mobile magazine! It's filled with articles, links to free and affordable printables and other helpful resources you can use on the go.

History & Timeline Resources

These free, affordable history and timeline resources are sure to keep your kids engaged and immersed in their lessons.

Important Events In American History Printable & Timeline
Elementary Oregon Trail Unit Study
Life in the 1940s Printable Activities
Ancient China Lapbook
American Decades History Coloring Pages
Mayflower Voyage Color And Label Map Printable
King Tut CSI Case Activity For Kids
World War 1 - Read, Color & Learn Activities
DIY Blank Timeline Templates For History
Ancient History Paper Dolls
American History Timeline Figure Printables
Age of Exploration Timeline Printables
Ancient Greece History Coloring Pages
Egypt Unit Study
Ancient History Timeline Figures
Ancient Greece Go Fish Game
Jeopard Style History Game - 13 Colonies Editiion
Jamestown History Worksheets
American History Timeline Coloring Pages
People Of Rome Printable Booklet
Greek Notebooking Paper Printable

Learn More About Our Featured Resource

40 Awesome Sensory Bin Activities for Letter Sounds for Each Season

These seasonal-themed letter sound sensory bin activities infuse each season's charm into literacy development, creating engaging and memorable learning experiences for your child. Add fun to your reading lessons and keep your child's attention during every lesson!

Check out these awesome homeschool resources!

2 Free Self-Paced Book Club lessons: Ready to jump into great books with your learner this year? Get 2 FREE lessons from the rigorous 4-session self-paced book study for 5th-8th graders on Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle In Time". Chapter-specific videos help guide learners in discussion as well as building vocabulary and comprehension.

FREE Download: Infuse Music into Your Homeschool - Unlock a Melodic Homeschool Journey! Discover the Top 10 Ways to Infuse Music into Your Homeschool for Enriched Learning.

Roll-and-Write a Story Worksheets : These writing prompts make creative writing so much fun! New holiday themes , too! Any ages (If kids aren't writing yet, they can dictate their story while their parent writes it down.)

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IMAGES

Easy to Use Homeschool Writing Curriculum for Teaching Practical
BJ's Homeschool : Frugal Homeschool High School Writing Curriculum for
A Complete Guide To Creative Writing Curriculum for Homeschool High
curriculum map creative writing high school
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VIDEO

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COMMENTS

Our Favorite Creative Writing Curriculum
WriteShop is a comprehensive and flexible curriculum that helps students learn and love creative writing. It covers pre-writing, brainstorming, drafting, editing, and more with hands-on activities and a thorough teacher's manual.
Top 10 Homeschooling High School Writing Curriculum Choices For 2021
Find out what Teach Them Diligently families recommend for high school writing instruction, from classical to creative approaches. Compare features, benefits, and links of 10 popular curriculums, including Institute for Excellence in Writing, Memoria Press, and BJU Press.
A Complete Guide To Creative Writing Curriculum for Homeschool High School
Find out how to teach creative writing in your homeschool high school with various curriculum options and project ideas. Explore fiction, non-fiction, poetry, nature, and more genres and styles of writing.
Complete Guide to Homeschool Writing Curriculum for Every Budget and
Find the best homeschool writing curriculum for your child's grade level, style, and budget from this comprehensive review of 12 options. Compare features, prices, and details of IEW, BJU, Writing With Ease, WriteShop, and more.
Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum for High School
Compare three homeschool writing programs for high school students: IEW, Classical Composition, and Lifepac. Learn about their features, benefits, and prices.
Homeschool High School Writing
Find out how to choose and grade writing curriculum for homeschool high school students. Learn about WriteShop, Bravewriter, Rod & Staff, and other options for essay writing and grammar.
Homeschool Writing Curriculum: 17 Actually Engaging Options
It emphasizes creativity and individuality, incorporating various elements of language arts such as grammar, spelling, literature, and writing. This curriculum is by far the most popular one with Prisma parents! Grade Levels: Pre-K to 12th grade. Cost: Individual online classes range from $99 to $199 per course.
Our Top Homeschool Writing Curriculum Picks
Erica shares her favorite writing programs for homeschoolers, such as IEW, WriteShop, and BJU Press. Watch her video or read her reviews and forum posts for more details and tips.
Homeschool Writing Curriculum
Learn how to teach your students to write sentences, paragraphs, and essays with confidence using The Write Foundation's proven writing program. Choose from 5 levels of curriculum packages or student worksheets for Jr. High, High School, and Elementary students.
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Our Favorite Creative Writing Curriculum

This post is sponsored by WriteShop. I received the products for free & was compensated for my time. All opinions are 100% my own.

I had a few things that I really wanted included in our creative writing curriculum and I wasn’t willing to budge on them.

A Creative Writing Curriculum That Sparks Imagination

In each lesson, kids will work through a series of hands-on activities to help them thoroughly understand each concept:

Brainstorm & Write a Practice Paragraph:

Jot Down a Sloppy Copy:

First Revision:

Teacher/Parenting Edit:

Final Draft:

Teaching with a Creative Writing Curriculum that Covers It All

Sections include:

If you’re looking for a comprehensive creative writing curriculum that won’t break the bank, you do NOT want to miss WriteShop! Down to the last details, they’ve gone above and beyond to make it easier for you and your child to fall in love for writing.

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Top 10 Homeschooling High School Writing Curriculum Choices For 2021

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Homeschool High School Writing — Tips and Curriculum Reviews

But first, some general suggestions about homeschool high school writing:

Now for some homeschool high school writing curriculum we've used successfully:

Bravewriter — Help for High School

Rod & Staff 9 & 10 (Communicating Effective ly Boo ks 1 & 2)

Lightning Literatur e

More on conquering the SAT/ACT essay:

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