My son will be in 11th grade this year and we were in search of a good writing curriculum that covered everything he would need to prepare him for college. We have used a few different writing curricula over the years, but I was looking for something different.
I have been searching for something he could use independently without my help. I am a busy mama of 4. I work from home and help my husband with our home business. I do not have time to watch videos or read big, thick, instruction manuals to teach me how to teach my child how to write. I needed something affordable, open and go, and written directly to the student.
I also wanted a formal literature curriculum since we have only ever done Literature unit studies. I wanted something that covered good books and explained all the literary terms. Since we will be doing writing and grammar separately, I wanted something that didn’t require huge papers on every single book!
I am thrilled to say that I found what we were searching for from Writing with Sharon Watson! We found our Highschool Writing Curriculum AND our Highschool Literature Curriculum!
What we are using this year for 11th grade:
Highschool Writing: The Power in Your Hands
Description from website:
With The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School, your teens learn writing in a relaxed atmosphere with some humor thrown in. They’ll conquer what they need to know for high school and will be prepared for college writing. First, they’ll learn to write persuasively. Later, they’ll navigate a comparison-and-contrast essay, a biography, a literary analysis, a research paper with MLA documentation, and much, much more. In addition, students will master description and narration essays.
I have really enjoyed pouring over this curriculum! We are Charlotte Mason Style homeschoolers, so I love anything that is written in a conversational tone! The humor is witty and fun, and it is written directly to the student. This curriculum teaches itself!
There are 100 lessons and 22 essays and reports. I spoke with Sharon directly about the best way to schedule this curriculum for my son. She told me that most moms like to use this over two years. This is a more leisurely pace, especially for students with little writing experience. They go through chapters 1-13 the first year, ending with the position paper (research) in May, and then pick it up again the next year with chapter 14.
This is exactly what we are going to do! Stretching this out over two years makes this one of the most affordable highschool writing programs I have ever found!
You can view FREE Samples HERE!
Highschool Literature: Illuminating Literature: When Worlds Collide
Description from Website:
Your teens will appreciate the unstuffy way Sharon Watson teaches literature. They’ll read some great novels, encounter the hero’s journey, learn literary terms and elements, and gain an appreciation for fine literature. More important, eager and reluctant readers will become more discerning as they learn the secret craft of the writer. Prepare your teens for college literature courses and for the rest of their reading life.
The curriculum consists of a student book and a teacher book with all the answers. You can purchase a quiz and test book, or your child can take their quizzes and tests online for free. They are even graded for you! You can also download a FREE student novel notebook.
This brand new Literature Curriculum carries the same relaxing, conversational tone written directly to the student. It also covers every literary term and device your student will need to know, while reading some AMAZING books!
You can order these from their aStore in print format (which I prefer). You can also use ebooks, if your student is familiar with the search function as the pages may not match up. The print versions listed are very affordable and easily found in used bookstores and libraries.
You can download the FREE Novel Notebook and try the first TWO Chapters FREE HERE!
I am extremely pleased with our selection this year. My son is excited too! He loves to read and can’t wait for the Literature. He isn’t too fond of writing, but was happy with how it was laid out. I know he will enjoy the conversational tone and the humor! I am happy that I can sit back and watch him learn! I may even re read some favorite books with him this year!
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Sarah is a wife, daughter of the King and Mama to 4 children (one who is a homeschool graduate)! She is a an eclectic, Charlotte Mason style homeschooler that has been homeschooling for almost 20 years.. She is still trying to find the balance between work and keeping a home and says she can only do it by the Grace of God, and Coffee!
