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Get Everything You Need to Help Your Student
Become a Confident, Skilled Writer --
With complete, start-to-finish online writing courses for middle and high school students especially designed for homeschooling families — and taught by professional writers and experts — your student can get exactly what’s needed to make writing easier and more enjoyable.
- Find out more about LIVE classes here.
- Find out more about Unlimited Access recorded courses here.
- Find out more about Unlimited Access recorded courses with on-on-one Instructor Access tutoring here.
What Writing Courses Are Available?
Here’s Your Scope and Sequence...
What’s a Scope and Sequence?
(And why it’s important…)
The Scope and Sequence helps the parent and student to view all of the writing courses at a glance—and understand the order of courses to follow.
Here, you’ll find the complete list of Middle and High School courses “in order.” High School courses are divided into “Foundations” (the must-have foundational courses for writing) and “Writing Excellence” (the “go beyond” courses, to get deeper level, advanced writing skills for greater college readiness and career excellence).
How (and why) the sequence of courses works…
With the Foundations courses, you get all you need for solid writing skills.
The courses here exceed what other writing programs offer because they’re…
- Complete– With writing foundations, development, practice, and advanced pre-college/college preparation.
- Sequential – Taught in sequence, in easy-to-understand steps—with no “fluff” or wasted extra writing exercises. You get specific, targeted learning that helps your teen master single subject areas one at a time. Students finish foundational courses before moving ahead to advanced courses. It’s practical, clear, and based on what you need to know, to succeed in writing in college.
- Thorough – With no gaps, so your student is fully prepared for college and the workplace—with confidence—to write exceptionally well and enjoy writing.
With the Excellence courses, your student develops and perfects writing skills with special-interest courses like fiction writing and screenwriting, poetry and comedy writing, punctuation and essay writing excellence, and pre-college writing and research prep — so your student is fully prepared for college and beyond.
Do I need the High School Writing Assessment?
How do I know where to start—or where my student “fits”?
Most students follow the numbered “Foundations” courses in order. The first year courses in both middle and high school are essential (the 6/7-Series courses and the 9-Series courses) — making sure your student has a strong foundation to build upon before moving ahead.
If your student is starting the middle school courses here in 7th-8th grade, or if you’re starting the high school courses in10th-12th grade, simply watch the prerequisite courses in recording (Unlimited Access) before moving into an upper-grade-level LIVE or recorded course. If you want to talk to someone about where your student fits in the program, simply email [email protected] to get advice. We’re here to help.
If you want to know your high school student’s writing strengths and weaknesses, then getting a Writing Assessment might be the best way to find out exactly where your high school student stands. The Assessment measures how close your student’s writing skills compare to first-year college writing abilities.
A Full Writing Assessment and the Punctuation and Grammar (only) Writing Assessment are both available at any time of year. Your student’s punctuation and grammar skills, essay skills, and first-year college writing knowledge and abilities are tested via an essay, a multiple choice test, and a questionnaire. A professional writer/college professor will assess your work, and you’ll receive a detailed, approximately 20-page report with results that you can use to target your student’s future learning. Based on your student’s score, you may be able to move your student ahead to higher-level courses.
Go to https://homeschoolconnectionsonline.com/writing-evaluations to learn more.
Tell me about the specific courses…
Read the List of Courses Below
Foundational courses are numbered and listed “in order.” Many Writing Excellence courses (marked by an “X” for “excellence”) can be taken at the same time that your student takes a Foundational course—or they can be taken afterwards, in the summer, or as a “break” in the Foundations schedule. Advanced college prep courses are listed with the designation “COLL.”
Where are the course details, and when are the courses available?
Simply read the entries below. Each course listing shows the course’s identifying number, title, length (number of classes), and when and where the course is available. Follow the “Foundations” path for a complete writing program, and add “Writing Excellence” courses to meet your student’s high interest and extra skill building needs, to be fully prepared for the future. To view detailed LIVE course descriptions, visit the full course descriptions in this catalog. View the Unlimited Access catalog for recorded course details.
Questions?
Contact [email protected] and someone will get right back with you!
MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSES: “FOUNDATIONS”
MS 6/7 SERIES – SUGGESTED GRADE: 7TH OR ACCELERATED 6TH
WRITING ESSENTIALS
MS 6/7-1 WRITING ESSENTIALS 1: Punctuation and Grammar I
Six-weeks. No prerequisites. Take 6/7-1 and 6/7-2 together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 12 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Fall Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
MS 6/7-2 WRITING ESSENTIALS 2: Excellent Sentence and Paragraph Writing I
Six-weeks. Prerequisite: MS 6/7-1. Take the Middle School 6/7-1 and 6/7-2 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 12 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Fall Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
MS 6/7-3 WRITING ESSENTIALS 3: Punctuation and Grammar II
Six weeks. Prerequisites: MS 6/7-1 and 6/7-2. Take the Middle School 6/7-3 and 6/7-4 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 12 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
MS 6/7-4 WRITING ESSENTIALS 4: Excellent Sentence and Paragraph Writing II
Six weeks. Prerequisites: MS 6/7-1, 6/7-2, and 6/7-3. Take the Middle School 6/7-3 and 6/7-4 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 12 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
MS 7/8 SERIES – SUGGESTED GRADE: 8TH OR ACCELERATED 7TH
SIMPLIFIED WRITING
If entering AWA at the 7/8 grade level OR entering mid-semester, then watch the 6/7 Series in Unlimited Access recordings before joining the 7/8 courses/a higher-numbered course.
MS 7/8-1 SIMPLIFIED WRITING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL 1: Foundations of Composition I
Eight weeks. Prerequisites: MS 6/7 Series. Take the Middle School 7/8-1 and 7/8-2 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 14 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Fall Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
MS 7/8-2 SIMPLIFIED WRITING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL 2: Introduction to Essays and Papers I
Six weeks. Prerequisites: MS 6/7 Series and 7/8-1. Take the Middle School 7/8-1 and 7/8-2 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 14 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Fall Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
MS 7/8-3 SIMPLIFIED WRITING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL 3: Writing the Excellent Essay
Eight weeks. Prerequisite: MS 6/7 Series, 7/8-1, and 7/8-2. Take the Middle School 7/8-3 and 7/8-4 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 14 weeks of LIVE classes or 16 weeks of recorded classes). Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
MS 7/8-4 SIMPLIFIED WRITING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL 4: Writing Form and Style
Six weeks. Prerequisite: MS 6/7 Series, 7/8-1, 7/8-2, and 7/8-3. Take the Middle School 7/8-3 and 7/8-4 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 14 weeks of LIVE classes or 16 weeks of recorded classes). Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HIGH SCHOOL COURSES: “FOUNDATIONS”
WRITING ESSENTIALS & SIMPLIFIED WRITING
SUGGESTED GRADE: 9TH
HS 9-1 HIGH SCHOOL WRITING ESSENTIALS 1: Essential Punctuation and Grammar I
Six weeks. Prerequisite (required): None. Take the High School 9-2 and 9-2 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 14 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Fall Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS 9-2 HIGH SCHOOL SIMPLIFIED WRITING 1: Strong Foundational Writing Skills
Eight weeks. Prerequisite (required): HS 9-1. Take the High School 9-1 and 9-2 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 14 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Fall Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS 9-3 HIGH SCHOOL WRITING ESSENTIALS 2: Excellent Paragraphs and Essay Writing
Six weeks. Prerequisites (required): HS 9-1 and 9-2. Take the High School 9-3 and 9-4 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 14 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS 9-4 HIGH SCHOOL SIMPLIFIED WRITING 2: Beyond the Five-Paragraph Essay
Eight Weeks. Prerequisites (required): HS 9-1, 9-2, and 9-3. Take the High School 9-3 and 9-4 courses together to receive one full semester of credit (a total of 14 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
VOCABULARY AND WRITING
SUGGESTED GRADE: 10TH
HS 10-1 VOCABULARY AND WRITING: Vocabulary and Writing, Part One
14 Weeks. Prerequisites (required): HS 9-Series courses. Sign up for the High School 10-1 and 10-2 courses together to receive one full year of credit (a total of 28 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Fall Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS 10-2 VOCABULARY AND WRITING: Vocabulary and Writing, Part Two
14 Weeks. Prerequisites (required): HS 9-Series courses. Sign up for the High School 10-1 and 10-2 courses together to receive one full year of credit (a total of 28 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course. Also, it is preferred that students take the 10-1 course before the 10-2 course, but it is not required.
MAIN TRACK: CREATIVE WRITING AND LITERARY FORM
SUGGESTED GRADE: 11TH
If students take the 11th grade Creative Writing/Fiction Writing courses in Unlimited Access recordings, the courses are separated into 4-week sections. See the Unlimited Access Recorded Course Catalog for the recorded courses: 11-1, Plot & Structure; 11-2, Description & Setting; 11-3, Characters and Dialogue; 11-4, Theme, Style, & Point of View; 11-5, Conflict and Creating the Breakout Novel; and 11-7, Writing the Short Story.
HS 11-123 CREATIVE WRITING & LITERARY FORM 1 (FICTION WRITING LIVE COURSE)
Twelve weeks. Prerequisites: Required, HS 9-1; recommended, HS 9-2. Sign up for the LIVE High School 11-123 and 11-457 courses together to receive one full year of credit (a total of 24 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Fall Semester only and available anytime as three separate Unlimited Access recorded courses: 11-1, 11-2, and 11-3.
HS 11-456 CREATIVE WRITING & LITERARY FORM 2 ( FICTION WRITING LIVE COURSE)
Twelve weeks. Prerequisites: Required, HS 9-1; recommended, HS 9-2. Sign up for the LIVE High School 11-123 and 11-457 courses together to receive one full year of credit (a total of 24 weeks of classes). Available live in the Spring Semester only and available anytime as three separate as Unlimited Access recorded courses: 11-4, 11-5, and 11-7.
ADVANCED WRITING AND COLLEGE PREP
SUGGESTED GRADE: 12TH
The 12-Series courses fully prepare your student for college-level writing. Combine the 10-Series Vocabulary and Writing courses with the 12-Series courses for the equivalent of an AP English Language and Composition course/AP test preparation.
HS 12-1 (COLL) ADVANCED RHETORIC & WRITING 1: Rhetoric, Figures of Speech, Essays, & Papers
Ten weeks. Prerequisites: Required, HS 9-1 and 9-2; for your student’s success, HS 9-3 and 9-4 are recommended. Sign up for the High School 12-1 and 12-2 courses together to receive one full year of credit (a total of 20 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Fall Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS 12-2 (COLL) ADVANCED RHETORIC & WRITING 2: Research Writing (College Prep)
Ten weeks. Prerequisites: Required, HS 9-1 and 9-2; HS 9-3, 9-4, and 12-1 are recommended. Sign up for the High School 12-1 and 12-2 courses together to receive one full year of credit (a total of 20 weeks of classes). Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only or anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HIGH SCHOOL COURSES: “WRITING EXCELLENCE”
SUGGESTED GRADES: 9TH THROUGH 12TH
SOME PREREQUISITES APPLY
The following courses are exceptional courses that can be taken at any time during high school, if the student meets the prerequisite requirements. With the Writing Excellence courses, your student will dive deeper, have more practice to master concepts and specific types of writing, and gain professional-level “insider information” for higher-level writing skills.
COLLEGE PREP ACADEMIC WRITING
HS X-5 (COLL) HIGH SCHOOL WRITING ESSENTIALS 5: Punctuation and Grammar II, Fully Understanding Punctuation & Grammar
6 weeks. Prerequisite (required): HS 9-1. Available as an Unlimited Access recorded course only. This course helps your student fully grasp and excel in punctuation and grammar to be fully prepared for college. The course can be taken at any time.
COLL-1 Essay Test Mastery for College-Bound Students
Eight weeks. Prerequisites: HS 9-Series Courses (9-1 to 9-4). Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only. This college-prep course is only offered LIVE in the 2020-2021 school year and will not be available in recording until Summer 2021.
CREATIVE, CAREER, AND COLLEGE LITERATURE ANALYSIS
ADVANCED FICTION WRITING AND LITERARY FORM
HS X-9 ADVANCED FICTION WRITING: The Hero’s Journey & Mythic Structure for Writers I
Eight weeks. Prerequisite (required): HS 9-1; recommended, any of the 11-level fiction courses (taken previously or concurrently). Sign up for HS X-9 Part 1 and X-10 Part 2 together for a full year of advanced writing and literature credit. Available LIVE in the Fall Semester on alternating years only; available anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS X-10 ADVANCED FICTION WRITING: The Hero’s Journey & Mythic Structure for Writers II
Eight weeks. Prerequisite (required): HS 9-1 and X-9; recommended, any of the 11-level fiction courses (taken previously or concurrently). Sign up for HS X-9 Part 1 and X-10 Part 2 together for a full year of advanced writing and literature credit. Available LIVE in the Spring Semester on alternating years only; available anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS X-11 ADVANCED FICTION WRITING: Screenwriting I
Eight weeks. Prerequisite (required): HS 9-1; recommended, any of the 11-level fiction courses (taken previously or concurrently). Sign up for HS X-11 Part 1 and X-12 Part 2 together for a full year of advanced writing and literature credit. Available LIVE in the Fall Semester on alternating years only; available anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS X-12 ADVANCED FICTION WRITING: Screenwriting II
Eight weeks. Prerequisite (required): HS 9-1; recommended, any of the 11-level fiction courses (taken previously or concurrently). Sign up for HS X-11 Part 1 and X-12 Part 2 together for a full year of advanced writing and literature credit. Available LIVE in the Spring Semester on alternating years only; available anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS X-19 Write Your Own Science Fiction/Fantasy Short Story
Six weeks. Suggested Prerequisite: HS 9-1 and HS 11-7 Short Story course. Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only. This course is only offered LIVE in the 2020-2021 school year and will not be available in recording until Summer 2021.
HS 11-6 FICTION WRITING 6: Authoring a Book, Part 1 – How it Works, What it Takes, and How to Succeed
Four weeks. Prerequisite (required): HS 9-1; recommended 9-2. Sign up for HS 11-7 (Part 1) and HS 11-8 (Part 2) for a full semester of English and/or Career Preparation credit. Available anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS 11-8 FICTION WRITING 8: Authoring a Book, Part 2 – Perfecting the Query & Synopsis
Four weeks. Prerequisite (required): HS 9-1 and HS 11-7; recommended, HS 9-2. Sign up for HS 11-7 (Part 1) and 11-8 (Part 2) for a full semester of English and/or Career Preparation credit. Available anytime as an Unlimited Access course only.
HS X-15 FICTION WRITING: Fiction Writing Workshop
Summer Workshop. No Prerequisite. Available anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
HS X-15 FICTION WRITING: Screenwriting Workshop
Summer Workshop. No Prerequisite. Available anytime as an Unlimited Access recorded course.
CREATIVE AND COLLEGE LITERARY PREP
CREATIVE WRITING: EXPRESSIVE & POETIC FORMS
HS X-17 COMEDY WRITING: Comedy and Humor in Literature and Life, Part One
8 weeks. Prerequisites: HS 9-1 and 9-2. Take HS X-17 and HS X-18 together for a full year of English and Writing credit. Available LIVE in the Fall Semester only and will not be available in Unlimited Access recordings until Summer 2021.
HS X-18 COMEDY WRITING: Comedy and Humor in Literature and Life, Part Two
8 weeks. Prerequisites: HS 9-1 and 9-2. Take HS X-17 and HS X-18 together for a full year of English and Writing credit. Available LIVE in the Spring Semester only and will not be available in Unlimited Access recordings until Summer 2021.
HS X-13 FICTION WRITING: Introduction to Poetry
14 weeks. Prerequisite: None. Take HS X-13 and HS X-14 together for a full year of English and Writing credit. This course is available only in Unlimited Access as a recorded course and can be taken at any time.
HS X-14 FICTION WRITING: Poetry 1: Joining the Great Tradition
14 weeks. Prerequisite: HS X-13, Introduction to Poetry. Take HS X-13 and HS X-14 together for a full year of English and Writing credit. This course is available only in Unlimited Access as a recorded course and can be taken at any time.
ALTERNATE TRACK: BUSINESS WRITING
The Business Writing courses can be taken as an alternative to the 11th grade FOUNDATIONS year courses (Creative Writing & Literary Form) or as Writing Excellence courses (at any time during the high school years).
HS 11-9 BUSINESS WRITING: Professional Business Writing Essentials
Eight weeks. Prerequisites: HS 9-1 and 9-2. Students should take Business Writing Journalism (11-10) with this course (for a total of 16 weeks of classes), to make the Business Writing Track complete. This course is available only in Unlimited Access as a recorded course.
HS 11-10 BUSINESS WRITING: Foundations of Journalism
Eight weeks. Prerequisites: HS 9-1 and 9-2. Students should take Business Writing Essentials (11-9) with this course (for a total of 16 weeks of classes), to make the Business Writing Track complete. This course is available only in Unlimited Access as a recorded course.
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