Curated guide
Best High School English Curriculum for Homeschool
6 curricula in this guide
High school English is really two subjects: literature and composition. Colleges expect four years of it, one credit per year, and strong writing is the skill that pays off on every application essay. The best programs either teach writing explicitly or pair great books with real writing assignments.
IEW is the writing powerhouse, with a structured method that works even for reluctant writers. Memoria Press pairs classic literature with careful study guides. BJU Press covers grammar, literature, and writing in a traditional textbook line, and Oak Meadow takes a secular, discussion-driven approach. Browse every high school English option in our directory below.
Editor's selection
Our picks
IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Institute for Excellence in Writing
Structured writing curriculum using the Structure and Style method with engaging video instruction. Teaches reluctant writers to produce organized, stylistic prose through nine structural models.
Memoria Press
Memoria Press
Classical Christian curriculum with a strong emphasis on Latin, memorization, and the liberal arts. Highly organized with complete grade-level packages and optional online academy classes.
BJU Press
BJU Press
Comprehensive traditional Christian curriculum with optional professional video instruction (Distance Learning). Rigorous academics with critical thinking emphasis across all subjects K4-12.
Oak Meadow
Oak Meadow
Waldorf-inspired secular curriculum emphasizing creativity, nature, and hands-on learning. Offers both independent homeschool materials and an accredited distance-learning school option.
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Acellus Academy
International Academy of Science
Fully accredited online K-12 school with WASC accreditation, AP courses, NCAA-approved cores, and military Tier I status. Same video content as Power Homeschool but with diploma, transcripts, and teacher support.
Classical Conversations
Classical Conversations
Classical Christian education combining weekly in-person community meetings with at-home study. Memory work, Socratic discussion, and the trivium model structure a unique hybrid program.
IXL Learning
IXL Learning
Adaptive skill-by-skill practice platform with over 17,000 standards-aligned skills across math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. Strongest as practice and diagnostic, not initial instruction.
Memoria Press
Memoria Press
Classical Christian curriculum with a strong emphasis on Latin, memorization, and the liberal arts. Highly organized with complete grade-level packages and optional online academy classes.
Outschool
Outschool
Marketplace of independent teachers offering 140,000+ live small-group video classes, 1:1 tutoring, and self-paced courses for ages 3-18. Supplemental enrichment, not a full curriculum.
Power Homeschool
International Academy of Science
Self-paced video curriculum sharing identical content with Acellus Academy but without enrollment, accreditation, or teacher support. Significant 2025 price increase from ~$31/mo to $99/mo.
Common questions
Frequently asked
What should high school English cover each year?
Four credits, each combining literature and composition. A common sequence pairs a literature focus with a writing focus per year, for example American literature with research writing, or British literature with literary analysis. Colleges want to see four years, and they want to see writing, not just reading.
How much writing should a high schooler be doing?
Enough that essays stop being an event. A reasonable target is several substantial papers per year, including at least one researched paper with citations before graduation. Frequency matters more than length. A student who writes regularly arrives at college composition prepared in a way that a student who wrote three papers total does not.
Do we have to read the classics?
Not exclusively, but read some. Shared cultural texts show up in college coursework, standardized tests, and general literacy, and a student who has never worked through difficult prose is at a real disadvantage. Mixing canonical works with contemporary literature usually keeps engagement up without giving up the benefit.
How do I grade my own child's writing?
Use a rubric, and keep it consistent across the year. Grading against stated criteria for thesis, evidence, organization, and mechanics is far more defensible than a general impression, and it gives your student something actionable. Save graded papers as portfolio evidence supporting the transcript grade.
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