Teaching High School Language Arts: Resources

Perhaps it would be better to list it as English Resources or Resources for Teaching Literature and Composition.  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew I’ve had the opportunity to use several different programs including those focused more on literature, those focused more on writing skills, and those that strive to teach one through the other.

These are my most favorite resources for teaching Language Arts or English at the high school level.  They are listed in no particular order.

Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW)

I fell in love with IEW’s approach to teaching writing about 5 years ago when I first reviewed Teaching Writing Structure and Style and Student Writing Intensive C. This is a high school level writing program that teaches parents and teachers how to teach writing. The program can be adapted to add grammar and literature for a full English course. Earlier this year I had the opportunity to review the revised brand new updated Teaching Writing Structure and Style.

I also love and use their High School Essay Intensive.  Both Turtlegirl and Boobear have used this as part of their prep for learning how to write high school level essays and for prepping for the essay portion of the SAT.  The essay portion of the SAT will become optional but Boobear tells me that HS Essay Intensive helped prep her for all the little essays and short papers she has had to write in college.

Learning Language Arts Through Literature

I was first introduced to LLATL at  small homeschool group meeting where moms were doing a kind of show and tell of the curriculum they were using. My oldest wasn’t quite 3 years old at the time and my youngest hadn’t even been conceived yet! I loved that it was a complete language arts program that taught writing through great literature. We even used LLATL for a few years when the girls were, you know, old enough to do school.

Learning Language Arts has at least TWO High School level programs available: The Gold Book which covers British Literature and includes novels such as Emma by Jane Austen and Frankenstein by Mary Shelly and the Silver book which covers American literature.

Writing with Sharon Watson

We’ve had the privilege of using and reviewing two programs from Writing with Sharon Watson. The first is a writing curriculum Writing Fiction [in High School].  I recommend this program for students who want to right fiction especially a full novel. I think it pairs nicely with NaNoWriMo.

The other is my current favorite high school Literature program. This is what we are using right now with Tailorbear: Illuminating Literature: When Worlds Collide. I do have to point out that I love how thoroughly this program teaches literary analysis. This doesn’t use the typical selections found in so many other programs but I found it a refreshing change.

Please go visit these blogging friends of mine from the Schoolhouse Review Crew. Find out what they have to say about Homeschooling Language Art in the High School!

Carol from Home Sweet life shares Homeschooling High School- Language Arts (&History!)

Leah from As We Walk Along the Road shares Teaching Language Arts in High School: Curriculum and Activity Choices

Michele from Family, Faith and Fridays shares Language Arts

Wendy from Life at Rossmont shares Highschool Language Arts

Erica from Be the One shares Language Arts Resources

Kym from Homeschool Coffee Break shares History in the Form of Stories

Debbie from Debbie’s Homeschool Corner shares Teaching High School English

Gena from I Choose Joy shares Homeschool High School: Using Socratic Discussion for Literature Studies

Laura from Day by Day in Our World shares How to Teach High School Language Arts Without Tears

Come back next month for another installment of the Homeschooling High School Blog Hop!