Homeschool Writing Scope and Sequence
For the 2015/2016 school year, Homeschool Connections has made some slight changes to the titles of all our writing courses. This change was implemented to help parents by making the course titles self explanatory and easier to understand.
Below is an explanation of our writing program plus a scope and sequence to help you plan your school year …
Aquinas Writing Advantage: What is it?
Homeschool Connections has taken our separate writing courses and put them together to create a full program for you and your children:
- Complete, progressive, and thorough
- Give your student all the skills needed—foundations, development, advanced, and creative writing
- Leaves no gaps and prepares your student for college and the workplace
- Designed as a skills-based program—your student will advance and increase writing skills faster than a grade-based program
MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL
Foundations
- Middle School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar (6 weeks)
- Middle School Essential Writing 2: Sentence and Paragraph Writing (6 weeks)
- Middle School Simplified Writing 1 (8 weeks)
Development
- Middle School Simplified Writing 2: Essays and Papers (8 weeks)
MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
Creative (Middle and High School)
- Fiction: Description and Setting (4 weeks)
- Fiction: Character and Dialogue (4 weeks)
- Fiction: Plot and Structure (4 weeks)
- Fiction: Theme, Style, and Point of View (4 weeks)
- Fiction: Conflict (4 weeks)
- Fiction: Authoring a Book (4 weeks)
- The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 1: Archetypes (8 weeks)
- The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 2: Form (8 weeks)
- Poetry Writing I; Joining the Great Tradition (14 weeks)
- Coming in 2016/2017: Screenwriting
HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
Foundations
- How to be an Excellent Student (4 weeks)
- High School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar (6 weeks)
- High School Simplified Writing 1 (8 weeks)
Development
- High School Essential Writing 2: Excellent Paragraphs and Essays (6 weeks)
- Vocabulary and Writing, Part One (14 weeks)
- Vocabulary and Writing, Part Two (14 weeks)
Advanced
- Simplified Writing 2: Rhetoric, Essays and Papers (10 weeks)
- Simplified Writing 3: Research Writing (10 weeks)
- Coming in 2016/2017: The 5-Paragraph Essay and Beyond
Aquinas Writing Advantage: Suggested Scope and Sequence
Parents often asked us, “Where do I start in writing?” To answer that question, we offer the following scope and sequence based on your student’s grade level in the fall. Whether your child is starting with Homeschool Connections in 7th grade or 12th grade, in the fall or in the spring, we can help you. Note that the following is only our suggestion, based on our general experience. There is wiggle room for students joining us midyear, who already have heavy writing experience, or need to change the order due to courses filling and closing. Every child and every homeschool is different. You know your child best, so you always have the final say in your child’s education at HSC.
For the Student Beginning in the 12th Grade
12th GRADE
Fall
High School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar
High School Simplified Writing 1
Vocabulary and Writing, Part One
Spring
High School Simplified Writing 2: Rhetoric, Essays, and Papers
High School Simplified Writing 3: Research Writing (College Prep)
Vocabulary and Writing, Part Two
For the Student Beginning in the 11th Grade
11th GRADE
Fall
High School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar
High School Simplified Writing 1
Vocabulary and Writing, Part One
Spring
High School Essential Writing 2: Paragraphs and Essays
Vocabulary and Writing, Part Two
12th GRADE
Fall
High School Simplified Writing 2: Rhetoric, Essays, and Papers
Advanced Fiction Writing: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 1: Archetypes
Spring
High School Simplified Writing 3: Research Writing (College Prep)
Advanced Fiction Writing: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 2: Form
For the Student Beginning in the 10th Grade
10th GRADE
Fall
High School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar
High School Simplified Writing 1
Vocabulary and Writing, Part One
Spring
Vocabulary and Writing, Part Two
Fiction Writing Series (Three four-week courses)
11th GRADE
Fall
Advanced Fiction Writing: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 1: Archetypes
High School Essential Writing 2: Paragraphs and Essays
Spring
Advanced Fiction Writing: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 2: Form
12th GRADE
Fall
High School Simplified Writing 2: Rhetoric, Essays, and Papers
Spring
High School Simplified Writing 3: Research Writing (College Prep)
For the Student Beginning in the 9th Grade
9th GRADE
Fall
Fiction Writing Series (Three 4-week courses)
Spring
Fiction Writing Series (Three 4-week courses)
10th GRADE
Fall
High School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar
High School Simplified Writing 1
Vocabulary and Writing, Part One
Spring
Vocabulary and Writing, Part Two
11th GRADE
Fall
Advanced Fiction: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 1: Archetypes
High School Essential Writing 2: Paragraphs and Essays
Spring
Advanced Fiction: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 2: Form
12th GRADE
Fall
High School Simplified Writing 2: Rhetoric, Essays and Papers
Spring
High School Simplified Writing 3: Research Writing (College Prep)
For the Student Beginning in the 8th Grade
8th GRADE
Fall
Middle School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar
Middle School Simplified Writing 1
Spring
Middle School Essential Writing 2: Sentences and Paragraphs
Fiction Writing Series (Three 4-week courses)
9th GRADE
Fall
Middle School Simplified Writing 2: Essays and Papers
Spring
Fiction Writing Series (Three 4-week courses)
10th GRADE
Fall
High School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar
High School Simplified Writing 1
Vocabulary and Writing, Part One
Spring
Vocabulary and Writing, Part Two
11th GRADE
Fall
High School Essential Writing 2: Paragraphs and Essays
Advanced Fiction Writing: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 1: Archetypes
Spring
Advanced Fiction Writing: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 2: Form
12th GRADE
Fall
High School Simplified Writing 2: Rhetoric, Essays, and Papers
Spring
High School Simplified Writing 3: Research Writing (College Prep)
For the Student Beginning in the 7th Grade
7th GRADE
Fall
Middle School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar
Middle School Simplified Writing 1
Spring
Middle School Essential Writing 2: Sentences and Paragraphs
8th GRADE
Fall
Middle School Simplified Writing 2: Essays and Papers
Spring
Fiction Writing Series (Three 4-week courses)
9th GRADE
Fall
Fiction Writing Series (Three 4-week courses)
Spring
High School Essential Writing 1: Punctuation and Grammar
High School Simplified Writing 1
10th GRADE
Fall
Vocabulary and Writing, Part One
Spring
Vocabulary and Writing, Part Two
11th GRADE
Fall
High School Essential Writing 2: Paragraphs and Essays
Advanced Fiction Writing: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 1: Archetypes
Spring
Advanced Fiction Writing: The Hero’s Journey and Mythic Structure for Writers 2: Form
12th GRADE
Fall
High School Simplified Writing 2: Rhetoric, Essays, and Papers
Spring
High School Simplified Writing 3: Research Writing (College Prep)
