Blue Collar Homeschool Curriculum Criteria
In order to be listed in our curriculum lists, materials have to meet certain criteria:
- It must be uncomplicated to teach with.
- It must be as neutral as possible in terms of world view/religious perspectives. If it is not neutral, it must be an exceptionally good resource and be easy to "neutralize" and be able to be used by people of all faiths. This does not mean there is no mention of religion, but that religious training is not a key component of the curriculum.
- It must provide a good education which would fully prepare a student for the real world. Not all of the curriculum suggestions would be appropriate for the college bound student, but then not every student is headed for college and their needs should not be ignored as they so often are.
Items noted as "Tried and True" resources have been used by our own family, and we welcome questions!
We are not affiliated with any of the curriculum providers we recommend here, and receive no compensation in any form for our recommendation.
What is there out there for the struggling reader who is at the high school level? They have developmentally and intellectually moved beyond younger reading material, yet literature that is developmentally more appropriate is written at a level that is too high for some learners. The AGS series from Pearson Publishers is a perfect solution to introduce older readers to more mature content that allows them to continue to further develop their reading skills without being overwhelmed with content that is at too high a level. It is also great for those students who need solid literary introduction, but are not inclined to spend a lot of time in literature studies. Though the reading level might be lower, these wonderful anthologies include writings from classic authors such as Twain, Poe, Emerson, Dickinson, Hemingway and more.
The link above is for their American Literature Homeschool Bundle, but they also offer textbooks for British Literature, World Literature and Exploring Literature. While some web sites such as the one linked will show this series as being for 3-4th grade, that is due to the reading level only. This textbook series (and the entire AGS line, which includes all subjects such as math, science, etc.) is designated as "High School" level, and most states have approved them for high school special needs learners. The link provided is for Wieser Educational, a supplier of "Resources for Struggling Learners". These anthologies all come with a student textbook, a student workbook, and a teacher's resource CD with additional materials. The entire homeschool bundle is very affordable, and is definitely worth taking a look at. Also, this is a Tried and True resource!
What a terrific FREE resource this is! CommonLit offers reading selections such as poems, short stories, and articles for grades 5-12 with follow up questions and the ability to track student progress. This is an easy to use site which could supplement any reading program, help a parent assess their child's ability, and allow them to raise or lower the reading level as best suits their learner.
Hewitt Homeschooling's Lighting Literature program offers the homeschooling mom a wide variety of options to cover literature as well as composition, making it a full language arts curriculum. Reading several entire novels a year and working with the Lightning Literature workbook, your learner will cover a LOT of ground. The teacher's edition makes teaching literature far less complicated for those who are weak in this area, so there is no reason to be intimidated. Looking at their web site, you will discover a surprisingly wide array of literature packs, with categories that cover literature from Asia, Africa, and Latin America in addition to the usual standards of American and British literature. With that many options to choose from there is surely a pack that will work well for your student.
Random House for High School Teachers
Some folks like to use anthologies, some like to use whole books, and some like to use a blend. If you are looking for FREE book guides with a synopsis and plenty of discussion questions for a large variety of more contemporary novels for your young adult to read for Lit. Class, look no further than Random House. There are over 200 titles to choose from, so there is bound to be something any learner will enjoy. A web site that is not as commonly known, this is perfect for the home educator who really prefers novels for their students, but doesn't want such in depth study guides that all the fun is taken out of reading. These guides are a great way to ensure that the important points of literature are covered, and yet their simplified format helps the reader retain interest without being bogged down in so many literary analysis oriented questions that the fun of the story gets lost.
These study guides are very standards based, but as I perused them online I was pleasantly surprised to see how well laid out they were, and how easy to teach with they would be! Covering all the bases, and offering author biography and story setting info, these guides would make excellent in depth study tools. Clear for home educators to work with, even if they are weak in literature themselves, these guides can take the worry out of whole book literature studies. Broken down by chapter, there are comprehension questions, literary analysis helps, vocabulary lists, and tests should you desire to use them. Select four or five, and you have a years worth of literature study. There are many titles to choose from, all the typical high school standards, including a little Shakespeare.
TextWord Press - Implications of Literature
Keep it simple...shouldn't that be our mantra? However, simple is not a synonym for "dumbed down". Every high school student, regardless of their post-high school path, MUST be a good reader, capable of understanding more complex text. Sure, we all know that literary analysis is not likely to be used by someone going on to be an electrician or beautician, but excellent reading skills and a strong vocabulary will serve every single student well as they enter the work force or move on to higher education.
The Implications of Literature series is top notch, it just can't be beat! These thoughtfully compiled anthologies are filled with engaging literature written by the world's best authors. In their own words, TextWord Press has created "a classic, traditional, values-oriented language-arts curriculum that is academically uncompromising." That emphasis on values shines through on every page, as there are far more lessons to be learned than mere language arts. This is elevated literature, the best of the best, and your learner will gain insights and be guided to think differently as they read their way through the text. With end of lesson questions that are worthwhile, and a tremendous vocabulary emphasis, this series is a gem that is little known in many parts of the US, but is highly regarded in New York. Samples are available at their web site for each level. There are textbooks for grades 9-12 and they are a complete language arts program, with essay questions, vocabulary work, critical thinking questions, and literary analysis covering all genres. This series would be for average and above average readers. Student editions are $50 and teacher's editions are $75, so this is a mid-range textbook, offering very high value. This is a Tried and True resource!
Grammar and Writing
By high school many students have had enough grammar that there is little left to teach, and they are putting what they have learned into practice. For some students though, grammar is something that needs to be regularly reinforced...or perhaps presented for the first time if they have never had a good grounding in basic grammar and writing mechanics. Analytical Grammar is a solid curriculum that can be used to methodically cover grammar for those students needing it, without taking too much time out of your daily schedule. There are optional DVD's should you feel you need them.
Best Grammar Workbook
A great book for high school grammar review to brush up on all those skills learned in elementary school. Includes a pre-test and chapter review tests. This workbook is no-nonsense and concepts are clearly explained.
Constructing the House of Language
A great consumable workbook from Textword Press, publishers of the suggested Implications of Literature anthologies. Designed to be a brief review and reinforcement tool, which is what most students need at this level, Constructing the House of Language is a workbook with a style all its own, with many different practice activities in fun formats.
English Grammar 101
An AMAZING online grammar curriculum with instruction for free, and exercises and tests for a low annual fee. This is honestly all you would ever need for the majority of students for grammar, and many learners prefer the online format to workbooks.
Essentials in Writing
Another curriculum from our Elementary list, Essentials in Writing has some outstanding high school writing courses! With a PDF downloadable workbook partnered with a teaching DVD featuring short 7-10 minute lessons, this is the single easiest and least expensive curriculum to work with. It also covers everything your high schooler needs to know about writing, and provides lots of meaningful practice. Essentials in Writing offers courses for 9th - 12th grade which cover essay and report writing, and additional courses in creative writing and, an unusual offering at the high school level, technical writing. At $40 per course for DVD's and workbook, you won't find better instruction at a more affordable price.
Jensen's Format Writing
Simplified writing instruction with a single instruction book that can be used throughout high school? Does that sound good to you? If your student works their way through the lessons in this classic instruction book, they will most certainly be strong writers. Jensen's will teach your young writer not only how to write strong paragraphs, it teaches how to organize thoughts and express them in strategic, convincing essays and reports. There are lessons explaining note taking, resume writing, and much more. If you are looking for a single, simple to work with resource which will really yield results, look no further...this will make teaching writing painless, and actually enjoyable. There is no complicated process to follow, just concise instruction. These 154 pages of instruction pack a wallop!
The Power in Your Hands: Non-Fiction Writing in High School
If you struggle to teach writing, and want a worktext that walks your student (and you!) through the process of writing non-fiction, this is an excellent tool to use! The text speaks to your learner, and though you can purchase the teacher's manual if you desire, it is unnecessary...we never cracked ours open the entire year. This can easily be used over two years if you are also doing other writing assignments with your literature textbook. While it is NOT secular, it is not permeated with Christian content and for our secular families it can easily be worked around. This gets the job done, and the kids didn't groan over using it!! The assignments were interesting, held interest, and more importantly with writing, they didn't feel arduous. We often did a weeks worth of learning in one sitting, then they went off and did 3 or 4 assignments at a time. A Tried and True resource!
Walch Power Basics - English
Walch Power Basics - Introduction to Composition
Walch Power Basics are a curriculum designed to quickly present the basics of any subject area. These worktexts are great for independent study for the student who needs remediation and/or quick catch up for credit recovery, or who is simply wanting to move through the bare bones material so they can work toward career goals in trade or technical areas. While these would not be recommended for the college bound student, they are adequate texts for some students so that they can meet academic goals and progress through high school level content without being bogged down with minutiae they might feel is unnecessary.