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)