The Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum Options Compared
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Choosing a homeschool writing curriculum can feel overwhelming. Unlike math, where an answer is either correct or incorrect, writing can be subjective. It also doesn’t always follow the same logical scaffolding, like a math or reading curriculum. The order in which writing skills are taught can differ from one homeschool writing curriculum to another.
One thing I have learned over many years of homeschooling is that every family wants something different from a homeschool writing curriculum. Some families want to help children develop a positive attitude towards writing. Others want children to write carefully constructed essays from a young age. Because every homeschool is unique, I can’t tell you the single best homeschool writing curriculum. However, I will provide an overview of many popular writing programs so you can choose the best one for your family.
Homeschool Writing Curriculum Comparison
How to Choose a Writing Curriculum
There are a few things to keep in mind when you are choosing a homeschool writing curriculum:
- Child’s personality
- Budget
- Parental involvement
- End goal
Child’s Personality
One of the benefits of homeschooling is that you can tailor your curriculum choices to your specific children. Consider:
- Attention span
- Reluctance to write
- Interest in books
Budget
Budgets need to be considered early in the homeschool curriculum selection process. Falling in love with a curriculum isn’t helpful if you find out afterwards that it is entirely out of your budget.
Parental Involvement
Some parents want to teach every part of every lesson. Others would prefer to let an expert teach the material while they offer support and guidance.
End Goal
Every child and every year looks a bit different. Consider what you want out of a homeschool writing curriculum for that specific year.
- Confidence – Some curriculum options do a fantastic job of boosting the confidence of reluctant writers.
- Academic rigor – Other curriculum options are highly academic.
- Check the box – Homeschooling happens in the real world. That means that some years you might be dealing with serious health issues or other complications, and you just need something easy to implement that will check writing off your list.
Homeschool Writing Curriculum Options
I will share the grade-level range, price, religious status, an overview, pros, cons, and my personal thoughts for each homeschool writing curriculum. Please note that while I spent many hours researching for this article, I do not have personal experience with every curriculum. I recommend reading through all of the options, including the pros and cons. Something that I consider a con might actually be a pro for your family. My goal with this post is to help you find the right homeschool writing curriculum for your family.
You may disagree with my assessments of each curriculum – that is okay. We each have different perspectives based on our past experiences and our priorities. These are my opinions based on 15 years of homeschooling and multiple years spent in classroom instruction.
I have grouped the homeschool writing curriculum options into three categories.
- Gentle Teaching
- Structured
- Classical
Gentle teaching curricula often have a Charlotte Mason element, even if they do not follow that methodology exclusively.
Structured writing curricula typically teach with a systematic approach. There is a clear learning path that will meet all of the traditional writing education standards.
Classical writing instruction follows the classical methodology. Students progress through three stages: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The grammar stage provides a strong foundation. The logic stage teaches students to organize their thoughts clearly. The rhetoric stage explains how to communicate persuasively.
Gentle Teaching
Grade level range: Elementary – High School
Price level: $79+
Religious: No
Overview: Brave Writer focuses on helping students express their thoughts confidently. There is an emphasis on creating a relaxing, fun, and supportive writing environment. Formal writing skills are sprinkled throughout the curriculum, but are not the focus in the early years of the program.
Pros:
- Builds confidence
- Fosters joy in learning
- Low-pressure
- Online classes as well as parent-led courses
Cons:
- May feel too unstructured
- Explicit grammar and writing skills are not introduced early
My Personal Thoughts: Brave Writer was the very first homeschool writing curriculum I used with my children. I chose it because it can help build confident writers. My daughter had a poor experience in public school and had become reluctant to write. After some time working through the Brave Writer curriculum, she began to enjoy writing again. Even now, at 20 years old, she writes for fun. I credit Brave Writer for restoring her joy of writing. However, we switched curricula around the beginning of middle school because I wasn’t seeing much progression in her writing skills.
I think Brave Writer is a fantastic way to get students comfortable expressing themselves through writing.
Grade level range: Elementary
Price level: $42
Religious: Yes
Overview: The Rabbit Trails Through Writing curriculum teaches writing through author and illustrator studies. Each month, students learn about a specific author or illustrator. Throughout the month, they read books, write copywork, enjoy hands-on activities, and produce a final piece of writing.
Pros:
- Literature-rich
- Integrates multiple subjects
- Designed to teach multiple ages (elementary) at one time
Cons:
- Limited explicit writing instruction
My Personal Thoughts: Rabbit Trails Through Writing can be a good fit for a family with young homeschool students who want to learn together. I am a fan of integrating subjects and including high-quality literature. If you want a religious, gentle writing introduction, check out Rabbit Trails Through Writing.
Related Posts: Gentle Teaching with Rabbit Trails Curriculum
Literary Adventures for Kids – Creative Writing 1
Grade level range: Advanced Middle School – High School
Price level: $297
Religious: No
Overview: This 12-week course will guide students through the creative writing process with short assignments and weekly online meetings. The course is intentionally supportive and offers opportunities for feedback from a teacher other than mom or dad. Students will learn fundamental creative writing skills in a low-pressure environment.
Pros:
- Combines online classes with self-paced independent work
- Teaches creative writing fundamental skills
- Focuses on creative expression
Cons:
- Short writing projects
- Expensive
My Personal Thoughts: While my students have not taken this specific Literary Adventures for Kids course, they have taken other LAK courses. The courses have always been well-organized, taught specific skills, and prepared my students for the next level. If you have the budget, this might be a great homeschool writing curriculum to check out for your high schooler.
Related: How I Used Literary Adventures for Kids
Grade level range: Elementary and Middle School
Price level: $60+
Religious: No
Overview: Blossom and Root does not have a stand-alone writing curriculum. Writing activities are added to the language arts lessons through journal writing assignments. One level, equivalent to a year of school, contains all of the subjects for the year.
Pros:
- Encourages original thought
- Flexible and adaptable curriculum
Cons:
- Writing instruction is light and added to other content
My Personal Thoughts: While the Blossom and Root curriculum appears to offer a gentle, discovery-based homeschool experience, the writing instruction seems like an afterthought. If you choose this curriculum for other subjects, I would recommend supplementing the writing instruction so they do not develop writing gaps.
Grade level range: Elementary – High School
Price level: $70+
Religious: Yes
Overview: The Good and the Beautiful curriculum integrates multiple content areas. The Language Arts book teaches phonics, writing, reading, grammar, punctuation, spelling, literature, geography, and art. It blends gentle teaching with structured lessons.
Pros:
- Requires very little lesson prep
- Well-organized lesson plans
- Visually beautiful lessons
Cons:
- Writing is not explicitly taught in the lower grade levels
My Personal Thoughts: If you want one curriculum for all subjects, The Good and the Beautiful may be a good option, especially in the early grades. However, while the other content areas appear well-developed, the writing instruction falls a bit short. This is a gentle introduction, but many students will need more explicit writing instruction in order to become strong writers.
Structured
Grade level range: Elementary – High School
Price level: $45+
Religious: No
Overview: WriteShop uses an incremental approach to teach students strong writing skills. The lower elementary levels focus on learning the writing process and creating solid sentences. The upper elementary and middle school levels focus on writing well-thought-out paragraphs for a variety of genres. The high school levels focus on writing essays. The elementary and middle school levels include age-appropriate games and activities to make writing fun.
Pros:
- Writing is broken into small, manageable tasks
- Emphasizes organization and brainstorming
- Open and go – There is very little prep for parents
Cons:
- Requires parents to teach the lessons
My Personal Thoughts: My family used the WriteShop homeschool writing curriculum for many years with great success. My students enjoyed writing while also learning the skills necessary for advanced writing. Both of my children were able to begin college writing classes while homeschooling after completing the high school levels of WriteShop.
Related: Frequently Asked Questions About WriteShop
Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW)
Grade level range: 3rd – High School
Price level: $55+
Religious: No
Overview: IEW utilizes video-based instruction. Students watch a video of Andrew Pudewa teaching a lesson. Parents watch a video about how to support the lesson at home. Then the students complete the assignments given in the video. Parents check each assignment. The video does the core teaching, but parents still provide assistance, feedback, and grades.
Pros:
- Video-based lessons can be a great way to break up the homeschool day
- Clear and consistent lesson structure
- Explicit expectations
Cons:
- Can feel formulaic
My Personal Thoughts: I have not used IEW, but many of my homeschool friends are fans of this program. It seems to produce competent writers, so I think it is worth exploring if it looks appealing. The curriculum offers an extremely generous return policy, so if it looks like a good fit for your family, there is no risk in trying it.
Grade level range: Elementary – High School
Price level: $99+
Religious: No
Overview: Essentials in Writing is a video-based homeschool writing curriculum. Each week, students watch a video and complete an assignment. The parents do not need to teach the lessons, but they do need to provide feedback.
Pros:
- Direct instruction is utilized to teach the concepts
- Easy for busy parents with limited time
- Includes grammar – this is somewhat rare for a writing curriculum
Cons:
- There is more focus on the final result than on the writing process
My Personal Thoughts: This looks like a solid homeschool writing curriculum. I like that a teacher’s book and alternative teaching strategies are available. These can help a struggling student tremendously. I also like that the video length increases with age. The videos for the youngest writers are around 2 minutes long, while the videos for the oldest students are closer to 15 minutes.
Grade level range: Kindergarten
Price level: $90
Religious: No
Overview: Scribbles to Stories is organized into month-long writing units that take students from drawing a picture to writing a variety of genres. The lessons are well organized and incorporate books.
Pros:
- Structured lessons that follow a consistent format
- Students begin using the writing process early
- Units are scaffolded appropriately
Cons:
- Only kindergarten level
My Personal Thoughts: I used Scribbles to Stories with my kindergarten class, and I am a big fan. Students were guided gently and systematically through the writing process – even before they could read or write! If I ever get the opportunity to homeschool kindergarten writing again, this will be my top pick for a homeschool writing curriculum.
Classical
Grade level range: Elementary
Price level: $27+
Religious: No
Overview: Writing with Ease, by Susan Wise Bauer, is an elementary writing curriculum that focuses on copywork, narration, and listening comprehension. There are also optional creative writing assignments.
Pros:
- Open and go
- Incorporates literature
Cons:
- Repetative
My Personal Thoughts: This might be a good introductory writing curriculum if you want something that is parent-led with short lessons. I don’t think it is going to foster a love of writing, but it will check the box for teaching writing if that is your goal.
Grade level range: Middle School – High School
Price level: $47+
Religious: No
Overview: Writing with Skill is the next homeschool writing curriculum in the program by Susan Wise Bauer. Students are still practicing narration, but are now incorporating more writing techniques. They are learning to outline and write a variety of essay genres.
Pros:
- Skills are systematically taught
- Prioritizes academic writing projects
- Utilizes quality literature
Cons:
- Extremely academic for middle schoolers
My Personal Thoughts: Writing with Skill looks like an amazing writing curriculum. However, I was surprised to see that the target grades are middle school. The reading passages in the sample look quite advanced. Many middle school students will struggle with this level of rigor unless they are familiar with the classical model of education and have strong educational support at home.
Grade level range: 3rd – Middle School
Price level: $55+
Religious: Yes
Overview: Writing and Rhetoric follows the classical education belief that students become strong writers by imitating strong writers. Early levels of the program focus on narration and copywork. Higher levels feature strong writing composition.
Pros:
- Features multiple types of literature
- Well-designed lesson progression
Cons:
- Minimal grammar instruction
- Lessons can be a bit long
My Personal Thoughts: If you are interested in a classical writing curriculum, this might be one to consider. I like that a variety of literature types are included. The sample lessons look time-intensive, so my recommendation is to slow down the program and go at a pace that works for your family.
Best Picks by Category
Best for Reluctant Writers
Brave Writers – Brave Writers is designed to help students enjoy writing.
Best Literature-Based Option
Rabbit Trails Through Writing – Every Rabbit Trails Through Writing unit features plenty of high-quality literature.
Best Online Option
IEW – Andrew Pudewa is known for producing engaging online writing lessons
Best for Creative Writing
Literary Adventures for Kids – The Literary Adventures for Kids Creative Writing curriculum specifically teaches creative writing skills.
Best Budget Option
Rabbit Trails Through Writing – The Rabbit Trails Through Writing curriculum is not only affordable, but it is also designed to be used by all of the elementary-age students in your home. That means fewer curricula to purchase.
Related: Bookmark the homeschool deals page so you can always find homeschool sales.
Best Open-and-Go Curriculum
WriteShop – WriteShop requires very little prep from parents.
Best for Kindergarten
Scribbles to Stories – It is hard to create a writing program for children who are just learning to read and write, but Scribbles to Stories does an amazing job sequencing the program.
Common Mistakes When Choosing a Homeschool Writing Curriculum
Not Checking Out Sample Lessons
Sample lessons are one of the best ways to decide if a homeschool writing curriculum is a good fit for your family. Pay particular attention to:
- Pacing of the lessons
- Lesson length
- Level of rigor
- Parental involvement required
Choosing a Level That is Too Advanced
If a placement test is available, use it. A program that is too difficult will lead to frustration and tears, not stronger writing skills. It is also one way that students become resistant to writing.
Expecting Fast Results
Learning to write is a skill that must be developed over time. Don’t expect perfection from young writers. It needs to be taught over multiple years.
Choosing a Curriculum That Doesn’t Match Their Homeschool
Every homeschool is a little different. We all have different children, different time constraints, different budgets, and different personalities. For example, if you know that you live far from a public library, a writing curriculum that requires new books every week might not be the best.
If you tend to homeschool with one educational philosophy, it is best to choose curricula that all support that philosophy. If you are an eclectic homeschool, like my family, you have more flexibility.
I hope this homeschool writing comparison helped you choose the best option for your family!
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- Homeschool Curriculum Reviews
- Current Homeschool Deals and Sales
- Everything You Need to Know About Teaching Kindergarten Writing
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