Online High School Language Arts Curriculum

Strong reading and writing skills are crucial for success in adulthood. A good high school English language arts (ELA) curriculum is relevant in daily life, creating the foundation for effective communication, critical thinking analysis, and an appreciation for different perspectives.

As students explore centuries of literature and language, they sharpen their academic abilities and gain essential life skills, fostering confidence, articulation, and leadership qualities that will serve them throughout their lives.

What do students learn in high school English classes?

For homeschoolers in many states, parents determine their student’s graduation requirements. For a well-rounded education, your high school English curriculum should include:

Analysis of different genres
The history of literature, literary movements, and famous authors
Identification of themes, story elements, character motives, and author’s purpose
Exploration of different writing styles, devices, and advanced grammar rules
Reading classic literature, such as Romeo and Juliet or Pride and Prejudice
How to craft arguments, present evidence, draw conclusions, and cite sources
Practice implementing different writing styles and devices in essays and assignments

teen girl reading a book on a pier on the lake

Reading Comprehension Level H (Revised 2023)

Suggested Grades: 7th

In this course, students will read many different genres and practice their language skills through reflective exercises. Students will gain new reading strategies in our Language Skills courses. The Reading Comprehension courses reinforce those skills.

Key topics include:

Fiction, including works such as The Lightning Thief and When You Trap a Tiger
Literary nonfiction, including works such as The Boys in the Boat and The Playbook
Drama, including original plays such as Mark is Missing and works plays such as The Diary of Anne Frank
Poetry, such as “The Road Not Taken” and “A Dream Within A Dream”
Nonfiction, including topics such as the Bermuda Triangle, dragons, and parkour

Foundations in Language Arts 1

Suggested Grades: 7th

In this course, students will continue to learn about various parts of speech, advanced punctuation, and persuasive writing. The skills learned in this course can be applied and practiced directly in Reading Comprehension Level H. We also recommend that students build their vocabulary with our Daily Vocabulary Practice.

Key topics include:

Pronoun case, demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, correlative conjunctions
Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs
Persuasive writing with The Wizard of Oz
Greek and Latin roots vocabulary

Reading Comprehension Level I (Revised 2024)

Suggested Grades: 8th

As in the Reading Comprehension course for 7th grade, in this course, students will read many different genres and practice their language skills with reflective exercises. Students will gain new reading strategies through our Language Skills courses. The Reading Comprehension courses reinforce those skills.

For Reading Comprehension Level I, key topics include:

Fiction, including works such as Refugee and The Outsiders
Poetry, including works such as “Annabel Lee” and “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”
Nonfiction, including topics such as black holes, video games, and the electric guitar

Foundations in Language Arts 2 (NEW 2023)

Suggested Grades: 8th

Our Foundations in Language Arts 2 course teaches reading comprehension, writing, critical thinking, and language skills. We also recommend that students strengthen their vocabulary knowledge with the Daily Vocabulary Practice.

Key topics include:

Exploring the themes of “home” and descriptive writing
Elements of short stories such as theme, characterization, and setting in narrative writing
Overcoming adversity by exploring famous authors’ writing struggles
How to research, including identifying bias and reliable sources
Analysis of literary devices in a close reading of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
Techniques of effective persuasive writing

English 1

Suggested Grades: 9th

English I introduces students to diverse literary genres, including works like O. Henry’s short stories, Robert Frost’s poetry, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Through critical reading, textual analysis, and exercises in grammar, vocabulary, and writing, students acquire skills that will be expanded upon in future English courses.