Complete High School English Classes
NEW for 2026-27!
High School English 9 (live)
Two Courses—One Enrollment
Literature and Writing Combined in One Course
$950
English 9 is WriteAtHome’s full-year, all-in-one English course for 9th grade. It’s two courses but only one enrollment. English 9 combines our Introduction to High School Literature and Annual High School Writing 1 into a single enrollment.
Your student will read widely across genres — novels, drama, poetry, and nonfiction — while developing a broad range of writing skills, both academic and creative. The two subjects run alongside each other throughout the year, taught by experienced WriteAtHome instructors.
Is English 9 Right for Your Family?
Many parents find the traditional “English class” model, where literature and writing are part of the same course, the most natural fit for their homeschool. If you’ve been looking for a single, complete English class for your 9th grader rather than coordinating two separate enrollments, English 9 is designed with you in mind.
A few practical advantages:
Two courses, one enrollment, one transcript entry. English 9 appears on your student’s transcript as a single, recognizable English credit, the same format colleges and evaluators expect to see. You won’t need to average grades from two courses for your transcript.
One writing coach who knows your student’s work. The same person grades all literature and writing assignments throughout the year, building a consistent picture of your student’s progress.
Less to manage. Homeschooling involves a lot of moving parts. English 9 reduces two decisions to one.
How It Works
Live literature classes meet weekly and are taught by Brian Wasko. The course also has a TA who serves as the course’s writing coach, grades all literature and writing assignments throughout the year, and is available by email between classes for questions.
Student Expectations
Attend a one-hour, weekly, live literature course session
Complete each week’s assigned reading
Read a short lesson on writing
Take two short, online, comprehension quizzes each week, one on the writing lesson and one on the assigned reading
Answer an online literature discussion question each week
Submit one writing assignment each week (Click here to learn more about how we teach writing.)
What You’ll Read
In addition to a variety of short stories, poems, plays, essays, and articles provided in digital format, your student will read:
Of Mice and Men — John Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird — Harper Lee
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel — Madeleine L’Engle, adapted by Hope Larson (graphic novel edition required)
Our Town — Thornton Wilder
The Crucible — Arthur Miller
Macbeth — William Shakespeare
Lord of the Flies — William Golding
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass — Frederick Douglass
Includes both literature and writing instruction.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Honestly, not much in terms of content. Students cover the same material they would in our two standalone courses. The difference is structural: English 9 combines them into a single enrollment, with one course entry on your student’s transcript. If the simplicity of a single, all-in-one English class appeals to you, English 9 makes that easy. If you’d rather have flexibility, our standalone courses might suit you better. Either way, the quality of instruction is the same.
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Live classes meet on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Space is limited, so enrolling early is recommended to secure your student’s spot.
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No worries. Missing a class happens, and we don't penalize students for it. Flexibility is one of the best things about homeschooling, and we respect that. If your student misses a live literature session, a video lecture covering that day's reading will be available for them to watch on their own time. Just keep in mind these are dedicated content videos, not recordings of the live class itself.
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No — and that's intentional. Writing has many forms, and students need practice with more than literary analysis. Throughout the year your student will write in a variety of styles, both academic and creative, building a broad and solid writing foundation. Because the writing isn't built exclusively around the literature, students get a fuller writing education.
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No. You don’t need to purchase all of the books before the course starts. The course syllabus will show you the first date a reading assignment needs to be completed for each book. We suggest having each book at least a week before that date.
There are many options for acquiring the required books. You can purchase them from a local or online retailer, check them out of the library, or download electronic versions for most titles. In addition to the booklist, a variety of shorter readings will be provided to students in digital format at no extra cost.
If a specific edition is listed, such as the graphic novel version of A Wrinkle in Time, it’s important to get that version.
If you prefer for your students to take literature and writing separately, our standalone courses offer that flexibility. We offer both because families differ, and both are great options!
Click here to learn the differences between English 9 and English 9 LIVE.