A Grade-by-Grade Guide to WriteAtHome ~
A Grade-by-Grade Guide to WriteAtHome ~
A simple guide for planning writing, literature, history, and social studies from fourth grade through graduation.
Finding Your Path for Grades 4–12
Choosing the right courses for your student can feel overwhelming — especially when you're staring down nearly a decade of decisions all at once. The good news is that there's no single "correct" way to move through your homeschool years. Our courses are designed to work together in a variety of combinations, and families find success approaching them in many ways.
That said, we know that flexibility isn't always what a parent is looking for. Sometimes you just want someone to say, here's what we'd do.
If that’s you, this guide is for you.
From 4th grade through graduation, we have everything you need to give your student a complete, rigorous English education covering writing, grammar, and literature. And when it comes to history and social studies, we've built out a full continuum there as well, so you never have to look elsewhere to fill a gap or piece together resources from different providers.
The recommendations below represent the path we'd choose if we were planning a thorough, well-rounded education from 4th grade through 12th. It’s mean to be a cohesive plan rather than a menu of options and it’s not so much a rulebook, as it is us answering the question, "What would you pick?"
Use it as a starting point, a checklist, or a complete road map, whatever serves your family best. And remember, these are recommendations, not requirements. Your student's interests, strengths, and goals should always have the final word.
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At this age, one great course is more than enough. ELA Grade 4 covers everything: reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary — all in one coach-led program. Let your fourth grader get comfortable with the coaching process, build confidence, and just enjoy writing.
ELA Grade 4 (Annual · 32 weeks) A complete, teacher-led English Language Arts course where reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary are woven together with personal feedback on every assignment. Perfect as a standalone full year.
Why we love this: One course, one teacher, one clear focus. Fourth grade doesn't need complexity, it needs good habits. This builds exactly that.
What comes next: In fifth grade, you simply move up to ELA Grade 5 which provides the same teaching approach at the next level.
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Fifth grade is still elementary, but the writing challenges are ramping up. The goal here is to arrive at sixth grade with real writing skills and a student who knows how to take feedback.
ELA Grade 5 (Annual 32 weeks) The natural continuation of Grade 4 ELA — reading comprehension, writing across genres, grammar, and vocabulary with personal feedback on every assignment. The ideal bridge into middle school.
Why we love this: Don't rush into a multi-course bundle yet. Fifth grade is your last year to really focus on foundational writing and reading before middle school.
What comes next: Middle School Writing 1 and Middle School Literature 1.
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Middle school is when we'd add a second course alongside writing. Pairing MS Annual Writing 1 with MS Literature 1 gives your student a complete English credit. Together, they form the first year of a three-year middle school humanities program.
MS Annual Writing 1 (Annual · 32 weeks) The first year of the middle school writing sequence includes narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive writing with multi-draft coach feedback and rubric scoring.
MS Literature 1 (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) The first year of teacher-led literary reading which includes online discussions, quizzes, discussion posts, two papers, and a project.
Why we love this combination: Combining writing and literature from day one of middle school, teaches your student to write well and to read deeply — two skills that reinforce each other all the way through high school. This combination provides students with a full English class.
What comes next: Grade 7 adds American History alongside Writing 2 and Literature 2 completing the Humanities block.
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This is the year we'd bring history into the picture. MS Writing 2 and MS Literature 2 continue the sequences started in sixth grade, and MS American History joins them to form a complete, three-subject humanities program. Writing is woven into history too, so your student is practicing it everywhere, not just in writing class.
MS Writing 2 (Annual · 32 weeks) Year two of the middle school writing sequence offers more complex writing types, but the same multi-draft feedback from a personal coach. It builds directly on Writing 1.
MS Literature 2 (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) Year two of teacher-led literary reading encourages students to dig deeper and provides engagement with books, literary analysis, and discussion. Pairs with Writing 2 for a complete English 7 credit.
MS American History (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) Teacher-led American History focuses on cause-and-effect thinking and the big picture of American history. Adding this to literature and writing completes the Humanities block.
Why we love this combination: Three courses from one trusted provider with expert teaching and coaching. By end of seventh grade, your student will know how to write a historical analysis, discuss a novel, and argue a position. That's a strong student.
What comes next: Grade 8 stays the same shape: Writing 3, Literature 3, and World History complete the middle school story.
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Eighth grade is the final piece of the middle school Humanities program. MS Writing 3 and MS Literature 3 complete the three-year sequences. Adding World History gives students a global perspective before entering high school and is a good companion to seventh grade's American History.
MS Writing 3 (Annual · 32 weeks) The final year of middle school writing continues to build skills in research writing, persuasive essays, and the academic writing skills your student will need in high school. Like all writing courses, it includes multi-draft assignments and is coach-led with final drafts receiving a rubric grade.
MS Literature 3 (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) Year three of the middle school literature sequence continues to prepare students for high school literature. Paired with Writing 3 it provides a full year of English.
MS World History (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) is a teacher-led survey of the medieval and early modern world from the fall of Rome through the 18th century.
Why we love this combination: Your student finishes eighth grade with engaging literature and history courses that focus on learning to analyze and discuss themes and events and genuine writing skills. It’s a great foundation for high school .
What comes next: High school starts in Grade 9, and WriteAtHome provides writing, literature, and history courses to prepare them for the next step.
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High school starts with HS Writing 1 and Intro to Literature, the first year of the four-year high school English sequence. The transcript starts counting now, and these courses produce exactly the documented, rubric-graded record that college admissions wants to see.
HS Writing 1 (Annual · 32 weeks) The first year of the high school writing focuses on academic, creative, and practical writing with multi-draft coach feedback and rubric scoring. Transcript-ready, college-prep from day one.
Intro to Literature (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) The first-year of high school literature provides a broad introduction to literature and concepts that will prepare high schoolers for future literary study. The course is organized by genre, with units on short stories, poetry, drama, and non-fiction, with a variety of engaging novels spread throughout. Paired with HS Writing 1 it is considered a complete English 9 credit.
Why we love this combination: Freshman year is about establishing habits and building the transcript. Writing + Literature covers English 9 completely.
What comes next: Grade 10 adds World History alongside Writing 2 and World Literature.
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Sophomore year we recommend history be added to writing and literature. HS Writing 2, World Literature, and HS World History create a great course combination. Your student is writing across all three, thinking historically, and reading great books. This is the strongest possible sophomore year.
HS Writing 2 (Annual · 32 weeks) Year two of the high school writing sequence builds on Writing 1 with more sophisticated academic and argumentative writing. Like HS 1 Writing, it teaches writing as a multi-draft process, is coach-led, transcript-ready.
World Literature (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) World Literature surveys great works from across cultures and eras and includes teacher-led book discussions and literary analysis. Pairs with HS Writing 2 for a complete English 10 credit.
HS World History (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) This class takes a comparative cultures approach, with an emphasis on the history of the Western World. It will encourage critical historical thinking about complex cause-and-effect and provide a foundation for students to understand the “whys” behind the way the world is. Pairs perfectly with World Literature for a coherent global Humanities year.
Why we love this combination: World Literature and World History taught during the same year allows your student to read world stories and study world events at the same time.
What comes next: Grade 11 mirrors this year: Writing 3, American Literature, and American History — the all-American junior year.
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Junior year focuses on American history and American literature. HS Writing 3 keeps the core skill sharpening and includes a research paper and academic essays. American Literature and American History together form the most natural thematic pairing in the program.
HS Writing 3 (Annual · 32 weeks) Year three of the high school writing sequence continues to provide personal coaching through multi-draft assignments.
American Literature (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) Explores the American literary tradition from colonial writing to modern fiction. Pairs with Writing 3 for a complete English 11 credit.
American History (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) American History focuses on cause-and-effect analysis, utilizes primary sources, and helps students understand the big-picture arc of American history. The natural counterpart to American Literature.
Why we love this combination: American Literature and American History in the same year is one of those combinations that just works. The history illuminates the literature, and the literature makes history real.
What comes next: Senior year combines British Literature with HS Writing 4 and completes the civics requirement with semester courses in Government, and Economics.
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Senior year wraps everything up. HS Writing 4 completes the four-year writing sequence, and it directly supports college application essays. British Literature closes out the four-year literature journey. Government and Economics are semester courses that fulfill graduation requirements most students still need. Four courses, four credits, everything covered.
HS Writing 4 (Annual · 32 weeks) This is the capstone of the four-year high school writing program. It emphasizes students finding their voice as writers while concentrating on research, essay, and literary analysis writing
British Literature (Annual · 32 weeks · Live) British Literature covers the great works of the English canon from Beowulf to the moderns. Teacher-led discussion, quizzes, a project, and literary analysis papers are part of this course. Pairs with Writing 4 for a complete English 12 credit.
HS Government (Semester · 16 weeks · Live) Civics and government are required for graduation in most states. This course provides an introduction to the United States system of government within the historical context of its formation and development and major influences from historical political theory.
HS Economics (Semester · 16 weeks · Live) This course introduces students to the basic concepts of economics and the historical context in which they arise and develop.
Why we love this combination: Senior year has a lot going on — college apps, standardized tests, life decisions. These four courses cover every outstanding credit while keeping the coaching relationship intact.
A student who follows this path from Grade 4 to Grade 12 will graduate with years writing growth, an introduction to great literature of the world, and a grounded understanding of the cause, effect, and significance of historical events, government, and economics. They will have had personal feedback and insightful discussion from their writing coaches and teachers, and will be ready for the next step. That's the WriteAtHome difference.