Credits for Math, Science, and Social Studies are easy to calculate. You take one class for the year and it counts as one credit respectively. For English, reading and writing are required. To earn one English credit students need to complete both composition and literary analysis.

Essentials in Writing and Essentials in Literature together would be considered a high school English class. Most English classes in public/private education consist not only of composition but also literary analysis. However, many states have different requirements for homeschooling. If the requirement is English I, II, III, and IV for each grade of high school, then students would need to complete Essentials in Writing and Essentials in Literature for that level to earn 1 English credit. If the state requires a composition course AND a literary analysis course separately, then each would count as 1 credit each.

Here is a suggestion on how to count for credit hours:

Essentials in Writing = 1 credit for English Composition
Essentials in Literature = 1 credit for Literary Analysis
*Essentials in Writing and Essentials in Literature Together =1 Credit for English.

*most common

Title accordingly for transcript purposes: Essentials in Writing can be counted as English Comp or Composition I or Composition II, III, etc. Essentials in Literature can be counted as Literature I, Lit II, III, etc. Essentials in Writing and Essentials in Literature together can be counted as English I, II, III, or IV. An important suggestion we give parents is to keep your planner and workbook, copy of tests/assessments and examples of work.

Please note that while levels of Essentials in Writing and Essentials in Literature are indicative of grade level, students can complete 1-2 levels above or below current grade level and still earn one credit of English. See example below:

9^th grade student earning ONE English credit:

Essentials in Writing Level 9

Essentials in Literature Level 9

9^th grade student earning ONE English credit:

Essentials in Writing Level 8

Essentials in Literature Level 9

9^th grade student earning ONE English credit:

Essentials in Writing Level 10

Essentials in Literature Level 9

Stay tuned for an in-depth blog post related to what high school students study in composition and literary analysis respectively. 

“Excuse me, Athena. That sounds like a school activity, and the point of summer is that children are off school. Why would I want to inflict more compositions on my kids during their vacation?”

Thank you for that question! There are two main reasons homeschool parents may wish to require summer writing from their students.

1. Some homeschool students NEED the extra practice.

As Danielle pointed out in her “Summer Scaries” blog post, low-pressure, non-graded writing activities over the summer can help some students maintain their writing muscles. In some cases, these muscles atrophy over vacation, and students begin the next year having forgotten all they ever learned about composition.

Requiring summer writing not only provides homeschool students with practice, but it also demonstrates that writing is not exclusively an academic activity. Breaking that mental boundary may be the breakthrough your student needs to write well and freely.

(Check out Danielle’s blog post! Solid encouragement for homeschool parents entering the summer months.)

2. Some homeschool students WANT the extra practice.

Some of you may be blessed with a student who LOVES writing, and you should encourage that kind of expression and development! While these students may dive into writing on their own, a little guidance may benefit them—especially younger students.

With these two groups in mind, let’s dive into summer writing ideas! While I encourage you to develop your own ideas and prompts, here are some suggestions to get started.

(Check out the EIW textbooks for guidance about how to approach each of these compositions.)

Summer Writing Prompts

Expository Writing

Think about topics the student will want to write about or things you want them to think about. Writing about these important topics will help them put thoughts and/or feelings into words, which benefits their personal development and not just their academic performance.

Try some of these prompts:

• What kind of person do you want to be? Write a paragraph explaining at least two positive traits you want to see in yourself and why you want them.
• A goal is an idea that someone puts into action. What is one of your goals? Write a paragraph explaining what your goal is and how you plan to accomplish that goal.
• What is one of your favorite memories? Describe the memory and explain why you like it.

Journal Writing

Journaling is a way to record events, but it can also develop self-awareness. Writing journal entries will help students realize they can write for themselves, not just a teacher.

Here are some ideas for journal entries:

• Keep a daily journal of a trip you take this summer. Write 3-4 sentences about whatever you want to record about each day.

(Tip: When I was in elementary school, my mother purchased daily planners as “journals” for my sister and me. The planners provided a limited amount of space for each daily entry, which made the task seem less intimidating than endless empty pages.)

• Describe three things you want to do or be when you are a grown-up.
• Write a journal entry about ten of your favorite things, including items, activities, and foods.

Narrative Writing

Writing stories—original or reimagined—is a great way to foster imagination in homeschool students. Narrative writing can be entertaining and freeing, for there’s no right way to tell a story!

Let your student’s imagination run wild! But in case they need it, here are some suggested prompts:

• Is there a book, movie, or video game that has an ending you don’t like? How could the story have ended better? Rewrite the ending in the way you think is best.
• Write your own version of a fairy tale. Maybe Cinderella doesn’t want to go to the ball, but to the ball game! Maybe Puss in Boots isn’t just a clever cat, but a shapeshifter! Maybe St. George doesn’t want to kill the dragon, but learn to ride it! Rewrite a fairy tale in your own way.
• If you could go on a dream vacation this summer, where would you go? Write a narrative of your vacation—where you would go, who you would be with, and what you would do.

May these few writing ideas inspire you to come up with your own specialized prompts! Summer writing is a chance to shirk off the restrictions of academic prompts, which by necessity are general and impersonal. However, with summer writing, you can get personal with your kids!

For example, if I were coming up with summer prompts for my 13-year-old homeschooled brother, I would include:

• Write a paragraph explaining the best way to take care of the dozen baby chickens we just purchased.
• Journal about how you felt after seeing Avengers: Endgame on opening night.
• Imagine what it will be like to interview at the Lego Company when you are old enough. Write the story of that interview and how you get the job.

Happy summer, everyone! And happy writing

By Athena Lester
Head of Curriculum and Scoring

As Danielle referenced in last week’s blog, summertime can be an opportunity for homeschool students to engage learning while having all the summer fun, too. So, what are some ways to help your homeschool student develop a love for reading during the summertime and thus learn to cultivate their writing skills? Here’s a few ideas I’ve picked up along the way.

1. Encourage your homeschool student to participate in a summer reading program.

These programs can be found at many community libraries, and oftentimes, librarians offer students incentives for reading a certain number of books. These might be a trip to the local zoo, a free book, or even a snazzy new bookmark! Not only do students get incentives for reading, but they can also meet and get to know other students in the program. Perhaps even a sweet book-loving friendship might emerge from a summer reading program.

2. Challenge your homeschool student to memorize one or two classic poems.

Perhaps you could compile some poems (fun, classic, or summer-themed) for your homeschool student to choose from. Memorizing a poem can be both challenging and rewarding—especially because lines of a poem can remain in one’s mind for years to come. A couple of my favorites to memorize as a student were “The Village Blacksmith” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and “Busy” by A.A. Milne.

3. Read a novel with your homeschool student and watch the movie version of the story together.

Not only can it be a fun bonding experience to read a novel with your homeschool student, but you can help your student learn how to compare and contrast through watching the movie version of the book. You can discuss questions such as “How did the director interpret this book differently than you did?” and “What effect did the differences in the movie have in shaping the plot?” From Charlotte’s Web to The Chronicles of Narnia to Little Women, several movie adaptations exist of beautiful literature for all ages. By participating in this activity together, you can engage your imagination with your homeschool student, making memories that can bond you for years to come.

I hope this upcoming summer is memorable and meaningful for both you and your homeschool student as you soak up memories together.

In my opinion, the summer scaries are a legitimate concern, especially since students learn and retain that knowledge in different ways. Are these subjects like riding a bike? Will all the knowledge rush back as soon as the homeschool student picks up a pencil or opens a Word document? Should a summer break simply be abolished so the student never goes too long without at least some practice?

Your homeschooling schedule is entirely up to you, and I’m not here to suggest that either taking a break or schooling throughout the year is somehow superior to the alternative. Instead, what I want to do is provide some suggestions for banishing the summer scaries as we enter the warmer months of 2019, particularly as they apply to writing.

1. Save a writing assessment for the beginning of the next school year.

The assessments included in the Essentials in Writing curriculum, especially the comprehensive assessments, are wonderful tools for gauging your student’s progress immediately after learning and applying new concepts. However, they can also be used as an indicator of what your student may need to review before the next EIW level. You and your student can then make a list of specific concepts and then keep a close eye on these concepts over the next school year.

2. Provide writing “assignments” over the summer that are fun.

Assignments? Over the summer? I can already see you shaking your head or rolling your eyes at my naivete, but hear me out. Writing, as you and your student have hopefully discovered by now, is more than essays and papers—it also includes narratives, letters, lists, and pretty much anything you can imagine that can be written down. Encourage your student to write a letter to a friend, pen an imaginative narrative about a fantastic adventure, or create a list of places they’d like to visit over the summer. Bonus: these writings won’t be graded by you or scored by any rubric, so their creativity is limited only by their own imagination.

3. Don’t worry about it—at all.

You read that right! Writing may be a daunting subject, but part of what makes Essentials in Writing so effective is the time spent reviewing and reminding the student of what they already know before introducing brand-new concepts. For example, if Mr. Stephens is introducing the imperative sentence to students in a level, he’ll make sure to review the other sentence types—declarative, interrogative, exclamatory—beforehand so that the student knows what to expect and doesn’t feel overwhelmed.

Because of the time and lessons devoted to reviewing the material, you don’t need to worry that your homeschool student will forget everything they learned the previous year. They may need a bit of reminding, and the road may not be perfectly smooth, but over the past year, they learned how to craft a paragraph. They perfected writing hooks and closing sentences. They practiced how to avoid certain sentence errors, and if they don’t immediately remember these strengths, they soon will.

Writing, like many other skills, is not something that can be learned fully and thus fully forgotten. It is practiced, built upon, improved—and because of this, you don’t need to worry that your student will completely forget everything they ever learned about it over a few months. Give them assessments, suggest that they write creatively over the summer, but overall, rest easy and resist the summer scaries. Your student has learned, is learning, and will keep learning how to write—and what they’ve learned isn’t leaving anytime soon.

Danielle Nettleton

Curriculum Editor

Essentials in Writing

Gone are the days of proofing papers for spelling mistakes! Banished are the never-ending lists of spelling words in homeschool curriculum! Dictionaries? Who needs them? Just rely on the squiggly red line for all your spelling needs, and you’ll be golden, right?

Well, not quite—at least, not according to the papers I grade as a scorer for Essentials in Writing. Sure, some of the spelling errors I see could have been fixed with a quick click of “Spelling and Grammar” in the toolbar, but there’s an entirely different subset of spelling errors that, even if spellcheck had been utilized, wouldn’t have been caught.

The reason? They were spelled correctly—but the word itself was wrong. That’s right: we’re talking about homophones.

Homophones, as a quick refresher, are words that sound alike but have different meanings and are spelled differently, such as “plain” and “plane” or “beet” and “beat.” Mixing up homophones when writing is a fairly common problem for everyone, including homeschool students, and can also lead to some funny mixups, such as “pier pressure” and “barley paying attention.”

If your homeschool student tends to fall prey to sneaky homophones, we’ve got you covered—and no, you don’t have to memorize every single homophone pair in the English language. Below is a list of some commonly confused homophones—and how to remember the difference between them.

Affect vs. Effect

This pair is particularly nasty because, from your second cousin’s Facebook post to a news article, it can start to feel like nobody knows the difference or which one to actually use. “Affect” is a verb, and “effect” is a noun.

Verb: Rain affects plant growth.

Noun: The vitamins caused a positive effect.

To help distinguish them, you can associate the “a” in “affect” with action and the “e” in “effect” with end—that is, the end result.

(Disclaimer: “affect” can be a noun, and “effect” can be a verb, but these cases are rare, especially for the topics homeschool students tend to write about.)

Board vs. Bored

Unless you happen to be made of plywood, you’re probably not board on a rainy afternoon inside. “Board” can be a noun or verb, and “bored” is an adjective.

Noun/Verb: The ninja kicked the board in half.

Adjective: I was bored after my phone died.

See that “oar” in the middle of “board”? Picture a wooden oar and associate it with that wooden board to help you remember the difference.

Brake vs. Break

If you don’t brake when driving, you might break something! These words can be both verbs and nouns, and their spellings are so similar that mixing them up is easy.

Noun/Verb: Brake the car gently when stopping.

Noun/Verb: Don’t break the window!

For this pair, just remember that if you’re not talking about a car, “brake” is probably the wrong option. “Break” is much more versatile.

Its vs. It’s

Here we have another incredibly common offender! “Its” is a pronoun, and “it’s” is a contraction.

Pronoun: The dog wagged its tail.

Contraction: It’s so nice to finally meet you!

Just remember—a contraction always includes an apostrophe. If you want to say “it is,” you need the word with the apostrophe.

Their vs. There vs. They’re

Whew, a triple homophone! Fortunately, each of these words is a different part of speech: “their” is a pronoun, “there” is an adverb, and “they’re” is a contraction.

Pronoun: The cows munched their grass.

Adverb: The treasure is over there!

Contraction: They’re bringing the trophy out now.

Let’s get “they’re” out of the way first. We know a contraction must have an apostrophe, so we know “they’re” must be the contraction—the word that includes a verb.

“Their” and “there” are more difficult, but check out that “here” in “there.” Both words refer to a place or position, which leaves “their” as the pronoun.

Than vs. Then

Like “affect” and “effect,” this homophone pair can trip up even the most careful of homeschool writers! “Than” can be either a conjunction or preposition, and “then” is an adverb.

Conjunction/Preposition: I’d rather have chocolate than vanilla.

Adverb: Read the book first, and then watch the movie.

“Than” is most commonly used to compare two things, so just remember that if you are compAring, you should use thAn. That leaves “then” as the adverb (and also a common transition word).

To vs. Too vs. Two

Another triple threat! “To” is a preposition, “too” is an adverb, and “two” is a number.

Preposition: We headed to the concert at seven.

Adverb: I would like the steak too.

Number: Two birds built a nest.

“Two” can be pretty easily discerned—if you’re not talking about a number, you’ve got the wrong homophone. As for “to” and “too,” just remember that “too” often notes an addition of something—and “too” has the addition of one “o” to make it different than “to”!

Your vs. You’re

Finally, we end with a pair that’s often mixed up but can be easily discerned. “Your” is a pronoun, and “you’re” is a contraction.

Pronoun: Your necklace is beautiful.

Contraction: You’re going to win the contest!

Once again, we know that a contraction must include an apostrophe, so if you need the verb, “you’re” is the one for you! That leaves “your” as the pronoun.

But more than anything else…

Overall, the best way for homeschool students to conquer homophone mishaps is to simply be careful, both as they write and especially as they proofread. Take the time to look up a word. Make sure the word means what you’re trying to say. After all, spellcheck is helpful—but it’s still no match for the human brain.

Danielle Nettleton

Curriculum Editor

Essentials in Writing

“Hey, Hope! It’s Jenna!”

“Oh, hey! What’s up?”

“Well, I’m actually at lunch with some friends, so I can’t really talk, but you made a spelling error in the caption under that picture you just posted. It’s super cute and everything, but you spelled a word wrong.”

“Oh… Thank you?”

“Yeah, absolutely! Well I’m with people, so I have to go. See ya!”

And thus concluded a conversation I’d already had multiple times. It never feels good to know you’ve made an error, but sometimes it’s necessary to hear in order to improve your writing or avoid a disastrous mistake. Yet, other times, it’s just annoying.

I’m not saying errors don’t matter; they do! I’m just saying that they don’t always matter. Wait, what?

As a curriculum creator, you best bet that I notice grammar errors like a shark notices a tiny shining object in an enormous ocean. But I also know that commenting, “It’s they’re, not there!” on my aunt’s Facebook post isn’t going to make the world a better place. As a homeschool parent using Essentials in Writing, you’re probably ahead of the game when it comes to identifying common problems in communication. You’ve trained yourself to notice errors in your homeschool child’s work, so now you can’t help but notice grammar mistakes everywhere.

Your gut instinct? Point it out, correct it, move on.

Unfortunately, your friend Susan who can’t seem to figure out the difference between a semicolon and a comma may not appreciate your efforts as much as you hope. This may shed some light:

When I was in college, my logic professor shared one of the most important life lessons I’ve ever received.

“You’ve taken a logic class, so that means that you’re more likely to be right. It also means people are more likely to hate you.” He had a point. So when should we correct people, and when should we just let those dangling modifiers fly? Let’s go through some scenarios:

Correct someone if:

• You’re grading their paper.

This pretty much goes without saying, but I put it here just in case! This is the best way for your homeschool student to learn.

• The error grossly misrepresents what they meant to say.

A sign that says, “Sorry we’re close,” means something very different from “Sorry, we’re closed,” and you should probably let the store owner know.

• It’s a professional document they’re sending to someone else.

If it’s a resume or a business proposal, make sure everything’s perfect before they send it off!

• It’s something they plan to send out, and changes can be made.

If they’re sending out wedding invitations, they’ll want to make sure they’ve spelled the groom’s name correctly.

• They’ve asked you to check their writing for errors.

Obviously.

• Someone corrects you incorrectly.

There’s nothing more beautiful than being able to say, “Sometimes it really is ‘John and me!’”

• They’re about to send something to someone they mean to impress.

Whether it’s a potential date, employer, parent, whomever, help them.

Don’t correct someone if:

• It’s a text, email, or message you received.

Your response to someone else’s text message should never be: *you’re . Correct your own messages, sure, but correcting someone else’s is obnoxious.

• Changes can’t be made.

If you receive a wedding invitation in the mail, notifying the bride that she misspelled “matrimony” isn’t going to win you any favors.

• You’re not 100% sure that they’re wrong.

This is especially true when it’s your homeschool student; giving them the wrong information while they’re learning could confuse them or create bad grammar habits. If you’re not sure, Google it!

• It’s a casual social media post.

Unless it completely misrepresents what they were trying to say, correcting someone’s grammar on social media will probably do more harm than good. It’s a casual space, and small errors aren’t a big deal.

• You don’t know them very well.

Few things are more annoying than having someone you haven’t seen since middle school message you to say you forgot a comma in your blog post.

• It’s a card, note, or letter from your homeschool student that isn’t for school.

If your child takes the time to write a thoughtful birthday or Mother’s Day card, don’t soil the moment by pointing out errors. Be appreciative! Chances are you or the Essentials in Writing Scoring Team will have countless opportunities to correct the same mistakes when they complete assignments.

Inevitably, a time will come when you will need to use your grammar knowledge to tell someone they’re wrong. Even when the time comes, you can do so gracefully.

This is how:

• Tell them privately.

Message them, text them, or even call them if you’re alone. Correcting someone publicly might embarrass them and discredit what they were trying to say. You should never correct someone’s grammar in a Facebook or Instagram comment. Ever.

• Be nice about it!

Really. You don’t need to come off as pretentious or too good for them! Just be nice.

• Balance it out with some encouragement.

Something like, “Hey! Your short story about the Civil War was great! I did notice that you spelled “Colonel” like the word “popcorn kernel.” Your sensory details are great, though!” will do the trick.

It’s really that simple! Now go! Correct with care or simply let it go.

And the boy will not capitalize the first words in his sentences no matter how many times his mother reminds him to.

Neither will he indent paragraphs, write a fully developed paragraph, or often even answer the writing prompt completely!

Why is this smart young man struggling with writing so much?

My mother has struggled too! Sometimes she feels like a failure as an educator because her seventh-grade son is writing like a third grader. Other times, she feels crazy because she knows she taught him how to capitalize, indent, and organize his paragraphs, yet he just doesn’t! She can only pull at her hair and cry, “What else am I supposed to do?”

Many homeschool parents experience this: their smart, capable child struggles with writing well. 

What are you supposed to do about it?

I have no definitive, fix-all answer to give, but I can share some important principles to keep in mind:

1) Recognize that every student is different.

As an educator, you want to challenge your student and teach them what they need to know; as a homeschooler, you also want to meet them where they are. Some students learn at a different pace than other students. That’s okay!

2) Break it down into small pieces, even the content your student “should” know at this point.

Rather than given them another writing assignment and hoping they will do better this time, break the assignment down into small parts. Have them focus on writing a paragraph at a time or even a sentence at a time! Separate the organization, drafting, and revision into entirely different steps. Break the “big” assignment down into small, conquerable steps.

Also, provide a checklist for your student that they can work through as they write. For example, even though my thirteen-year-old brother should know to capitalize the first words of sentences, his brain isn’t reminding him to do that for whatever reason. If he sees that task on a checklist, however, he will remember that rule and make that correction in his work.

The Essentials in Writing workbooks provide checklists for each composition, but you may need to create personal ones for your student that address the specific areas in which they struggle.

3) Press on.

This advice is directly from my mother. Sometimes, the only thing to do is to keep trying, keep reminding the student what they need to do, and keep correcting them when they still don’t do it. The only alternative to pressing on is quitting, but you should never quit on your child. Don’t feel like your student is behind some universal standard of “should” that fits no one. Press on with your own student in what they need to learn. They are worth the effort and time.

By Athena Lester

Curriculum Development and Scoring Services