English 9 Live

English 9 is WriteAtHome’s full-year, all-in-one English course for 9th grade. It 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.

Space is limited so be sure to enroll early to secure your spot. This class meets on Wednesdays at 1 pm, Eastern Standard Time. 

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:

• 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 

Book List

There are many options for acquiring these books. You can purchase them from a local or online retailer. You can check them out of the library. For most, you can download electronic versions or access them online and read them on your computer screen. In addition to the books below, we will be reading a variety of short stories, poems, plays, essays, and articles that will be provided to students in digital format.

If a particular edition or translation is listed, it is important to acquire that version. If no specifics are included, any version will work.

• Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
• To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
• A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel, by Madeleine L'Engle (Adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson; be sure to get the graphic novel and not the traditional version)
• Our Town, by Thornton Wilder
• The Crucible, by Arthur Miller
• Macbeth, by William Shakespeare
• Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What's the difference between English 9 and taking the two courses separately? 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.
   
   
2. What if my student misses a live class? 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.
3. Will my student only write about the books they're reading? 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.
4. Do I need to buy all the books before the course starts? 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.