Unlock the Secrets to a Homeschool Writing Program Your Child Will Actually Enjoy

Homeschooling is on the rise—and for good reason.
In 2019, about 2.5 million students were being homeschooled.
By 2024, that number had grown to nearly 3.7 million. 
Parents are actively seeking the best educational choices for their children—and that often includes writing programs.

If you’re new to homeschooling or just exploring your options, choosing a homeschool writing program can feel overwhelming.
But you’re not alone—and you don’t have to waste time or money figuring it out.

While I don’t sell a curriculum, I’ve spent years teaching writing to kids.
I’ve seen what works (and what really doesn’t).
This post is your go-to guide for identifying what truly makes a homeschool writing program effective—and even enjoyable!

Start with the Homeschool Convention (Seriously!)

This blog was inspired by a recent homeschool convention I attended, and if you haven’t been to one yet—go!
Whether you’re on the fence about homeschooling or deep in the trenches, homeschool conventions are full of resources and inspiration.

But be warned: You’ll encounter plenty of vendors promising miracle results with zero effort. If something sounds too good to be true… it probably is.

So before you hand over your credit card, take 8 minutes to read this post. It could save you money—and spare your child frustration.

What Actually Matters in a Writing Program?

Let’s clear something up right now: Punctuation and spelling do NOT make a good writing program.
Those are mechanics. They matter—but they don’t teach your child how to write.
Many so-called “writing curriculums” are actually language arts programs. They focus on comprehension, copying, and grammar—not real writing skills.

🚫 Example: Copy Work at Age 11?

At the convention, I saw a program asking 11-year-olds to copy short passages multiple times.
When I asked why, the vendor said, “It helps them write better sentences.”

Nope. That’s busywork.

By age 11 (grades 4–5), kids should be crafting full paragraphs, learning to structure arguments, and exploring different writing forms—not tracing sentences, which may be beneficial in kindergarten.

✅ What to Look For in a Quality Homeschool Writing Program

Here’s what a real, robust writing curriculum should include:

✍️ Variety of Writing Styles

Not every style needs to be taught every year, but over a couple of years there should be exposure to:

• Narrative

• Descriptive

• Persuasive

• Poetry

• Expository

• Creative

• Technical writing

🧠 Core Skills Your Child Should Learn

• Clear expression of complex thoughts

• Storytelling techniques (character, conflict, resolution)

• Active vs. passive voice

• Strong vocabulary and word choice

• Transitions and flow between ideas

• Sentence variety and structure (including clauses and phrases)

• Use of imagery and metaphor

• Genre adaptability

📈 Evidence of Growth Over the Year

Is there a clear difference between the beginning and end-of-year expectations?
Look at sample rubrics—your child should be building skills, not repeating the same ones every term.

📊 Built-in Assessments (That Actually Help)

Writing assessment can be tricky—but rubrics are your best friend.
Good curriculums include rubrics so your child can learn to self-edit and track their growth.
You do realize that I am the rubric queen? 
I love rubrics!

Here’s a great resource: Homeschool Grading Made Easy: Mastering Rubrics

📚 How Are the Skills Taught?

Are abstract skills like “transitioning between ideas” or “complex sentence structure” broken down and explicitly taught?

Look for programs that provide:

• Clear instruction

• Practice activities

• Opportunities for deeper exploration

👩‍🏫 Parent Support Included

Writing isn’t a subject you can always “set and forget.”
Quality curriculums provide guidance for you, even if you’re not a trained writing teacher.

Ask:

• Are there parent teaching guides?

• Are assignments explained in plain language?

• Can you give effective feedback without stress?

Can I just tell you how much stress I felt every time one of my boys brought home math homework?! 😳

🎉 Will Your Child Actually Enjoy It?

You know your child best. If a program looks dry and lifeless to you, odds are your child will think so too.

No matter how “perfect” a curriculum looks on paper, if your child hates it, it won’t work.

Are you looking for a free and easy checklist you can take with you to a homeschool convention or while looking for a writing curriculum?
Look no further!
I made one for you so you can easily ask the right questions.

Want a Recommendation?

I did find a program that checked all my boxes.
If you want to know which one it was, send me an email at kara@epicpublisher.com with the subject line:
“Which writing curriculum did you love?”

Should We Still Teach Writing in the AI Era?

It’s a valid question. I even wrote an article exploring this:
🔗 Should We Still Teach Kids to Write?

Spoiler: I believe we should.
Writing develops critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills—skills that can’t be outsourced to AI.
It also improves verbal communication, according to decades of research.

However, writing is not the only skill that can develop these skills-you decide.

Homeschool Approaches & Writing Styles

Your homeschool method greatly influences how writing is taught.
This will affect which type of homeschool writing program you use.
Here’s a quick breakdown:

🪻 Charlotte Mason

• Focus: Living books and narration

• Writing Style: Copy work, dictation, oral narration

🏛️ Classical Education

• Focus: Logic, grammar, rhetoric

• Writing Style: Copy work early on, then essays and speeches

🌱 Unschooling

• Focus: Interest-led learning

• Writing Style: Writing emerges organically (journaling, scripts, blogs)

📚 Traditional

• Focus: Structured schedule, textbooks

• Writing Style: Grammar-heavy, essay-based, clear rubrics

🧩 Montessori

• Focus: Hands-on, self-guided learning

• Writing Style: Tracing, storytelling, observational writing

🎨 Waldorf

• Focus: Arts-based, developmental

• Writing Style: Illustrated books, creative writing, delayed analysis

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Co-ops

• Focus: Group learning, shared teaching

• Writing Style: Peer feedback, workshops, group projects

Learning Style Matters—A LOT

Before choosing a program, figure out your child’s learning style.
It will make a huge difference.

Main Styles:

• Visual: Learns through images, diagrams

• Auditory: Learns through listening

• Reading/Writing: Learns through written word

• Kinesthetic: Learns through doing

• Logical: Learns through patterns, problem-solving

👉 I like this quiz for older students: Learning Style Test
👉 And this site for teaching strategies: Time4Learning Learning Styles

Final Thought: Writing Is More Than Just Words

Don’t confuse language arts with true writing instruction.
A great homeschool writing program teaches thinking, expressing, and creating—not just copying and correcting.

Take the time to find the right fit for your child.
It’ll be worth it.

And remember: A child who enjoys writing will write more—and better.

“My grades are a perfect 4.0, in all my classes! I don’t mean to brag, but I am pretty much destined for greatness.”
~Mike Wazowski in Monsters University