English Programs for High School

I am gradually going through my tabs and pulling out ones I think might be helpful to other people.  I’ve been searching out English program to use with my teen, I hope to order something by the end of the month. Anyways, so getting on with this post… English Programs for High School and what I have found!  🙂 

Looking for the Canadian

Now, as a Canadian, I’ve been looking for Canadian resources to use with my lad.  Did you know that it’s fairly hard to do?  It’s amazing how difficult it is to find solid CANADIAN based language arts for high school students. There are a couple of things online, but nothing really specific. 

Now, it didn’t help there were books I really didn’t want my lad to study…. like Animal Farm and 1984, or whatever book it was by Margaret Atwood I was forced to read.  I definitely wasn’t interested in him reading Lord of the Flies either.  BLECH to all of it! 

I took the time to check out grades 11 and 12 of the Ontario Curriculum from the Ministry of Education. Mind, I can’t say it was a whole lot of help…I thought it would be more helpful than it was.. or maybe it was just my lack of understanding on what “needs to be taught” means in real world language. 

Resources I Checked out

So I checked out these resources

• Roman Road Media – Western Culture.
• Tree of Life: North American Literature.
• Hide the Chocolate : Society of Literary Adventures.
• Progeny Press: high school study/book guides.
• Total Language Plus: high school study/book guides. 
• Essentials in Writing: a number of high school courses, I seriously looked at this one. 
• I also thought about doing a classic study on some of these books (like who has seen the wind). I’d have to re-read a couple of these first to remind myself of them.  But many I have read. 

As I looked at all these resources I started to wonder… could I use something and just do some substitution?   Find some questions online for my lad to consider?  SO that wondering led me toward…. 

So What Am I Leaning Toward?

I’m kinda leaning toward doing my own thing, based off a curriculum course I received in a ultimate homeschool bundle, or perhaps looking up discussion questions. 

The thought is, I would use it as a guide for the lad to read through some Canadian literature, both old and new.  I’ll be finding some Canadian plays the lad can read.  Perhaps read a classic Newbery book (or rather the Canadian option)… possibly reading Five Little Indians.   My friend Lori suggested that I add a book called Mrs. Mike to the list. 

I’ll be looking through the young adult winners of the CLA.  I’m hoping my friendly librarian will be able to help me winnow through them to see what might work for a 16 year old lad.  So I have a plan in mind, now to see how far I get with it!  (or well.. rather see how far my son gets with it!).  🙂 

What english programs for highschool have you discovered?