I’m not entirely sure what happened to March, but eek. It’s almost over, and spring is arriving.
One of the things I shared during this month’s Q&A Call are the different types of English credits used in conventional school settings, along with some ideas of they might apply to your teen.
If you don’t get to the replay, here’s a quick summary of the different types of English credits:
English I, II, III, IV (aka 9th Grade English, 10th Grade English…)
This is your comprehensive, all-inclusive English credit, that covers a smattering of each of the core English skills – reading, writing, critical thinking, communication, etc.
Literature
Literature credits come in a variety of flavors. There’s the conventional American Literature, British Literature, World Literature, etc. And then there are specialties based on genre, author, time period, theme, etc. So many possibilities here…
Some of the examples I’ve shared previously include:
- Fantasy Literature,
- Mythology,
- Poetry,
- Shakespeare, and
- Explorations in Modern Literature.
Composition/Writing
While writing an essay and a research paper often get the spotlight, English Composition credits also have a wide range of possibilities – ranging from a general composition credit that covers a variety of writing styles, to more specific style and/or genre related like novel writing, creative writing, technical writing, poetry, etc.
For those who do NaNoWriMo, creative writing or novel writing are great English composition credit possibilities.
Literature and Composition combo
Literature and composition credits combine a dive into reading and writing – either along a range of genres and styles or specifically into a theme, style, or genre.
You may remember one of our examples in 4 Ways to Turn Interests, Passions, and Deep Dives into High School Credit is from a student that went deep into poetry – both reading and writing her own. That ended up being packaged up as a speciality Poetry Literature and Composition credit.
Reading
Reading as an English credit typically caters to individual choice and preference, for students who struggle with reading or prefer not to go the conventional literature route.
Specialties within the field of English and communication also are available, like the Oral Interpretation credit I shared previously. Other options may include:
- Critical Thinking,
- Communication,
- Speech,
- Debate,
- Journalism, etc.
Whether you are planning ahead, or capturing the credit after the fact (aka “documenting from behind” as Julie Bogart puts it), or a mix of both, know that your (and your teen’s) options for English credits are wide and varied. So many possibilities…
As always, feel free to reach out if you have questions or need clarifications.
Until Next Time,
…Shannon
P.S. If seeing example transcripts helps you visualize the possibilities, I recommend checking out 4 Ways to Turn Interests, Passions, and Deep Dives into High School Credit. In that video, I share six different transcripts from six different (now graduated) homeschooled teens, each with a variety of different types of English credits.
