The high school English PACES are one of the strengths of ACE. There is a strong emphasis on grammar, proper usage, sentence diagramming, and basic writing skills. The 7th level (1073-1084) uses cartoon instruction and clear examples to teach the parts of speech and other important grammar concepts. The 8th level is also very thorough in explaining and giving valuable practice before a student moves into 9th through 12th and begins building on that strong foundation and adding new and challenging concepts.
One of my favorite features of the English PACES is that each PACE has a theme – a character from the Bible, a famous missionary, one of our founding fathers, etc – and all the sentences in the activities section tell more about that person and why God was able to use them! Another favorite feature is the Wisdom pacs!
Literature is introduced in levels 9-12. Level 9 introduces the elements of a story and has students read and analyze The Swiss Family Robinson and Twice Freed. Level 10 covers biographies and has students read God’s Tribesman and The Hiding Place and do analysis assignments. English III (Level 11) focuses on American Literature, introducing several authors and samples of their work; students read the book, In His Steps, and write their own short novel. Senior English would be considered British Literature, examining the time periods, authors, and important works throughout English history. Student read the supplementary resource books, Silas Marner, and Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The senior level English course also includes some challenging vocabulary building exercises to prepare for college entrance testing.
The writing skills development deserves a separate article – Writing skills in the High School PACES
Wondering “What do the English PACES cover”?
Though the English PACES are well written and thorough, I have found that a few concepts tend to confuse or trip up most students working through the curriculum.
- Transitive vs. Intransitive – at the just about every grade level this classification of verbs is covered or reviewed, and often needs additional instruction. I’ve created a short video to explain this and have it linked from this English Resource page.
- Active vs Passive – this is another way to analyze verbs (called “voice”) that sometimes confuses students. Again, I have created a new video to help explain this and have it linked at the same English Resource page.
Other resources that I’ve assembled for the 7th-12th graders English are listed below and are available at this main English resource page:
- An English Grammar Handbook in pdf format
- Test tips for 9th-12th level
- Video instruction for difficult assignments in each level
- NEW for Fall 2020! Nine video lessons about sentence patterns and diagramming
- Some English PACES require students to use a resource like Word Building 1067, Fanny Crosby testimony, Bible Glossary, or list of Character Objectives. I’ve uploaded these so students can easily access them to do their assignments.
- Worksheets for PACE 1112 to make the verb conjugations easier
- Worksheets for PACE 1106, 1107, and 1118 for the sentence diagramming (see the page for English I or II)
- Updated guide to writing term papers, what’s expected, and how to grade them with a Rubric