Is Michael Clay Thompson Worth It? Our Honest High School Homeschool Review After Years of Use
There are curriculum reviews, and then there are something else entirely.
A curriculum review tells you what comes in the box.
It tells you how many lessons there are, how much it costs, what subjects it covers, and maybe whether the pages are colorful or the teacher’s guide is easy to follow.
But sometimes the most meaningful review doesn’t happen until years later.
Sometimes it happens when your child walks into a completely different environment, faces a challenge you never planned for, and quietly demonstrates skills you didn’t even realize they had built.
That’s where we are now.
As our family enters our tenth year of secular homeschooling and my oldest begins high school, I finally feel like I can answer one of the questions I’ve been asked more than almost any other:
Is Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts really worth it?
After years of using nearly every level of the program, I think I finally have an answer.
And interestingly, it isn’t really about grammar at all.
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Why We Chose Michael Clay Thompson
If you’ve spent any time researching homeschool language arts, you’ve probably come across Michael Clay Thompson (often shortened to MCT).
It has a reputation for being:
- rigorous
- literature-rich
- vocabulary heavy
- expensive
- different
All of those things are true.
When we first started, I honestly wasn’t sure whether we would stick with it. It asks a lot from both the student and the parent. There are multiple books, deep discussions, sophisticated grammar instruction, vocabulary rooted in Latin and Greek, poetry analysis, and writing assignments that expect students to think rather than simply memorize.
It isn’t designed to help students race through worksheets.
It’s designed to help them understand language.
Those are two very different goals.
What Makes Michael Clay Thompson Different?
One of the biggest misconceptions about language arts is that grammar equals memorizing rules.
That’s not what happens here.
Instead of focusing on isolated skills, MCT teaches students to see how language works as a complete system.
Grammar becomes about meaning.
Vocabulary becomes about patterns.
Writing becomes about communicating ideas rather than filling out assignments.
Poetry becomes something to analyze instead of something to survive.
Every level circles back through familiar concepts while asking students to think just a little deeper each time.
That layering has been one of my favorite parts of the program.
Instead of checking a box and moving on forever, concepts continue growing alongside the child.
We Have Never Used It Exactly as Written
This might surprise people.
Despite recommending Michael Clay Thompson often, I don’t actually teach it exactly the way the publisher schedules it.
I never have.
One of the biggest lessons homeschooling has taught me is that curriculum serves the learner—not the other way around.
Every year I modify the pacing.
I rearrange lessons.
I spread writing assignments differently.
Sometimes we replace repetitive workbook practice with games.
Sometimes vocabulary becomes flashcards, matching activities, crosswords, or word searches.
This year I’m even creating printable vocabulary games because my daughter told me she missed some of the playful reinforcement from the younger levels.
That feedback matters.
Good homeschooling isn’t about protecting a curriculum.
It’s about protecting curiosity.
The Moment Everything Clicked
This summer my daughter participated in an intensive Shakespeare program.
She was the youngest student in the room.
Over the course of the program they discussed:
- meter
- stanza
- literary analysis
- script interpretation
- character motivation
- slam poetry
- performance
- Shakespeare’s language
As she came home talking about everything they were studying, something hit me.
She wasn’t intimidated.
She wasn’t overwhelmed.
These weren’t brand new concepts.
She already had a framework for understanding them.
Years of vocabulary study.
Years of poetry.
Years of grammar.
Years of analyzing language instead of memorizing definitions.
For the first time, I wasn’t imagining how this curriculum might prepare her for the future.
I was watching it happen.
The Benefit I Didn’t Expect
When we choose curriculum, we often focus on immediate outcomes.
Can my child finish this lesson?
Can they pass this quiz?
Can they write this paragraph?
Those questions matter.
But increasingly, I’ve realized they’re not the questions I care about most.
I’m more interested in questions like these:
Can my child enter a room full of unfamiliar people and feel confident?
Can she tackle difficult texts without immediately shutting down?
Can she encounter unfamiliar vocabulary and figure it out?
Can she express herself clearly?
Can she enjoy writing?
Those skills don’t always show up on standardized tests.
They show up in life.
How We’re Using Michael Clay Thompson for Ninth Grade
For the 2026–2027 homeschool year, our language arts plan includes:
Magic Lens Level 2
Grammar and increasingly sophisticated sentence analysis.
Word Within the Word II
Advanced vocabulary built around Latin and Greek roots.
Advanced Academic Writing II
A full year of structured writing assignments with significant parent guidance.
Poetry
Second semester will focus heavily on reading, interpreting, and discussing poetry.
Like every previous year, we’ll modify the pacing to fit our family rather than forcing ourselves to fit the schedule in the teacher guide.
Why We’re Changing the Literature
One decision we’re making this year is replacing much of the suggested literature.
Not because there’s anything wrong with the selections.
Simply because my daughter expressed a desire to read more works written by women.
That conversation reminded me of something important.
High school isn’t only about building academic skills.
It’s also about helping teenagers develop ownership over their education.
When students begin investing in what they’re reading, the conversations often become richer.
We’re currently looking at works by authors such as:
- Agatha Christie
- Harper Lee
- Charlotte Brontë
- Mary Shelley
- Louisa May Alcott
The analytical skills remain the same.
The reading simply becomes more meaningful for this particular learner.
Is Michael Clay Thompson Worth the Cost?
This is probably the question I receive most often.
My answer is still…
It depends.
It is expensive.
It takes time.
It requires involvement.
It expects students to think deeply.
It isn’t a curriculum I’d recommend simply because someone wants the “best.”
I’d recommend it for families who value discussion, flexibility, literature, vocabulary, and building deep understanding over moving quickly.
For us, the investment has paid off—not because my daughter can identify every grammar term from memory, but because she approaches language with confidence.
That’s harder to measure.
It’s also far more valuable.
What This Experience Reminded Me About Homeschooling
One of the hardest parts of parenting is that so much of what we do feels invisible.
We plant seeds.
We answer questions.
We read books.
We have conversations around the dinner table.
We wonder whether any of it is making a difference.
Then, years later, our children respond to a situation in a way that quietly reveals those seeds have been growing all along.
Those moments are incredibly rewarding.
Not because they prove we chose the perfect curriculum.
But because they remind us that consistent, thoughtful education has a way of showing up long after the lesson is over.
And maybe that’s one of the greatest gifts homeschooling has given our family.
Learning isn’t confined to school hours.
It’s becoming part of who our children are.
That’s the goal I’ve been aiming for all along.
Final Thoughts
If you’re researching Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts for your homeschool, I hope this perspective helps.
This isn’t a curriculum review from someone who has just opened the box.
It’s the perspective of a homeschool mom entering her tenth year, preparing for high school, and finally watching years of intentional learning begin to pay off in ways she never could have predicted.
And honestly?
That’s a pretty wonderful place to be.
