Wordsmith: A Rubric Review

Wordsmith is a three-book writing series, published by Common Sense Press, that teaches middle and high school students composition through skill-isolation exercises and the journalism-and-essay genre frame. In our assessment, it is short, inexpensive, and well-written.

Last updated: 2026-10-29 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Skill-isolation composition; genre-based; student-directed
Worldview	Christian-evangelical (light doctrinal density; content-neutral source material)
Grades	4-12 across the three volumes
Formats	Print workbooks; student-paced
Cost tier	Budget
Parent intensity	2
ESA-common	Not confirmed for any state program; see the ESA eligibility notes
Accredited	No
Website	commonsensepress.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	4	Substantial within its size; produces literate writers when used with parent feedback
Ease of teaching	4	Largely self-directed for capable students; parent acts as editor
Content quality	4	Cheaney is a careful and elegant writer; the books reflect her voice
Flexibility	4	Standalone or paired; pace adjustable; level selection by student readiness
Value for money	5	In our assessment, a low-cost writing path; full series under $110
Worldview scope	4	Christian author voice with content-neutral exercises; usable across worldviews
Visual/design	3	Workmanlike workbook presentation; not visually ambitious
Support resources	3	Common Sense Press customer service is reliable; no video supplements

Who the publisher is

Wordsmith is the writing series authored by Janie B. Cheaney. The series is published by Common Sense Press, the Florida-based homeschool publisher founded in 1989 by Wanda Sanseri and Lois Steely. Common Sense Press's catalog includes Learning Language Arts Through Literature and a small handful of supporting titles; Wordsmith is the writing-specific spine that complements those broader programs.

The Christian framing is present but light. Cheaney's worldview shows up in the moral seriousness of selected examples and in occasional references rather than in doctrinal exercises.

The core pedagogy

The Wordsmith series uses a skill-isolation pedagogy: each section of each book targets a specific element of writing, a strong verb, a precise noun, a well-built sentence, a focused paragraph, a cohesive piece of prose, and the student practices that element in short exercises before combining elements into longer writing. The approach is not classical (no Progymnasmata, no imitation of model texts) and not process-immersive (no freewriting philosophy, no extensive revision cycles); it is structured craft instruction in the tradition of The Elements of Style extended into a curriculum.

The three volumes follow a clear progression. Wordsmith Apprentice (grades 4-6) frames the student as a junior journalist for an imagined newspaper, with exercises in writing news stories, feature articles, sports reports, and editorials. In our assessment, the journalism conceit is engaging for upper-elementary students and gives them a concrete audience and purpose. Wordsmith (grades 7-10) is the central creative-writing volume, covering parts of speech, sentence and paragraph construction, and short-form fiction and nonfiction pieces. Wordsmith Craftsman (grades 10-12) is a three-part essay-writing course progressing from practical writing (letters, summaries, instructions) to expository to persuasive essays.

Three signature mechanics define the series. First, books are short and tight, each volume runs roughly 120-140 pages, deliberately sized for a student to complete in a school year without padding. Second, exercises are skill-isolated, not assignment-isolated, a student works on the use of strong verbs across multiple short prompts before being asked to write a longer piece that uses strong verbs. Third, the student works largely independently with parent editorial feedback at finished pieces, there is no separate teacher's manual, no daily lesson script, and no quiz pack.

What they do exceptionally well

Skill-isolation pedagogy paired with literate prose. Students learn the difference between strong and weak verbs not from an abstract definition but from carefully chosen examples that demonstrate the distinction. In our assessment, the writing about writing is itself good writing.

Cost and concision. A complete three-book Wordsmith path runs approximately $100-$110 across the entire elementary-through-high-school span per Common Sense Press's pricing as of April 2026. In our assessment, Wordsmith delivers genuine writing instruction at low total cost.

Independence-friendly format. Wordsmith Apprentice and Wordsmith are designed for capable middle-grades students to work through largely on their own, with parent involvement concentrated on editorial feedback at finished pieces. Wordsmith Craftsman is genuinely self-directed for high schoolers.

What they do poorly

Light scaffolding for struggling writers. The Wordsmith series assumes a student who can read at grade level, follow concise instructional prose, and produce written output without heavy support. Reluctant writers, students with dyslexia, or students who need step-by-step prompting through every assignment will find Wordsmith under-supported. The books are short because they assume the student brings effort and capability; that assumption does not hold for every student.

No video, no daily script, no extensive teacher's manual. Parents who want a video-led writing program (typical of Essentials in Writing) or a heavily scripted teacher's guide (WriteShop's structure) will find Wordsmith under-equipped. The supports the series provides are the books themselves and the parent's own editorial judgment.

Limited high-school depth for honors-track students. In our assessment, Wordsmith Craftsman produces students who can write competent expository and persuasive essays adequate for standard college admissions. For AP Language preparation, top-tier selective college writing, or students aiming for honors-track college composition, the series is a foundation rather than a complete preparation. Honors-track families could pair Wordsmith with Excellence in Literature (Janice Campbell's complementary literature program) and add timed-essay or research-paper work from another source.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick Wordsmith if: you have a capable, motivated middle-school or high-school writer; you want budget-friendly composition instruction with literate prose; you are comfortable with the parent acting as editor rather than as scripted teacher; you want a short, tight curriculum without padding; you align with a Christian-friendly or content-neutral worldview and don't want heavy doctrinal content in writing instruction.

• Skip Wordsmith if: your student is a reluctant writer who needs heavy scaffolding; you want video-led or scripted daily instruction; you are aiming for honors-track college admissions and need AP-level preparation; you have a parent unwilling or unable to provide editorial feedback on student writing; you need a complete K-12 writing path from one vendor (Wordsmith covers grades 4-12 across three books, not a full K-12 sequence).

Cost honest assessment

Per Common Sense Press's pricing page, each Wordsmith volume runs approximately $30-$40 as of April 2026; the complete trio is $100-$110. There are no separate teacher's manuals to purchase. By comparison, WriteShop's full K-12 path runs $700-$900 per the WriteShop pricing page; Institute for Excellence in Writing's Structure and Style student bundles run $250-$400 per year per the IEW pricing page; Bravewriter's online classes run $200-$400 per class per term per the Bravewriter pricing page.

In our assessment, Wordsmith is a budget-priced option in the quality writing tier. A family running Wordsmith from grade 4 through grade 12 spends approximately $110 total in core curriculum.

ESA eligibility notes

We have not confirmed Wordsmith as an eligible expense under any state ESA program. Families should verify current vendor status with their program administrator before purchase. Each program sets its own rules for curriculum purchases: Arizona law lets ESA funds pay for curricula and supplementary materials, Step Up For Students' PEP family handbook lists curriculum and curriculum materials among eligible expenses, and Utah Code 53F-6-401 lists textbooks, curricula and other instructional materials among scholarship expenses.

Alternatives

• Writing with Skill (Well-Trained Mind Press), a family would choose Writing with Skill over Wordsmith for a more classical approach grounded in outlining and source-text work, with stronger scaffolding for the parent.
• WriteShop, a family would choose WriteShop over Wordsmith for a fully scripted teacher's guide, more visual workbook design, and heavier scaffolding for reluctant writers.
• Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), a family would choose IEW over Wordsmith for video-led instruction, structured stylistic techniques, and a stronger convention presence with co-op support.