*institute For Excellence In Writing
Summary
In order to succeed in every area of life, children must hone the skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively. Through the process of learning to write well, students learn how to think clearly and to express themselves eloquently and persuasively. Our goal is to equip you to assist your child in this process.
Very teacher intensive, but worth the effort. This is an incredible program.
Grade Level K-12th Grade
Why Choose Time4learnings Language Arts Curriculum
Some of the reasons why homeschoolers around the nation choose Time4Learnings online ELA curriculum as their core program are:
- Comprehensive program designed to build strong literacy skills
- Incorporates strong and clear visual and auditory elements to maximize learning
- Helps develop students skills in literary analysis and interpretation
- Correlates to all state standards to ensure compliance
- Combination of animated lessons, instructional videos, worksheets and quizzes to inspire love of learning
- 24/7 access from any time zone, anywhere in the world
- Flexible grade levels and freedom to customize lessons
- Builds college and career readiness
For students with special needs, the Time4Learning language arts curriculum provides an engaging, flexible format that motivates them and gets them excited about learning. The multimedia-based lessons and activities keep students engaged as they learn and retain information in the process. Students can work on different levels for each subject and also have access to one grade level above and one below, allowing parents to customize the curriculum based on their childs specific needs.
High School Language Arts Curriculum Ideas
Weve already linked to several great curriculum companies that offer English, literature, and other language arts resources for all grade levels, including high school. So, look into Memoria Press, Compass Classroom, Study.com, SchoolhouseTeachers.com, and BJU Press for your high schoolers.
If youre looking for a traditional grammar book-based course, then check out Analytical Grammar for your middle or high schoolers.
Analytical Grammar: my middle schoolers use this independent curriculum to firm up their grammar skills before high school, when their writing assignments will assume they have a firm grasp on parts of speech and proper writing techniques. I also purchase both the student and teacher texts. These are not reusable.
Find lesson plans for Analytical Grammar by clicking the button below.
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Cons Of The Best Homeschool Curriculum
On the other hand, both programs are extremely effective and include hands-on manipulatives that appeal to kinesthetic learners. All About Reading and Math U See are both fantastic homeschool programs. But, again, neither will be perfect for every child and family.
And this is why we mommas have to stop looking for the perfect homeschool curriculum. It doesnt exist.
For a more detailed review of Math U See, check out: The Best Homeschool Math For Struggling Students.
In the end, homeschool curriculum needs to be used as a tool to serve the best interest of your child and not the other way around.
Get Connected With Common Sense Press And Learning Language Arts Through Literature
Ready to learn more about tackling middle school with our favorite language arts curriculum? You can visit Common Sense Press to order or view a sample from The Tan Book.Not sure if The Tan Book is the best fit for your kiddo? These LLATL placement tests can help you determine the level youll need for the upcoming homeschool year. Better yet, Common Sense Press offers fantastic customer support, so you can always call 321-419-8163 if you need to chat about curriculum, homeschooling, or need a word of encouragement.Feeling lucky? You can enter to win a fantastic language arts curriculum package from Common Sense Press through the widget below.
You can also get to know Common Sense Press now by downloading their Short Story Reading Guide featuring stories by Hans Christian Andersen. Use the code freehansreading to snag it for FREE until August 31, 2022!
In closing, I remain so grateful to have Learning Language Arts Through Literature as a mainstay in our homeschool. After all these years, preparing for another round of middle school has reminded me that theres no better language arts curriculum to bridge the gap between the elementary and high school years of homeschooling.
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Free Complete Language Arts Curriculum
Below you will find free complete language arts curriculum. These programs will include all of the components of a language arts program, in one curriculum. This will usually include grammar, composition, reading, spelling, and sometimes other topics as well. If youre looking for other subjects, click here.
C = Christian based curriculum
Core Knowledge Language Arts
This complete language arts program covers phonics, reading, grammar, vocabulary, handwriting, spelling, and the writing process. All components of the Pre-K to third grade language arts curriculum are available for free download, while only select units for 4th and 5th grade are free.
Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool C
All areas of language arts are covered- phonics, reading/ literature, grammar, writing, spelling, and vocabulary. Lessons are taught using a variety of methods and sources, including downloadable workbooks.
Easy Peasy All-in-One High School C
Courses available are Literature and Composition, British Literature, American Literature, and Advanced Literature and Composition. The material is taught using a variety of online sources.
The Good and the Beautiful C
Plain and not so Plain C
Workbooks teaching English, spelling, penmanship, writing, reading comprehension, and vocabulary are all available for download. The reading comprehension course will require that you buy or borrow the required books.
Under the Home
The Best Homeschool Curriculums Arent Necessarily
Even the best homeschool programs arent necessarily the best.
Lets take All About Reading, an extremely popular homeschool reading program.
Its based on the Orton Gillingham approach to reading instruction. In my opinion, its a solid curriculum for all types of learners including those with dyslexia. As an educator and a momma on a soapbox about language processing issues, I cannot sing the praises of All About Learning more highly. However, this doesnt mean that its the be-all end-all curriculum. And it certainly doesnt mean it the best homeschool language arts curriculum for every child.
The reality is that there will be pros and cons to any homeschool curriculum that you choose. Ultimately, that includes some of the best programs out there. Specifically, All About Reading and the other beloved homeschool favorite, Math U See.
Related :
Orton Gillingham Approach and All About Reading- Why They Work!
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Identify The Language Arts Components
The easiest, but most useful definition is that English language arts is any subject to do with written or oral communication, including listening.
Right away you can see that some things are not formally taught or dont have to be taught in isolation.
For example, from the time your teen was a toddler, you started speaking to him in full sentences. He learned your language through the art of conversation and discussion. That part still continues in the teen years.
Too, especially at the middle and high school years, teens need to make sense out of what they have been learning.
Combining language arts elements makes language arts practical and gives teens a reason to understand it.
For example, grammar can be revised or used while a teen writes an essay.
Next, lets dive into the subject breakdown of what is language arts so you know that youre covering it and that you choose the subjects your teen needs.
Language arts includes all facets of English: phonics, reading/literature, spelling/vocabulary, grammar, composition, and penmanship. In addition, it includes oral speech.
So penmanship turns to composition and reading becomes literature. Phonics is now spelling.
Literature Curriculum For High School
Total Language Plus: Students learn writing, spelling, and vocabulary through the reading of classic literature. Sold in individual units for each book and also has a separate Poetry Unit. A novel study-based curriculum that includes, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, parts of speech, and dictation. The parts I love the most are the enrichment writing projects, research projects, and critical thinking essays that you can pick from.
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Best Unit Study Approach
Moving Beyond the Page Age 11-13 Complete Language Arts Curriculum
If your seventh grader appreciates an interdisciplinary, unit-study approach and thrives on great literature, we highly recommend the Moving Beyond the Page middle school language arts series. This program is unique in its unit-study organizational structure 10 separate literature units completed over the course of a school year comprise a complete language arts curriculum. Each unit encompasses a deep-dive study of one book or set of related readings, such as The Hobbit or British Poetry. Such literature is used to teach students content from other subjects as well, such as science or social studies, making this an excellent interdisciplinary curriculum. Parents and students alike love the flexible, interdisciplinary, and literature-based approach offered by Moving Beyond the Page. Daily lesson plans make for minimal to no prep.
The middle school series, which provides an excellent language arts high school prep program, includes two levels: the age 11-13 curriculum roughly corresponds to seventh grade, while the age 12-14 generally corresponds to eighth grade. The Age 11-13 Full Year Language Arts Package includes everything necessary for the seventh-grade level.
Best Writing Curriculum For The Elementary Years
WriteShop Junior: Our kids have LOVED using the WriteShop Junior program. It is full of engaging writing projects and is taught systematically which my kids appreciate. It gives my kids the tools to learn the foundational skills of brainstorming, organizing, and editing in a wide variety of writing genres. It is somewhat parent intensive so if you are still busy with little ones and remedating reading, wait a few years to start this.
Essentials in Writing: An excellent online writing program for grades 1-12. With short, direct video-based teaching and short, clear lessons, many kids with dyslexia report building confidence in writing with Essentials in Writing. Sign up for a free week trial to see which level is right for your child.
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Combine Many Components Of Language Arts For Lasting Benefits
Finally, the most important benefit of teaching language arts to our teens is so that it sticks with them. Understanding the mechanics of the English languages connects our teens to great minds of the past.
In addition, teaching valuable thinking skills is an important part of communication whether verbal or written.
For language arts to have lasting benefit and to teach thinking skills, combining the components of language arts is a superior way to teach.
When a teen works with a piece of literature, he focuses on grammar, writing, vocabulary, and spelling to name a few.
We want our teens to have a solid foundation for language arts whether he chooses a career track or college track.
Look at these other posts for homeschooling middle and high school teens.
Plain And Not So Plain
Plain and not so Plain is one more of the high quality and free Christian homeschool curriculums directed at students from elementary and middle school. Created by homeschooling mom Amy Maryon, the courses are easily downloaded from their website and consist of mostly of bare-bones worksheets with little or none illustrations at all.
Instructional Style: Printed PDF with lots of grammar, reading, handwriting, and spelling exercises. For the most part, the PDF files include only text, which means that visual learners may struggle with this instructional style.
Standards: Dependable language arts program not aligned to any standards.
Assessments: No tests.
Additional Resources: Reading comprehension activities, vocabulary words, spelling, spelling cursive, and spelling for left-handed activities.
Price: Free, with the possibility of buying printed books.
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Why Is Language Arts Important
According to Merriam-Webster, language arts is defined as, the subjects that aim at developing the students comprehension and capacity for use of written and oral language. As such, the components of language arts make it an important part of your childs homeschool curriculum because it is the basis for reading and writing, without which further learning couldnt take place. Language arts helps the youngest learners build their phonemic awareness, develop their literacy as they grow, and then allow them to be successful readers and writers.
Consistency Matters Especially In Middle School
Now that Ive been on both sides of the middle school levels, I appreciate the consistency and continuity found in this gentle approach to language arts even more than I did before. Dont get me wrong, Ive been known to take an occasional deep-dive on trouble spots or spend extra time honing in on a specific language arts concept, but I can say with certainty that consistency makes all the difference in middle school.
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Best Classical Christian Approach
Memoria Press Language Arts Programs
If you are interested in a language arts program that is thoroughly Classical Christian in its approach, consider the many wonderful offerings published by Memoria Press. A leader in Classical Christian curriculum, Memoria Press does not publish a specific language arts course rather, its language arts programs are divided into more specific categories, such as literature and poetry, penmanship, phonics and spelling, and writing and English grammar. To give your child a complete and engaging Classical Christian language arts education, purchase the grade-appropriate program in each category.
Memoria Presss literature and poetry curriculum consists of classic literature used alongside teacher and student guides. The guides provide step-by-step lessons and exercises that help students understand the vocabulary, themes, and historical contexts of the literature selections. These guides are excellent at teaching the importance of the stories that the children are reading, and parents and children alike love the literature selections, which range from Frog and Toad Are Friends to Little House in the Big Woods to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Language Arts Curriculum Overview
Time4Learning provides a complete preschool-twelfth grade online language arts curriculum, which correlates to all state standards. The materials are delivered using a combination of animated lessons, instructional videos, worksheets, quizzes, tests and both online and offline projects designed to develop and build literacy from the basics through college and career readiness. Language arts is offered in the following ways:
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Teaching Grammar And Vocabulary In High School
It is assumed that high school students already have a grasp of grammar concepts and many programs move on to vocabulary development in the high school years. Since some of us have delayed teaching grammar, if you want to add some now here are a few resources our family has used and enjoyed:
Easy Grammar Plus: EG Plus will give any student beyond Grade 6 a solid, basic understanding of grammar. Its especially popular because the text is written at a fourth-grade reading level. Therefore, students can focus on concepts.
Daily Grams: Simple daily practice and review of grammar concepts.
Winston Grammar: A more hands-on, multi-sensory grammar curriculum.
Wordly Wise: Build vocabulary while strengthening reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.
Other homeschool families recommend:
Growing With Grammar: Technically only goes to 8th grade but concepts are advanced enough to be high school level if your child needs this type of review.
Here Are Some Tips On How To Choose Language Arts Curriculum For Your Homeschooling Teens
Language Arts is a huge and sometimes confusing credits. Lets see if we can clarify it for you.
First off, lets explain the name of the Language Arts credit in high school.
You may have noticed that it varies according to the school or umbrella program your teen has been in or state you live in. The names vary but the credit is the same. The most common names are:
- English/Language Arts or ELA
When you are homeschooling high school, you get to choose the name of the credit that works best for your homeschool high schooler! Our teens transcripts record Language Arts, but that is simply our preference.
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The Best Language Arts Curriculum For Every Grade
Hey homeschoolers! This week I am going to save your sanity by sharing with you the best language arts curriculum for every grade level. One of the most time-consuming tasks for homeschooling parents is researching curriculum. Im not only going to tell you what I think are the best choices, but Im also going to give you access to a free document with all the information in table format. I think youre going to love it!
Before we dive in, I want to thank our sponsor for this episode of the homeschool sanity show, the Miracle Season Movie. The movie is based on a true story and I am a sucker for those. Learn more at MiracleSeason.movie.
Best 7th Grade Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum
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Seventh grade is such a wonderful time for language arts! At this stage of their intellectual development, students begin to think more abstractly and make new connections across subject areas. Most students are solid readers by this age, and many are downright bookworms! Their vocabulary and writing abilities are rapidly expanding, yet they maintain the vivid imagination of younger kids, setting them up to flourish creatively through language arts during the middle school years.
There are many different approaches to teaching seventh grade language arts in the homeschool setting. The right approach depends on your students strengths, your family culture, and your homeschool teaching style. Here weve reviewed six of our favorite seventh-grade homeschool language arts curriculums.
These are our picks for the best 7th grade language arts homeschool curriculums. Continue reading below for more detailed reviews.
- Best Computer-Based Program:Switched-On Schoolhouse Grade 7 Language Arts, Alpha Omega Press
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