- Reading
- phonics
- sightwords
- comprehension
- Writing
- penmanship/handwriting
- grammar/mechanics
- literary devices & forms
- spelling
- editing
- complete projects like essays, short stories, poetry, research papers…
- Literature
When we lay it all out, the subject feels far from minimal, and hardly even possible to cover in its entirety. But, in reality, the key to language arts is to take it in steps: a time for everything, and everything in its own time.
What follows is a basic flow of how Language Arts can look in a homeschool. Both learning, in general, and using our language, more specifically, are very fluid processes, and largely organic.
Children often do not learn literary devices, grammar mechanics, editing, or spelling at the same rate, or even in the same order. Therefore, it is important to know your unique goals for your children at different stages of their education, and to selectively focus on only a couple of those most appropriate goals at a time.
Trust that each component of language arts will work together and come together in time. I like to compare this subject to a puzzle with many pieces: the progress doesn’t feel meaningful until you have worked for a while, and put many pieces together. So, practice patience and diligence, tackling something in each season of your homeschool, knowing that the order that the pieces go into place is not going to matter when it is all finished.
How to Homeschool Language Arts
The obvious starting point is teaching a child to read and write, while enjoying lots of books read aloud. At the earliest stages, some will use memory work from a classical curriculum like Classical Conversations or Catholic Schoolhouse to learn the 8 parts of speech. Much of the mechanics, grammar, spelling… can wait while the child practices phonics, sightwords, comprehension, and handwriting.
With practice and confidence, the child gradually moves on to independent reading: practicing reading aloud to someone like a parent, grandparent, or a sibling daily. They can continue working formally on more extensive phonics, and talking about what they read to ensure comprehension. Handwriting, may or may not still be important practice, and from this point on, will depend on the needs of the child. Often, at this stage, it’s easy to encourage children to write freely, anything they’d like. Or, you can offer copywork, or writing prompts. Of course, reading aloud from several books daily, is always a bonus.
You can find our favorite read alouds for all ages here.
Once the child is a proficient reader, many homeschoolers recommend reading aloud for fun, and especially reading the books with hefty vocabulary or difficult to pronounce names and words (like science and history). Since reading aloud can cover a variety of topics, it’s a favorite among homeschoolers. Intentional reading selections offer ways to teach about different forms of writing, and devices used within writing. There are curricula available to teach those concepts alone, or alongside a specific book.
Discussions are usually sufficient to assess reading comprehension among independent readers, although formal writing assignments can accomplish that, as well. Although there are workbooks available for reading comprehension, those are most useful for children who show a specific need for more help in this area.
The amount of writing typically increases with age, and you can gradually focus more mastering mechanics and spelling. As children progress and have a need, or express an interest in their own writing, you can teach literary devices, brainstorming, outlining, and editing skills.
I have found that the easiest spelling words come naturally to most children, and so this subject can begin to stand alone around 3rd grade (adjust for your child), when there is a specific need. Some homeschooling philosophies argue that proper spelling will be acquired by children who read plenty, and through correcting the spelling in their writing. I think the decision for how to teach spelling lies squarely on what method works for your child.
College-bound students can use specific writing curricula designed for college-bound students in order to master eassays, short stores, and editing, when they are ready.
How to Teach a Child to Read
Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Be forewarned: this book is dry, and somewhat tedious. BUT, it is 100% effective, quick, and foolproof for the parent-teacher. Heap on lots of snuggles and praise to make it tolerable to your little one. The exercises are repetitive by design, and it’s important for kids to master the skills in order to be a strong reader, but I do skip or shorten some lessons when I am confident that my child can handle a quicker pace. The book is non-consumable, so for less than $15, I have taught all of my children to read with a single book. The book also suggests daily handwriting practice, so when the child is done, in theory, they have mastered printing each letter of the alphabet.
Little Angel Readers by Stone Tablet Press
This is a set of readers and workbooks designed to teach reading from K-2nd grade. Little Angels is a Catholic curriculum designed to stand alone, but I have used the materials, more or less depending on the child, as a supplement alongside the 100 Easy Lessons. If you get the Teacher’s Manual, you’ll find craft ideas, games, and instructions for exhaustively teaching phonics.
BOB Books
These simple books make the earliest readers feel accomplished. I only recommend the first set of BOB books for that very purpose – giving children books they can read themselves with very few skills. I pair these with free worksheets from This Reading Mama, and they LOVE it. By the way, This Reading Mama has a lot of fun games for early readers, too. I’m sure you could teach your child to read just with BOB books and This Reading Mama.
Easy Readers
Once my children have finished their 100 lessons (actually, once they’re around lesson 80), they start reading easy readers out loud to me. Here are just a couple of our favorites. Biscuit books are our favorite beginning reader series. Dick and Jane found their way into our home at one point, but my kids didn’t love them. Maybe yours will. My kids have chosen lost of easy readers at the library, but here are a few more safe go-to’s:
- The Frog and Toad books
- Little Bear stories
- McGuffey Readers
- Poppleton
- Amelia Bedelia Easy Readers
- Biscuit books
Great Books for Independent Readers
We really love books. In the interest of avoiding redundancy, be sure to check-out these other book lists I have:
Here are some books, by grade, that my children have loved reading independently. Remember that grades are always approximate. I’m sure I’ll keep adding to this list as all of my children get older and we keep reading (many of the books for older kids are particularly well-suited to boys), so stop by again to see updates.
My kids have read A LOT more than this, but these selections represent a handful of timeless classics alongside a couple wholesome series that my children whole-heartedly praised.
Drop me a comment below with the favorite books in your house!
Favorite Literature for 3rd/4th grade
Boxcar Children Series
The Harp and the Laurel Wreath
Favorite Poetry for Children
Billy and Blaze Series
Fairy Series
Secret Mermaid Series
Ralph S. Mouse
Amelia Bedelia chapter books
Favorite Literature for Middle School
Bridge to Terabithia
The Wizard of Oz
Alice in Wonderland
A Wrinkle in Time Series
The Twnety-One Balloons
Where the Red Fern Grows
Old Yeller
Usborne Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare
Explorer Academy Series
Hatchet
Sign of the Beaver
The Call of the Wild
Anne of Green Gables
The Borrowers
The Cricket in Times Square
Roman and Greek Myths
The Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Mystery Makers Series
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory & Charlie and the Glass Elevator
The Magician’s Nephew, and the Chronicles of Narnia Series
The Tale of Despereux
Hardy Boys Series
Favorite Language Arts Workbooks
The handwriting workbooks from Kumon are my favorite because if you stick with their series, you get a very comprehensive and logical progression through fine motor skills. The PreK books start with line tracing, and simple mazes, and then the books move through uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and words. Of course you can just use the handwriting practice you pull out of your own head and put on paper. If you want a done-for-you option, this is my choice.
