Blount Home Education Association
• Aug. 26, 2006 - Language Arts Ideas
Hi everyone! Here's my two-cents' worth on Language Arts. This seems to me
to be the trickiest area of home schooling because there are so many different
aspects to it: Reading, Handwriting, Writing, Spelling, and Grammar.
Choosing the materials from one curriculum provider (Sonlight, Abeka, Alpha Om ega, etc.) and sticking with them seems to work well for many people, but if
you haven't found one you like, the "eclectic" approach works, too.
We did Sonlight Language Arts through second grade. It worked for both of my
daughters to learn how to read. Sonlight describes their approach as a
"natural language-learning approach," and they offer supplemental workbooks to go along with their readers and activity sheets. This is what we used:
1. Get Ready, Get Set, and Go for the Code for Kindergarten.
2. Explode the Code--Workbooks 1, 2, 3 for First Grade
3. Explode the Code--Workbooks 4, 5, 6 for Second Grade
(This series is good for phonics and spelling.)
4. Wordly Wise Workbooks A and B for Second Grade (vocabulary)
For 3rd Grade, I am using a more eclectic approach with some materials
purchased from Sonlight and elsewhere. Shoshana is doing:
1. Wordly Wise C (vocabulary)
2. Word Study D (vocabulary)
3. Daily Grams (for 2nd and 3rd grade grammar)
4. Sequential Spelling 1 (a spelling program that builds spelling around
word families)
HANDWRITING:
We have been using and enjoying "A Reason for Handwriting." We used their K
book for Kindergarten, Book A (Manuscript for First grade), Book T (Transition)
for 2nd grade and Book C (Cursive) for 3rd grade. This program uses Bible
verses as handwriting exercises.
GRAMMAR:
We are using Shurley English 1. We started it last year but got bogged down by the amount of text and gave it up. I started it again in January and really liked it! There are great jingles for learning about parts of speech, exercises for sentence classification, and a weekly test. Even though my girls are in 2nd and 3rd grades, we are going to finish Shurley English 1 this year because I think it will provide a good foundation. Then we may skip to Level 3. (I actually bought a used Level 3
which turned out not to be the homeschool version, but I guess I'll try to use it
anyway--the layout and plan is different from what I'm used to.) Shurley
English is a bit pricey, but it would sell well used on eBay.
WRITING: Writing remains a bit of a mystery to me. I know that many people
like "Writing Strands," but I looked at it and felt bored. I figure that if
I'm bored with it, the girls will be, too. So I have bought a new program to
try this year, "The Institute for Excellence in Writing," (IEW). This is also
"pricey" but is supposed to teach me how to teach writing to my daughters all
the way through 12th grade. Stay tuned to see how it's going.
I would be glad to show anyone any of these materials or workbooks if you
want to contact me personally. I can bring things to Monday Fun, or you can stop
by my house. I'd also be interested in anyone else's comments on Writing and
Grammar. Sonlight sells Winston Grammar, but it looks like it's for 4th
grade, so I haven't bought it yet.
Marj Overstreet
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