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English / Language Arts

Language Arts CurriculumLanguage Arts Resources

The goal of all language arts is clear communication.

It's also one of two main required subject areas (along with math) in state standardized testing. A knowledge of language arts is required to drive a car, order from a menu, be understood, read subtitles on foreign films, pray, and most other useful activity known to humankind. Language is one of the primary ingredients for successful human culture and civilization.

Yet we at Exodus Books talk to parents every day who are unclear exactly what constitutes language arts, how to teach them, if composition is as important as reading, etc. They might think terms like English, composition and reading are interchangeable. Or they teach a single element of language arts (like vocabulary) and are confused when their kids score poorly on a grammar test. Or....or....or....

But what ARE the "Language Arts"?

The term Language Arts refers to the tools needed to read, write, speak, and understand a given language. Yes, it's a broad definition. But it also means the collective language arts are all interrelated, and that should actually be a cause for relief rather than fear.

Because of this interrelatedness, splitting the various topics into stand-alone subjects is nearly impossible.At the same time, all kids have strengths and weaknesses, so you can apply focus and de-emphasiswhere needed. Topics that fall under the LA umbrella include (but aren't limited to) phonics, penmanship/handwriting, reading comprehension, listening skills (dictation), spelling and vocabulary, grammar, composition, research skills, speech, rhetoric, and more.

Does that mean you have to find a single program that covers all this territory? By no means. There aren't many "total language arts" programs available, and fewer still that live up to that promise. So does that mean you have to find curricula for each topic, and then somehow manage to correlate everything into a unified whole for your kiddos? Well....yeah, kinda.

A goal a day keeps the headaches away (and CSD, and bad grades, etc.)

Yes, this sounds like a lot. Be assured: it doesn't just sound like a lot, it is a lot. That's why you set and keep goals. You don't have to teach ten language arts topics a day. Most of the skills represent means, not ends. The end of language arts study is the acquisition of good communication skills; the means to that acquisition include phonics, spelling, composition, and so on.

Phonics is a means to deciphering words; grammar provides the rules for clear writing; a large vocabulary increases a student's ability to understand and relay information effectively. Don't forget the big picture: language arts translates directly into communication skills. If your student is steadily aquiring the tools needed to communicate well, you're on the right track. If not, set some goals.

Well, set some goals even if you're on the right track. Does your child understand the rules of grammar but still can't spell? Devote extra time to spelling and vocabulary. Are there gaps in her knowledge of sentence-construction? Focus on composition for awhile. Does he excel at each of the language arts? Press him further and have him study rhetoric.

Don't tie yourself to one program; keep your kids' abilities and learning styles in mind, and find coursework that caters specifically to their needs as well as your own. Remember that there is a progression within the language arts spectrum, that phonics precedes reading, spelling precedes vocabulary building, grammar and composition precedes writing the next Pulitzer Prize-winner.

Keep the short- and long-term goals in mind at every stage so you don't get bogged down in unnecessary details or try to get all the way to homeplate when you haven't even rounded second. Why teach phonics? So kids can learn to read. Why teach kids how to spell? So they can be understood through writing. All language arts instruction boils down to the desire to form good communicators.

Our advice, for what it's worth...

Finding what works for your children will take effort. There are several learning styles, and gajillions of teaching philosophies. Not all of them work; not all programs stay consistent in their approach; not every child responds negatively to straight-up instruction vs. colorful pictures and hands-on activities. Our product reviews are intended to help you navigate the many options, but ultimately the decisions are yours to make.

Just below you'll see the main topics included under the "Language Arts" umbrella. We've tried to group them in difficulty order (phonics first, rhetoric last) to help you understand where your student currently stands. And though we've said it a thousand times already, never ever forget that teaching spelling isn't about teaching spelling—it's about equipping students to be the kinds of people who can express, understand and exchange ideas (from "Clear the table!" to "I doubt, therefore I am.") with a high degree of grace and proficiency.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.

 

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Active Filters: 4th grade (Ages 9-10)
70 Basic Phonogram Cards
by Wanda Sanseri
5th edition from Back Home Industries
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$18.00 $12.00 (1 in stock)
70 Basic Phonogram Cards
by Wanda Sanseri
5th edition from Becky's Bouquet
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$19.00
70 Basic Phonogram Cards - Large Size
by Wanda Sanseri
5th edition from Becky's Bouquet
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$45.00
70 Basic Phonograms - CD
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Adam of the Road - TLP Bundle
by Barbara Blakey
for 3rd-6th grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Alpha List
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$33.00
Amos Fortune, Free Man
by Elizabeth Yates, illustrated by Nora S. Unwin
from Puffin Books
Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1951 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.99
Antonyms Wrap-Up Keys
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for 3rd-6th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
Beall's Learning Games Phonogram Fun Packet
by Bealls' Learning Games
from Beall's Learning Games
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
Beginning Dictionary
from Macmillan
for 2nd-4th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Beginning Outlining
by Anne Sattler
from Remedia Publications
for 3rd-4th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Behind the Mask
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Ben and Me
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Black Learning Log
by Wanda Sanseri
from Becky's Bouquet
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$23.00
Blended Structure and Style in Composition
by James B. Webster
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
Writing Curriculum for 2nd-12th grade
in IEW Resources (Location: WRI-IEWRES)
$35.00
Building Poems - Teacher Manual
by Michael Clay Thompson
2nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$17.50 (1 in stock)
But and For, Yet and Nor
Words Are CATegorical
by Brian P. Cleary
from Millbrook Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
Cache of Jewels
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$8.99
Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns
by Ruth Heller
from Scholastic Reference
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Caesar's English I - Implementation Manual (CEE Parts 1 & 2) (old)
Level 2: Town Level
by Michael Clay Thompson, Myriam Borges Thompson, Thomas Milton Kemnitz
2nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 4th-5th grade
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Caesar's English I - Set (old)
by Michael Clay Thompson
from Royal Fireworks Press
Writing Curriculum for 4th-6th grade
$30.00 (1 in stock)
Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary in Spanish
by P.D. Eastman
from Random House
for 1st-4th grade
in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Caught'ya Again!
by Jane Bell Kiester
1st edition from Maupin House Publishing
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
Charlotte's Web
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
1953 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Charlotte's Web - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 3rd-4th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Childcraft in Fifteen Volumes, 1961 Edition
from World Book
for 1st-6th grade
in Vintage Anthology Collections (Location: VIN-ANTH)
Childcraft in Fourteen Volumes, 1949 Edition
from World Book
for 1st-6th grade
in Vintage Anthology Collections (Location: VIN-ANTH)
Childcraft: The How and Why Library, 1972 Edition
from World Book
for 1st-6th grade
in Vintage Anthology Collections (Location: VIN-ANTH)
Childcraft: The How and Why Library, 1980 Edition
from World Book
for 1st-6th grade
in Vintage Anthology Collections (Location: VIN-ANTH)
Children's Illustrated Dictionary
for 1st-4th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 408
Sunrise 2nd Edition from Christian Light Education
for 4th grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 410
Sunrise 2nd Edition from Christian Light Education
for 4th grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - 400 Teacher's Guide
Sunrise 2nd Edition from Christian Light Education
for 4th grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
$10.50 (2 in stock)
Clock Stamp
from Back Home Industries
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Clocks
Complete Rhyming Dictionary
from Dell Publishing
for 1st-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.99
Comprehensive Composition
by Kathryn Stout
from Design-A-Study
Writing Curriculum for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Design-A-Study (Location: HSR-DAS)
$14.00
Courage of Sarah Noble
by Alice Dalgliesh
Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-6th grade
1955 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$5.99
Courage of Sarah Noble - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 3rd-4th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Creative Writing Notebook #1
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 4th-12th grade
in Good and the Beautiful Language Arts (Location: LAN-GAB)
Creative Writing Notebook #2
by Jenny Phillips, Maggie Felsch
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 4th-12th grade
in Good and the Beautiful Language Arts (Location: LAN-GAB)
Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
1961 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden, illustrated by Garth Williams
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
1961 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden, illustrated by Garth Williams, foreword & updates by Stacey Lee
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
1961 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
by Avi
from Hyperion/Madison Press
for 4th-8th grade
2003 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.99
Cursive First
by Elizabeth FitzGerald
2nd edition from LITHBTH Educational Services
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
DK Help Your Kids with Language Arts
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-8th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
DK Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$29.99
Door in the Wall
by Marguerite de Angeli
from Yearling
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
1950 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.99
English for the Thoughtful Child Volume One
by Mary Hyde & Cynthia Shearer
2nd edition from Greenleaf Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Charlotte Mason Language Arts (Location: GRA-CM)
$14.50 $7.50 (3 in stock)
English for the Thoughtful Child Volume Two
by Fred Scott, Gordon Southworth & Cynthia Shearer
from Greenleaf Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Charlotte Mason Language Arts (Location: GRA-CM)
$14.50
Enough About Grammar
by Joe Floren
from Twain Productions
for 4th-10th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Everything You Need to Know About English Homework
by scholastic
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Explore Language Series
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
Fantastic! Wow! and Unreal!
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
First Language Lessons Level 3 - Instructor Book
by Jessie Wise & Sara Buffington
from Well-Trained Mind Press
for 3rd-4th grade
in First Language Lessons (Location: GRA-FLL)
$29.95 $15.00 (2 in stock)
First Language Lessons Level 3 - Workbook
by Jessie Wise & Sara Buffington
from Well-Trained Mind Press
for 3rd-4th grade
in First Language Lessons (Location: GRA-FLL)
$24.95
First Language Lessons Level 4 - Instructor Book
First Language Lessons
by Jessie Wise and Sara Buffington
from Well-Trained Mind Press
for 4th-5th grade
in First Language Lessons (Location: GRA-FLL)
$29.95 $15.00 (1 in stock)
First Language Lessons Level 4 - Workbook
First Language Lessons
by Jessie Wise and Sara Buffington
from Well-Trained Mind Press
for 4th-5th grade
in First Language Lessons (Location: GRA-FLL)
$24.95
Fishmeal and the Mounching Monster
by Michael Clay Thompson
from Royal Fireworks Press
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E. L. Konigsburg
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Mystery/Suspense for 4th-7th grade
1968 Newbery Medal winner
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$8.99
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E. L. Konigsburg
35th Anniversary Edition from Atheneum
Mystery/Suspense for 4th-7th grade
1968 Newbery Medal winner
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Book Illustrated Dictionary - 6 volume Set
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Grammar Island - Teacher Manual (old)
MCT Language Arts Level 1
by Michael Clay Thompson
from Royal Fireworks Press
Grammar Curriculum for 3rd-4th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
Grammar Land
by M. L. Nesbitt
from Yesterday's Classics
for 3rd-6th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$10.95
Grammar Songs - DVD
by Kathy Troxel
from Audio Memory
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$15.00
Grammar Songs with CD
Audio Memory CDs
by Kathy Troxel
from Audio Memory
for 3rd-8th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$22.95 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Grammar Town - Student Book
MCT Language Arts Level 2
by Michael Clay Thompson
2nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
Grammar Curriculum for 3rd-5th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
Grammar Town - Teacher Manual
MCT Language Arts Level 2
by Michael Clay Thompson
2nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
Grammar Curriculum for 3rd-5th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition
Harvey's Language Course
by Thos. W. Harvey
from Mott Media
for 4th-8th- grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
$15.00 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition - Answer Key
Harvey's Language Course
by Thos. W. Harvey
from Mott Media
for 4th-8th grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Harvey's Revised English Grammar
Harvey's Language Course
by Thos. W. Harvey
from Mott Media
for 4th-8th grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
$17.50 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Harvey's Revised English Grammar - Answer Key
Harvey's Language Course
by Thos. W. Harvey
from Mott Media
for 4th-8th grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
$4.50 $3.00 (1 in stock)
High King
Prydain Chronicles #5
by Lloyd Alexander
from Henry Holt and Company
Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
1969 Newbery Medal winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
High King
Prydain Chronicles #5
by Lloyd Alexander
from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
1969 Newbery Medal winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
High King
Prydain Chronicles #5
by Lloyd Alexander
Revised 1999 Edition from Henry Holt and Company
Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
1969 Newbery Medal winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Homonyms Wrap-Up Keys
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for 3rd-6th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
I and You and Don't Forget Who
Words Are CATegorical
by Brian P. Cleary
from First Avenue Editions
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
Illustrated Young Readers' Dictionary
from Simon and Schuster
for 3rd-6th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Imaginaries: Little Scraps of Larger Stories
by Emily Winfield Martin
from Random House
for 3rd-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Incredible Journey
by Sheila Burnford
from Bantam Books
Animal Stories for 4th-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Individual Studies: Lesson Plans for Grade 4
by Sonya Schafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 4th grade
in Simply Charlotte Mason (Location: CUR-SCM)
Information Please! - Getting Started
by Pat Wesolowski
for 3rd-6th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Intermediate Language Lessons
by Emma Serl
from Applewood Books
for 4th-6th Grade
in Emma Serl Language Lessons (Location: GRA-SERL)
$14.00 (4 in stock)
Intermediate Language Lessons - Teacher's Guide
Tch from Lost Classics Book Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Emma Serl Language Lessons (Location: GRA-SERL)
$14.00 (3 in stock)
Journey Through Grammar Land Parts 1 & 2
by Frode Jensen, Vernie O. Jones
from Wordsmiths
for 3rd-6th grade
in Jensen's English (Location: GRA-JENSEN)
King of the Wind
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade
1949 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.39
King of the Wind
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade
1949 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$19.99
Kingfisher Young World Encyclopedia
by Larousse
from Larousse
for 4th-6th grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Kites Sail High
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Kites Sail High
by Ruth Heller
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Kites Sail High
by Ruth Heller
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Language 4-6 Home School Charts
from A Beka Books
for 4th-6th grade
in A Beka Grammar & Writing (Location: GRA-ABK)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Language Arts and Literature Level 4 Personal Reader
by Jenny Phillips, Ella Maie Seyfert, Catherine Blanton, Lucy Fitch Perkins, Lilla Stirling
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 4th grade
in The Good and the Beautiful (Location: CUR-GAB)
Language Arts and Literature Level 4 World Biographies Reader
by Jenny Phillips, Meg Bolich, Ileana Board, Molly Sanchez, Brother Roberto
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 4th grade
in The Good and the Beautiful (Location: CUR-GAB)
Language Arts Terminology Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 4th-10th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
Language Lessons for the Elementary Child 1
by Sandi Queen
from Queen Homeschool Supplies
for 3rd-6th grade
in Queen Homeschool Language Lessons (Location: GRA-QUEEN)
Language Lessons for the Elementary Child 1 - Answer Key
by Donna Richardson
from Queen Homeschool Supplies
for 3rd-6th grade
in Queen Homeschool Language Lessons (Location: GRA-QUEEN)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Language Lessons for the Elementary Child 2
by Sandi Queen
from Queen Homeschool Supplies
for 3rd-6th grade
in Queen Homeschool Language Lessons (Location: GRA-QUEEN)
Language Lessons for the Elementary Child 2 - Answer Key
by Donna Richardson
from Queen Homeschool Supplies
for 1st-4th grade
in Queen Homeschool Language Lessons (Location: GRA-QUEEN)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Language Lessons for the Secondary Child 1
by Sandi Queen
from Queen Homeschool Supplies
for 4th-8th grade
in Queen Homeschool Language Lessons (Location: GRA-QUEEN)
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