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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857 Items found Print
100 Ways to Improve Your Writing
by Gary Provost
from Penguin Random House
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
1001 Commonly Misspelled Words
by Robert Magnan & Mary Lou Santovec
from McGraw-Hill
for 10th-Adult
in Spelling Resources (Location: REF-SPE)
501 English Verbs
by Thomas R. Beyer, Jr., Ph.D.
2nd edition from Barron's
for 9th-Adult
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
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)
$12.00
Adam of the Road - TLP Bundle
by Barbara Blakey
for 3rd-6th grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Adam of the Road - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 6th-8th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Advanced Language Lessons
by Mary Jane Newcomer (editor and revisor), Frank E. Spaulding, Catherine T. Bryce, Huber Gray Buehler
from Lost Classics Book Co.
for 7th-10th grade
in Miscellaneous Grammar Curriculum (Location: GRA-MISC)
Advanced Language Lessons - Teacher Manual
by Frank Ellsworth Spaulding, Catherine T. Bryce, and Huber Gray Buehler
from Biblio Bazaar
for 7th-10th grade
in Miscellaneous Grammar Curriculum (Location: GRA-MISC)
Alpha List
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$33.00
Alphabet Makers
by Hyatt Moore
from Wycliffe Bible Translators
for 8th-Adult
in History of Books & Language (Location: HISV-BOOK)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Dictionary of the English Language
by Noah Webster
10th edition from Foundation for American Christian Education
for 7th-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
American Heritage Children's Dictionary
from Houghton Mifflin
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Desk Dictionary
5th edition from Houghton Mifflin
for 7th-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
American Heritage Dictionary
by Houghton Mifflin Company
5th edition from Dell Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$9.99
American Heritage Picture Dictionary
by Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries
newly updated from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-1st grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Student Thesaurus
by Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries
Reprint from Houghton Mifflin
for 7th-12th grade
in Thesauruses (Location: REF-THES)
$18.99 $11.50 (1 in stock)
American Literature Poetry - Guide
from Total Language Plus
for 9th-12th grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
American Literature: Nonfiction - TLP Guide
from Total Language Plus
for 11th-12th grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
American Literature: Short Stories - Guide
by Barbara Blakey
from Total Language Plus
for 9th-12th grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
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
Amos Fortune, Free Man - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 5th-6th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
$21.95
Animal Farm
Signet Classics
by George Orwell
from Signet Classics
Utopian/Dystopian Literature for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$9.99
Animal Farm - TLP Bundle
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Animal Farm - TLP Focus Guide
from Total Language Plus
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Anne of Green Gables
Anne #1
by L. M. Montgomery
from Bantam Books
Orphan Stories for 5th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.99
Anne of Green Gables
Anne #1
by L. M. Montgomery
from Tundra Books (NY)
Orphan Stories for 5th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$19.99
Anne of Green Gables
Anne #1
by L. M. Montgomery
from Tundra Books (NY)
Orphan Stories for 5th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$9.99
Anne of Green Gables - TLP Bundle
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Anne of Green Gables - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
by Barbara Blakey
from Total Language Plus
for 7th-9th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Antonyms Wrap-Up Keys
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for 3rd-6th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
Around the World in Eighty Days
by Jules Verne, George M. Towle (Translator)
from Bantam Books
for 7th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$5.95
Around the World in Eighty Days - TLP Bundle
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Around the World in Eighty Days - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 9th-11th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Art of Fiction
by John Gardner
from Vintage Classics
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$14.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Beginner Books Box A
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
Beginner Books Box A
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-1st grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
Beginner Books Box B
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
Beginner Books Box B
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
Beginner Books Box C
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Beginner Books Box D
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$12.00 (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
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
Ben and Me - TLP Bundle
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Ben and Me - TLP Focus Guide
from Total Language Plus
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
$8.50
Bible Friends Activity Book
3rd edition from A Beka Books
for 1st grade
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
Blake the Brave
Gold Tales Level 1B
by Jenny Phillips, illustrated by Ekaterina Kolesnikova
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
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
Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
by Jane Straus with Lester Kaufman & Tom Stern
11th edition from Jossey-Bass
for 6th-Adult
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$16.95 $12.00 (2 in stock)
Bronze Bow
by Elizabeth George Speare
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade
1962 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Bronze Bow - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 7th-9th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Bugaboo Review
by Sue Sommer
1st edition from New World Library
for 7th-12th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
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)
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
Caddie Woodlawn - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 5th-6th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Call of the Wild
Puffin Classics
by Jack London
2008th edition from Puffin Books
Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.99
Call of the Wild
by Jack London, Michael Clay Thompson
from Royal Fireworks Press
Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
Call of the Wild - TLP Bundle
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Call of the Wild - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 7th-9th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Captured Words
The Good and the Beautiful Library Level 5
by Frances Williams Brown, edited by Jenny Phillips
2022 printing from The Good and the Beautiful
for 5th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
from Houghton Mifflin
Biography for 5th-9th grade
1956 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$15.99
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch - TLP Bundle
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 6th-8th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Caught'ya Again!
by Jane Bell Kiester
1st edition from Maupin House Publishing
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
Caught'ya!
by Jane Bell Kiester
3rd edition from Maupin House Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Character Development Visuals with Lesson Guide
from A Beka Books
for Kindergarten
in Character Building (Location: BIB-CH)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint
Write Great Fiction
by Nancy Kress
from Writer's Digest
for 7th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
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 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Charlotte's Web
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
1953 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Charlotte's Web - TLP Bundle
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
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 First Encyclopedia
by Neil Morris
from Backpack Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Children's Illustrated Dictionary
for 1st-4th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Chocolate Moose for Dinner
by Fred Gwynne
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Chortling Bard
by Jane Bell Kiester
from Maupin House Publishing
for 9th-12th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Christian Light Language Arts - 200 Extra Practice
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 2nd grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - 200 Teacher's Guide
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 2nd grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
$10.50 (2 in stock)
Christian Light Language Arts - 300 Teacher's Guide
Sunrise 2nd Edition from Christian Light Education
for 3rd grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
$13.00 (1 in stock)
Christian Light Language Arts - English 1 901-905 Teacher Materials
Sunrise from Christian Light Education
for 9th grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Christian Light Language Arts - English 1 Answer Key LightUnit 901-905
Sunrise from Christian Light Education
for 9th grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 101
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 1st grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 102
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 1st grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 103
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 1st grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 104
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 1st grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 105
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 1st grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 106
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 1st grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 107
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 1st grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 108
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 1st grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 109
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 1st grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 110
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 1st grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 201
Sunrise 2 from Christian Light Education
for 2nd grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
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