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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-emphasis where 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 acquiring 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 home plate 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: 2nd grade (Ages 7-8), Used Books & Materials
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 (2 in stock)
Alpha List
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$33.00 $10.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage First Dictionary
Updated from Houghton Mifflin
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$9.00 (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)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
Building Language - 2nd EditionTeacher Manual and Student Book
MCT Language Arts Level 1
by Michael Clay Thompson
2nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$31.50 (1 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 (2 in stock)
Children's First Encyclopedia
by Neil Morris
from Backpack Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
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 $3.50 (3 in stock)
DK First Encyclopedia
by Anita Ganeri & Chris Oxlade
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Dog Named Sniff #1
Level 1A
by Jenny Phillips, illustrated by Zoe Bennett
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
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 (4 in stock)
EyeLike Letters
from Play Bac
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Famous People
by Yuriko Nickols
from Common Sense Press
for 2nd grade
in Clearance: Readers (Location: ZCLE-READ)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
First Book of Words
by Sam and Beryl Epstein, illustrated by Laszlo Roth
from Franklin Watts
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
First Language Lessons Level 1
by Jessie Wise
2nd edition from Well-Trained Mind Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in First Language Lessons (Location: GRA-FLL)
$18.95 $12.00 (4 in stock)
First Language Lessons Level 2
by Jessie Wise
2nd edition from Well-Trained Mind Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in First Language Lessons (Location: GRA-FLL)
$19.95 $12.00 (2 in stock)
Games for Writing
by Peggy Kaye
1st edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Glenn and His Goat Find Grandfather's Gold
Good and the Beautiful Silver Tales Level 2B
by Sue Stuever Battel, illustrated by Alissa Empsey
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Grammar-Land
by M. L. Nesbitt
from Living Book Press
for 1st-5th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Gwennie and the Great Green Forest
Good and the Beautiful Silver Tales Level 2B
by Shannon Yauger, illustrated by Anita Schmidtt
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Houghton Mifflin Picture Dictionary
An American Heritage Dictionary
by Robert L. Hillerich, illustrated by Maggie Swanson
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
In, Out, and About Catfish Pond
by Charlotte Graeber
from Common Sense Press
for 2nd grade
in Clearance: Readers (Location: ZCLE-READ)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher First Dictionary
by John Grisewood
from Kingfisher
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Knitting Knights
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$15.00 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 2 - Book 10
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: CLE-LIFEPAC)
$11.50 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 2 - Book 7
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: CLE-LIFEPAC)
$11.50 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 2 - Book 8
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: CLE-LIFEPAC)
$11.50 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 2 - Book 9
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: CLE-LIFEPAC)
$11.50 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 2 - Teacher's Guide
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: CLE-LIFEPAC)
$26.75 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Little Glass Lake: Ducks
Little Glass Lake #1, GATB Library Level 2B
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
LOE Advanced Phonogram Flashcards
3rd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Basic Phonogram Flashcards
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Essentials Reader
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$24.99 $12.50 (1 in stock)
LOE Essentials Reader - Student Activity Book
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$14.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Essentials Reader - Teacher's Guide
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$19.99 $12.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Essentials Volume 1 - Morpheme Flash Cards Set
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$13.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Foundations B - Readers
by Kimber Iverson
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$12.99 $8.50 (1 in stock)
LOE Foundations B - Teacher's Manual
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$44.99 $25.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Foundations C - Teacher's Manual
3rd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$54.99
LOE Foundations D - Readers
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$19.99 $12.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Grammar Flashcards
3rd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$15.50 (1 in stock)
LOE Phonogram Game Cards - Blue Bookface
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$11.99 $7.50 (2 in stock)
LOE Phonogram Game Cards - Green Cursive
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$11.99 $7.50 (2 in stock)
LOE Rhythm of Handwriting Cursive - Desk Strip
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$0.99 $0.70 (2 in stock)
LOE Rhythm of Handwriting Cursive - Quick Reference Chart
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Rhythm of Handwriting Cursive - Tactile Cards
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$19.50 (2 in stock)
LOE Rhythm of Handwriting Manuscript - Quick Reference Chart
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$9.99 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Merriam-Webster's First Dictionary
by Ruth Heller, illustrator
from Merriam-Webster
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Molly and the Falcon
by Maggie Felsch, illustrated by Kessler Garrity
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$11.00 (2 in stock)
Mud Trilogy - Set
by Michael Clay Thompson
from Royal Fireworks Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$28.00 (1 in stock)
My 2 in 1 Picture Dictionary
from Make Believe Ideas
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
My First Picture Dictionary
by Katherine Howard
from Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$1.50 (2 in stock)
My Second Picture Dictionary
Ginn Elementary English Series
by Reid, Crane, & Jenkins, illustrated by Tom Cooke and Bea Holmes
from Ginn and Co.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
My Very First Word Book
by Angela Wilkes
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Oral Language Exercises
from A Beka Books
for 1st-6th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$4.00 (5 in stock)
Organizing Thinking Book 1: Graphic Organizers
by Howard Black, Sandra Parks
from Critical Thinking Books
for 2nd-4th grade
in Old Edition Logic (Location: ZCLE-LOG)
$16.50 (1 in stock)
Panda in the Bamboo Forest
Animal Adventures, Level 2A
by Heather Horn, illustrated by Victoria Skakandia
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-3rd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Paragraph Town - Student Book
by Michael Clay Thompson
3rd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$29.50 (2 in stock)
Primary Language Lessons
by Emma Serl
from Lost Classics Book Co.
for 2nd-3rd Grade
in Emma Serl Language Lessons (Location: GRA-SERL)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Primary Language Lessons (Lingua Mater)
by Emma Serl
Updated from Hillside Education
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Charlotte Mason Language Arts (Location: GRA-CM)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Rainbow Dictionary
by Wendell W. Wright, assisted by Helene Laird, illustrated by Joseph Low
from World Publishing Company
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Random House Children's Encyclopedia
by Dorling Kindersley Ltd
from Random House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Reading Booster C - Wesley and the Wolves
by Jenny Phillips, illustrated by Kessler Garrity
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$11.00 (2 in stock)
Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
by Richard Scarry
from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$17.99 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Right Word
by Jen Bryant
from Eerdmans
for 1st-4th grade
2015 Caldecott Honor Book, 2015 Robert F. Sibert Medal winner
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$18.99 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Roget's Student Thesaurus
by Andrew Schiller, William A. Jenkins
Rev Sub from HarperCollins
for 2nd-4th grade
in Thesauruses (Location: REF-THES)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Scholastic Children's Dictionary
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-5th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Scholastic Children's Dictionary
by Scholastic Inc.
Revised from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Scholastic First Dictionary
from Scholastic Reference
for 1st-4th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Sounding Out the Sight Words
by Denise Eide & Cindy Kringelis
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$22.00 (1 in stock)
Spell to Write and Read (really old)
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for Kindergarten-12th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Strong Start in Language
by Ruth Beechick
from Arrow Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Clearance: Home School Resources (Location: ZCLE-HSR)
$1.50 (3 in stock)
Treehouse Town - Book Set
Level 2
by Jenny Phillips, illustrated by McKenzie Rose West
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-2nd grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne First Dictionary
by Jane Bingham, Rachel Wardley
from Usborne
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Not-Your-Everday Illustrated Thesaurus
by James Maclaine
from EDC Publishing
for 2nd-5th grade
in Thesauruses (Location: REF-THES)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
WISE Guide Enrichment Activity Worksheets A-M
by Elizabeth Fitzgerald
from LITHBTH Educational Services
for 1st-4th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$24.00 (2 in stock)
WISE Guide Enrichment Activity Worksheets N-Z
by Elizabeth Fitzgerald
from LITHBTH Educational Services
for 1st-4th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$24.00 (1 in stock)
WISE Guide for Spelling (really old)
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for 1st-4th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Word Wizard's Book of Adverbs
by Robin Johnson
from Crabtree Publishing
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Word Wizard's Book of Nouns
by Robin Johnson
from Crabtree Publishing
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Word Wizard's Book of Pronouns
by Robin Johnson
from Crabtree Publishing
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Word Wizard's Book of Verbs
by Robin Johnson
from Crabtree Publishing
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Word Write Now
by Loranna Schwacofer
3rd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in IEW Resources (Location: WRI-IEWRES)
$35.00 $22.00 (1 in stock)
Write Book for Christian Families
by Robert Allen
from Bob Jones University Press
for 1st-12th grades
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Writer's Toolbox
by Nancy Loewen; illustrated by Christopher Lyles, Dawn Beacon, and Todd Ouren
from Picture Window Books
for 2nd-4th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Writing Strands - Teaching Companion
Writing Strands
by Dave Marks
from Master Books
Writing Curriculum for Preschool-12th grade
in Writing Strands (Location: WRI-WS)
$8.79 $5.50 (1 in stock)
Writing/Seatwork 2 - Curriculum/Lesson Plans (old)
from A Beka Books
for 2nd grade
$4.00 (1 in stock)
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