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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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128 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 4th grade (Ages 9-10), In-Stock Books & Materials
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)
$20.00
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 (2 in stock)
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)
Alice, Peter and Mole Set with Parent Manual
by Michael Clay Thompson
from Royal Fireworks Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$35.00 (1 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
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)
$7.64
Ben and Me
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64 $4.00 (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 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)
Building Poems - 2nd Edition Teacher Manual and Student Book
by Michael Clay Thompson
2nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$36.00 (1 in stock)
Cache of Jewels
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$9.99
Charlotte's Web
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
1953 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Charlotte's Web
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
1953 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$4.80 (2 in stock)
Christian Light Language Arts - 4 Teacher's Guide
2nd edition from Christian Light Education
for 4th grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
$14.88 (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)
$3.19 (1 in stock)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 409
Sunrise 2nd Edition from Christian Light Education
for 4th grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
$3.19 (1 in stock)
Complete Rhyming Dictionary
from Dell Publishing
for 1st-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.99
Composition Notebook
by Gary & Wanda Sanseri
from Unknown Publisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$2.00 (4 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)
$5.09 $2.80 (2 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)
$7.64
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)
$7.64
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)
$28.04
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)
$6.79
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 (5 in stock)
Enough About Grammar
by Joe Floren
from Twain Productions
for 4th-10th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Explore Language Series
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
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)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
First Dictionary and Thesaurus
by Anne Millard
1st edition from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
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)
$26.36 $16.00 (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)
$19.96
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)
$26.36 $15.00 (2 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)
$19.96
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)
$8.49
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)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Golden Book Illustrated Dictionary - 6 volume Set
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$14.40 (1 in stock)
Grammar Island - Student Book
MCT Language Arts Level 1
by Michael Clay Thompson
3rd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 3rd-4th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$26.00 (1 in stock)
Grammar Land
by M. L. Nesbitt
from Yesterday's Classics
for 3rd-6th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$12.95
Grammar Songs - Book only
by Kathy Troxel
from Audio Memory
for 3rd-8th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
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 (2 in stock)
Grammar-Land
by M. L. Nesbitt
from Living Book Press
for 1st-5th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$3.20 (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 & Other Primers (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 & Other Primers (Location: REA-MCG)
$17.50 $10.00 (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)
$6.79
Illustrated Young Readers' Dictionary
from Simon and Schuster
for 3rd-6th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$2.80 (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 (2 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 (1 in stock)
Johnny Tremain
by Esther Forbes
from Yearling
Historical Fiction/Adventure for 3rd-10th grade
1944 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
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)
$6.79 $3.20 (1 in stock)
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)
$21.24
Kingfisher Young World Encyclopedia
by Larousse
from Larousse
for 4th-6th grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Kites Sail High
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$9.99
Language 4-6 Home School Charts
from A Beka Books
for 4th-6th grade
in A Beka Grammar & Writing (Location: GRA-ABK)
$6.80 (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)
$8.08 (2 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 4 - 10-unit Set
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 4th grade
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: CLE-LIFEPAC)
$102.00
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Chronicles of Narnia Book 2
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Little Grammar People
by Nuri Mass
from Living Book Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$14.99
LOE Essentials 1-7 After Foundations - Set
Core Knowledge Series
for 3rd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
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 - Bundle
from Logic of English, Inc.
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
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 - Student Workbook
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$8.99
LOE Essentials Volume 3 - Student Workbook
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$9.99
LOE Essentials Volume 3 - Teacher's Guide
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$54.99
Many Luscious Lollipops
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$9.99
McCall-Crabbs Books A-E - Teacher's Guide & Answer Key
by William A. McCall & Lelah Mae Crabbs
from Back Home Industries
for 1st-9th grade
in McCall-Crabbs Reading Comprehension (Location: REACOM-MC)
$6.00
Merriam-Webster's Elementary Dictionary
from Merriam-Webster
for 3rd-5th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$16.96
Merry-Go-Round
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$9.99
Mooring Tree
by Gertrude Robinson
2020 GaTB from The Good and the Beautiful
for 4th-8th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Motion in Sports
by David Wiseman
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-6th grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
$4.68 (1 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)
Music of the Hemispheres - Student Book
Poetics Strand Level 1
by Michael Clay Thompson
2nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 3rd-4th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$26.00 (1 in stock)
My Book of Stories
by Deborah Patterson
from British Library
for 3rd-6th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
My Side of the Mountain
by Jean Craighead George
from Puffin Books
Adventure for 4th-8th grade
1960 Newbery Honor Book
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.64
Oral Language Exercises
from A Beka Books
for 1st-6th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$3.40 (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)
Painless Grammar
by Rebecca Elliott Ph.D.
3rd edition from Barron's
for 4th-6th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Painless Grammar
by Rebecca Elliott Ph.D.
4th edition from Barron's
for 4th-6th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Painless Grammar
by Rebecca Elliott Ph.D.
5th edition from Barron's
for 4th-6th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$16.99
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)
Pippi Longstocking
by Astrid Lindgren
from Puffin Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.64
Punching the Clock
by Marvin Terban, illustrated by Tom Huffman
from Clarion Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Red Learning Log
by Wanda Sanseri
from Becky's Bouquet
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$16.00
Rex Barks: Diagramming Sentences Made Easy
by Phyllis Davenport
from Paper Tiger
for 3rd-6th grade
in Miscellaneous Grammar Curriculum (Location: GRA-MISC)
$18.00 (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)
$16.14 $7.60 (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)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Scholastic Children's Dictionary
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-5th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Scholastic Children's Dictionary
by Scholastic Inc.
Revised from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.80 (1 in stock)
Scholastic Children's Encyclopedia
by Scholastic
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Scholastic Children's Thesaurus
by John Bollard
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Thesauruses (Location: REF-THES)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms
by Marvin Terban
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-9th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$5.20 (1 in stock)
Scholastic First Dictionary
from Scholastic Reference
for 1st-4th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Scholastic Rhyming Dictionary
by Sue Young
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$2.40 (2 in stock)
Sentence Island - 2nd Edition Set
Writing Strand Level 1
by Michael Clay Thompson
2nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 3rd-4th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$55.00 (1 in stock)
Shiloh - TLP Bundle
for 3rd-6th grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Spell to Write and Read
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for Kindergarten-12th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
12
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