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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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124 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 5th grade (Ages 10-11), In-Stock Books & Materials
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)
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
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)
$18.66
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)
$6.79
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)
$12.74
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)
$8.49
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)
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
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)
$8.49 $4.00 (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)
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 GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$7.65 (3 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)
$13.59 $7.20 (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)
$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)
Chico of the Andes
The Good and the Beautiful Library Level 5
by Christine Von Hagen
2022 printing from The Good and the Beautiful
for 5th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$7.65 (2 in stock)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 501-505 Answer Key (old)
from Christian Light Education
for 5th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$1.70 (1 in stock)
Christian Light Language Arts - LightUnit 501-510 - Quizzes and Tests Answer Key
Sunrise 2 Edition from Christian Light Education
for 5th grade
in Christian Light Language Arts (Location: GRA-CLE)
$3.83 (1 in stock)
Clockmaker's Son
The Good and the Beautiful Library Level 5
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 5th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$7.65 (2 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)
Creative Writer Level 2
by Boris Fishman
from Well-Trained Mind Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Creative Writer (Location: WRI-CREATE)
$16.11
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)
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
Enough About Grammar
by Joe Floren
from Twain Productions
for 4th-10th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$10.00 (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)
$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 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
Fog Trilogy and Parent Manual - Set
Literature Strand Level 6
by Michael Clay Thompson
from Royal Fireworks Press
for 5th-12th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$35.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Geography & Grammar Cards Level 4-7 (old)
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 5th-7th grade
$6.80 (1 in stock)
Geography & Grammar Cards Level 5-7
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 5th-7th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$9.35 (2 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 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)
Guide to Grammar
by Laura Wilson
from Maupin House Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$17.00 (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 & 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
Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien
2nd edition from Ballantine Books
Fantasy for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.35
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)
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
Anv from Sandpiper Books
Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade
1961 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.49 $4.00 (2 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)
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 5 - Curriculum/Lesson Plans (old)
from A Beka Books
for 5th grade
$16.15 (3 in stock)
Language Arts and Literature Level 5 - Course Book Answer Key
3rd edition from The Good and the Beautiful
for 5th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$7.65 (1 in stock)
Language Arts and Literature Level 5 - Personal Reader (old)
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 5th grade
$3.40 (1 in stock)
Language Arts and Literature Level 5 - Shared Reader (old)
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 5th grade
$3.40 (2 in stock)
Language Arts Level 5 - Course Companion (old)
1st edition from The Good and the Beautiful
for 5th grade
$5.10 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 5 - 10-unit Set
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 5th grade
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: CLE-LIFEPAC)
$102.00 $50.00 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 5 - Teacher's Guide
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: CLE-LIFEPAC)
$26.75 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Light in the Forest
by Conrad Richter
from Vintage Classics
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$6.76
Light in the Forest
by Conrad Richter, illustrated by Warren Chappell
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
$13.56
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
Marjorie
The Good and the Beautiful Library Level 5
by Sidney Baldwin, edited by Jenny Phillips
2022 edition from The Good and the Beautiful
for 5th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$7.65 (2 in stock)
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
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)
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)
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)
Phantom Tollbooth
by Norton Juster
from Yearling
Satirical Fantasy for 5th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
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)
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)
Scholastic Children's Dictionary
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-5th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$6.40 (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 Rhyming Dictionary
by Sue Young
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$2.40 (2 in stock)
Search Trilogy and Parent Manual - Set
Literature Strand Level 3
by Michael Clay Thompson
2nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 5th-12th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$35.00 (1 in stock)
Shadow Trilogy and Parent Manual - Set
Literature Strand Level 4
by Michael Clay Thompson
from Royal Fireworks Press
for 5th-12th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$35.00 (1 in stock)
Shiloh - TLP Bundle
for 3rd-6th grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Someday You'll Write
by Elizabeth Yates
2nd edition from Bob Jones University Press
Non-fiction for 5th-9th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$5.00 $3.00 (1 in stock)
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