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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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94 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 6th grade (Ages 11-12), Used Books & Materials
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)
Arne of Norway
Level 5
by Alta Halverson Seymour, illustrated by Frank Nicholas
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-6th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$4.25 (1 in stock)
Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
by Jane Straus with Lester Kaufman & Tom Stern
11th edition from Jossey-Bass
for 6th-Adult
$13.56 $8.00 (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)
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)
$15.00 (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)
$4.80 (2 in stock)
Christian Light Reading - LightUnit 606-610 Answer Key (old)
from Christian Light Education
for 6th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$1.70 (1 in stock)
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 (3 in stock)
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)
Enough About Grammar
by Joe Floren
from Twain Productions
for 4th-10th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Falcon of Eric the Red
by Catherine Coblentz; illustrated by Henry C. Pitz
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 4th-6th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$4.68 (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)
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
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 of Literature - 1st Edition Set
Grammar Strand Level 4
by Michael Clay Thompson
1st edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 6th-8th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$44.00 (1 in stock)
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)
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)
How to Write a Great Research Paper
by Leland Graham & Darriel Ledbetter
from Incentive Publications, Inc.
for 6th-9th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Jensen's Punctuation
by Frode Jensen
from Wordsmiths
for 6th-9th grade
$9.00 (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 (1 in stock)
Just David
by Eleanor H. Porter, with grammar and spelling updated by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
Autobiography for 4th-8th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$4.68 (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)
$6.79 $3.20 (1 in stock)
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 and Literature Level 6 - Answer Key
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 6th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$3.40 (3 in stock)
Language Arts and Literature Level 6 - Reader
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 6th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$6.38 (2 in stock)
Lantern Lane #1
Good and the Beautiful Library Level 6
by Tessa Greene
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 6th-7th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$4.25 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 6 - Book 1
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: GRA-AOP)
$11.50 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 6 - Book 10
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: GRA-AOP)
$11.50 $5.00 (2 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 6 - Book 3
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: GRA-AOP)
$11.50 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 6 - Book 4
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: GRA-AOP)
$11.50 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 6 - Book 8
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: GRA-AOP)
$11.50 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Lifepac: Language Arts 6 - Boxed Set
from Alpha Omega Publications
in AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts (Location: GRA-AOP)
$108.00 $69.75 (1 in stock)
Light in the Forest - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 6th-8th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
$18.66 $12.00 (1 in stock)
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 $4.40 (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 (2 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)
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)
More Nitty-Gritty Grammar
by Edith H. Fine and Judith P. Josephson
from Ten Speed Press
for 6th-Adult
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$7.00 (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 - TLP Guide (old)
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
by Jean Craighead George (book), Barbara Blakey (study guide)
from Total Language Plus
for 5th-6th Grade
$14.50 (1 in stock)
Nitty-Gritty Grammar
by Edith H. Fine and Judith P. Josephson
from Ten Speed Press
for 6th-Adult
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
Official Scrabble Players Dictionary
from Merriam-Webster
for 6th-9th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
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)
Poetry of Literature - 2nd Edition Set
Poetics Strand Level 4
by Michael Clay Thompson
2nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 6th-8th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$41.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Roget's International Thesaurus
by Robert L. Chapman (revised by)
4th Edition from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
for 6th-Adult
in Thesauruses (Location: REF-THES)
$4.80 (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 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)
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)
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)
Study Strategies Made Easy
by Leslie Davis, Sandi Sirotowitz, with Harvey C. Parker
from Specialty Press
for 6th-12th grade
in Research & Study Skills (Location: REF-STUDY)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Three Gold Doubloons
Level 7
by Edith Thacher Hurd, illustrated by Clement Hurd
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-6th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
Time 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)
Tino and the Typhoon
by Alice Geer Kelsey, edited by Jenny Phillips
2020 Reissue from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-6th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Usborne Children's Encyclopedia
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Jane Elliott & Colin King
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Usborne Children's Encyclopedia
by Felicity Brooks, Anna Claybourne, eds.
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$8.80 (2 in stock)
Usborne Illustrated Dictionary
by Edited by Jane Bingham, designed by Susie McCaffrey
from Usborne
for 3rd-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$8.80 (1 in stock)
Usborne Illustrated Grammar and Punctuation
from Usborne
for 3rd-7th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Violet and the Volcanoes #1
Level 5
by Amy Drorbaugh, illustrated by Brandon Dorman
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-6th grade
in GATB Language Arts & Reading (Location: CUR-GABELA)
$4.25 (2 in stock)
Vocabulary of Literature - 1st Edition Set
Vocabulary Strand Level 4
by Michael Clay Thompson
1st edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 6th-8th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$41.00 (1 in stock)
Vocabulary of Literature - Student Workbook
Vocabulary Strand Level 4
by Michael Clay Thompson
1st edition from Royal Fireworks Press
for 6th-8th grade
in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language
from Waking Lion Press
for 6th-Adult
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$14.40 (1 in stock)
Where the Red Fern Grows - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 6th-8th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
$14.50 (1 in stock)
Whipping Boy
by Sid Fleischman
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1987 Newbery Medal winner
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.64 $3.60 (2 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)
Words You Should Know
by David Olsen
from Adams Media Corp.
for 6th-10th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (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)
Write Source 2000
by Patrick Sebranek, Dave Kemper & Verne Meyer
4th edition from Houghton Mifflin
Writing Reference for 6th-8th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$26.95 $15.00 (2 in stock)
Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs
by Victor C. Pellegrino
from Maui arThoughts Company
Writing Reference for 6th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$24.95 $16.00 (1 in stock)
Writer's Guide to Transitional Words and Expressions
by Victor C. Pellegrino
from Maui arThoughts Company
Writing Reference for 6th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$16.95 $11.00 (2 in stock)
Writer's Guide to Using Eight Methods of Transition
by Victor C. Pellegrino
from Maui arThoughts Company
Writing Reference for 6th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (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)
Young Students Learning Library - 23 Volume Set
from Newfield Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$48.00 (1 in stock)
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