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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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Parent Categories

Home Schooling

English / Language Arts

Subcategories

Language Arts Curriculum

- A Beka Language Arts

- AOP Lifepacs: Language Arts

- Christian Light Language Arts

- Core Skills: Language Arts

- Emma Serl Language Lessons

- First Language Lessons

- Good and the Beautiful Language Arts

- Jensen's English

- Learning Language Arts Through Literature

- Life of Fred Language Arts Series

- Logic of English

- Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts

- Queen Homeschool Language Lessons

- Spectrum Language Arts

- Spell to Write and Read

- Total Language Plus Guides

- Total Language Plus Literature

Language Arts Resources

- Dictionaries

- Encyclopedias

- Grammar Reference

- Language Arts Flippers

- Research & Study Skills

- Thesauruses

- Word Books

- Writing Reference

309 Items found Print

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Used Books & Materials

70 Basic Phonogram Cards

by Wanda Sanseri

5^th edition from Back Home Industries

for 1st-4th grade

in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)

$18.00 $12.00 (1 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)

$6.00 (1 in stock)

Alphabet Makers

A Presentation from the Museum of the Alphabet

by Hyatt Moore

from Wycliffe Bible Translators

for 8th-Adult

in History of Books & Language (Location: HISV-BOOK)

$5.00 (2 in stock)

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)

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 $3.00 (1 in stock)

Art of Fiction

Notes on Craft for Young Writers

by John Gardner

from Vintage Classics

for 9th-Adult

in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)

$14.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)

Beginning Dictionary

from Macmillan

for 2nd-4th grade

in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)

$5.00 (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

A Book about Prepositions

by Ruth Heller

from PaperStar Books

for 1st-4th grade

in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)

$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)

Ben and Me

New and Astonishing Life of Ben Franklin as Written by His Very Good Mouse Amos

by Robert Lawson

from Little, Brown & Company

Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade

in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)

$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)

Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

An Easy-to-Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples, and Reproducible Quizzes

by Jane Straus with Lester Kaufman & Tom Stern

11^th 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 (2 in stock)

Building Poems - Teacher Manual

by Michael Clay Thompson

2^nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press

for 4th-6th grade

in Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts (Location: GRA-MCT)

$17.50 (1 in stock)

Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns

by Ruth Heller

from Scholastic Reference

for 1st-4th grade

in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)

$2.00 (2 in stock)

Caesar's English I - Implementation Manual (CEE Parts 1 & 2) (old)

Level 2: Town Level

by Michael Clay Thompson, Myriam Borges Thompson, Thomas Milton Kemnitz

2^nd edition from Royal Fireworks Press

for 4th-5th grade

in Old Edition English / Language Arts (Location: OLAN)

$10.00 (1 in stock)

Caesar's English I - Set (old)

by Michael Clay Thompson

from Royal Fireworks Press

Writing Curriculum for 4th-6th grade

in Old Edition English / Language Arts (Location: OLAN)

$30.00 (1 in stock)

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)

$9.00 (1 in stock)

Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary in Spanish

by P.D. Eastman

from Random House

for 1st-4th grade

in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)

$5.00 (1 in stock)

Caught'ya!

Grammar with a Giggle

by Jane Bell Kiester

3^rd edition from Maupin House Publishing

for 7th-12th grade

in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)

$8.00 (1 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)

Children's Illustrated Dictionary

for 1st-4th grade

in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)

$12.00 (1 in stock)

Chortling Bard

Caught'ya! Grammar with a Giggle for High School

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)