I apologize for taking a few weeks away form our curriculum reviews. I’m back today with a list of resources that we use to supplement Sonlight’s Language Arts program.
As I stated in my review of Sonlight a few weeks ago, we love using Sonlight as our core curriculum. I love it for the excellent literature it contains and the way that history is chronologically taught with the use of good literature. I love the glimpse it has given my children of the world and the passion for missions it has built into the hearts of my children.
Even though I love their rich literature, I have felt the need to supplement their language arts program. We have been able to successfully supplement by pulling more classical language arts resources.
Today I would like to share with you those resources that we have used to supplement Sonlight’s Language Arts program.
Phonics
I am a firm believer in a strong phonics base in teaching children to read…when they are ready to begin doing so.
With my daughters I used The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading and how they are excellent readers. The scripted lessons gave me exactly what I needed for confidence in exactly what, when and how to teach my daughters the phonics rules for reading.
My son struggled with The Ordinary Parent’s Guide when we reached consonant blends. We took a step away from it and I began researching other programs that were phonics based but included a little more activity.
I finally settled on using All About Reading with him and we had a ton of success! We are over half-way through All About Spelling Level 1 with him just moving into first grade next year. He needed more than a black and white text to keep his interest. His reading really came to life with the interaction that is built into All About Reading.
Language (Grammar)
I began using First Language Lessons with my daughters a couple of years ago. We have completed levels one and two and I can say that they have a thorough grasp on grammar because of this program. I am so pleased with the systematic way First Language Lessons teaches the parts of speech, incorporating memorization, and picture and story narration.
I am super excited about starting First Language Lessons with my son next year. I’m looking forward to seeing him develop a knowledge of language. And I cannot wait to begin the third level of First Language Lessons with my daughters as they will begin diagraming sentences (yay!!).
Spelling
For spelling I have been using All About Spelling. My girls who will be going into their third grade year have completed levels one and two. All About Spelling utilizes a multi-sensory approach to teaching students to spell with confidence. The lessons are easy to put together and the lessons have lots of built in review. With All About Spelling I am confident that my little students not only know how to spell the words in their “lists”, but know the spelling rules so that they can spell many other words that fit those rules as well.
Writing
We have been using the Writing With Ease and will continue with that. I love that the selections of literature that are used to teach writing are from quality books and stories. Writing With Ease gradually teaches students to write by showing them how with copywork and it also utilizes narration.
This year, I’m also going to be using Brave Writer in addition to Writing with Ease. I love everything that I have seen from Julie of Brave Writer and I am looking forward to incorporating her philosophies of teaching students to write into our homeschool. With this we will be doing lots of copywork (mainly pulled from Writing with Ease), weekly tea times, and freewriting.
So there you have it
…these language arts supplements have helped to fill in the holes that I felt were missing in our core curriculum. They have empowered me and my children in the area of language arts.
What do you use to teach language arts in your homeschool? Have you used any of these resources that I have utilized to complete our program?