Best Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum – Elementary

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Please note – this article is part of a series on the best language arts homeschool curriculums. This article focuses on elementary programs. If you are homeschooling an older student, check out our articles Best Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum – Middle School and Best Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum – High School.

The term “language arts” refers to a range of language skills taught in the elementary years, including phonics and reading, handwriting, spelling, writing, and grammar, along with exposure to literature and poetry. Homeschoolers can easily become overwhelmed at the prospect of having to teach all of these skills to their children. Fortunately, there are many excellent homeschool language arts programs for elementary students that include instruction in most or all of these skills. In this article, we’ll discuss three of our favorite homeschool language arts curriculums for elementary students. 

Best for Teaching Basic Skills

Writing with Ease and First Language Lessons, Well-Trained Mind Press

If you are looking for a homeschool elementary language arts program that will give your child a solid and thorough foundation in English writing and grammar skills, consider the two excellent language arts series produced by Well-Trained Mind Press – Writing with Ease and First Language Lessons. The two programs are best used together, as the first focuses on writing skills and the second on grammar. They are both secular programs.

Both Writing with Ease and First Language Lessons follow the four-year grammar stage cycle of instruction promoted in The Well-Trained Mind (a must-read for homeschoolers interested in the classical approach to education). Ideally, elementary students will begin both programs in first grade, completing one level a year through fourth grade. In fifth grade, students then progress onto the “Logic Stage” programs – Writing with Skill Level 1 and the Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind series. 

Families who use Writing with Ease and First Language Lessons love their simplicity and straightforward approach. These are not flashy programs with bright colors and distracting illustrations. Rather, each lesson is short and to-the-point, introducing or reviewing a simple concept. Parent participation is critical, but there is no preparation required and each lesson can be completed in less than five minutes. The parent reads the lesson for the day and the student responds by answering comprehension questions or completing a brief copywork assignment. Excerpts from classic literature, discussion of famous artwork, important vocabulary, and poetry memorization are all included in these programs.

For First Language Lessons, you’ll want to purchase the level-appropriate book (begin with Level 1 if your student is in first grade). An optional audio companion is also available for Levels 1-2.  Similarly, each level of Writing with Ease requires only one workbook, which includes consumable writing pages in the back. If your student is beginning first grade, start with the Writing with Ease Level 1 Workbook. 

If your student is starting midway through elementary school – in second or third grade, for example – you can still begin with the first book in each series and perhaps work through the material more quickly. Alternately, you can begin with whatever book in the series is appropriate to your child’s grade level. There are also diagnostic evaluations at the Well-Trained Mind Press website that can help you determine the level at which your child should start.

First Language Lessons and Writing with Ease do an excellent job of covering basic writing and grammar skills, but you’ll want to supplement these programs with good literature, including fiction and poetry.

Best Classical Christian Approach

Memoria Press Language Arts Programs

If you are interested in a language arts program that is thoroughly Classical Christian in its approach, consider the many wonderful offerings published by Memoria Press. A leader in Classical Christian curriculum, Memoria Press does not publish a specific “language arts” course; rather, its language arts programs are divided into more specific categories, such as literature and poetry, penmanship, phonics and spelling, and writing and English grammar. To give your child a complete and engaging Classical Christian language arts education, purchase the grade-appropriate program in each category. 

Memoria Press’s literature and poetry curriculum consists of classic literature used alongside teacher and student guides. The guides provide step-by-step lessons and exercises that help students understand the vocabulary, themes, and historical contexts of the literature selections. These guides are excellent at teaching the importance of the stories that the children are reading, and parents and children alike love the literature selections, which range from Frog and Toad Are Friends to Little House in the Big Woods to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 

At the first-grade level, two sets of guides (corresponding to semesters one and two) accompany all the literature selections. Beginning in second grade, separate guides are available for each classic story, so parents may choose as many or as few selections as they would like – this is a great format for families who use a unit-study approach or want to choose literature selections as they go along. The poetry guides for grades K-2 and grades 3-7 make excellent compliments to the classic literature guides.

For a thorough Classical Christian education, combine the literature and poetry guides with Memoria Press’s other language arts curriculum offerings. The Classic Phonics course and Traditional Spelling series are excellent, as is the penmanship curriculum, which covers New American Cursive and offers scripture and poem copybooks. Beginning in third grade, the Classical Composition and English Grammar Recitation programs offer rigorous and thorough instruction in writing and grammar. 

Best Charlotte Mason-Style

Cottage Press Language Arts Programs

If you are looking for a wonderful homeschool elementary language arts program that will inspire in your child a love of literature, consider the fantastic language arts series offered by Cottage Press. This series is firmly rooted in the ideals of Charlotte Mason, focusing on the reading of classic literature while using narration, picture study, and nature observation to provide an inspiring language arts experience. At the same time, this program also incorporates elements of the classical homeschooling philosophy, making it an excellent choice for homeschooling families who appreciate both the Classical and Charlotte Mason-style homeschool approaches.

The early elementary series includes three incremental programs: Primer One (grades 1-4), Primer Two (grades 3-4), and Fable & Song (grades 4-6). Primer One and Primer Two each include three separate units – Autumn, Winter, and Spring. Each of these units takes about 12 weeks to complete; each Primer can therefore be completed in one school year, but some families prefer to spread the units out over a longer period. The Fable & Song program takes about one year of study. 

The earlier Primer courses feel more Charlotte Mason in approach, whereas the Fable & Song program embodies more of a classical education style. The literature selections include fiction, poetry, and Bible excerpts, many of which have themes that correspond to the season (autumn, winter, spring) on which that Primer focuses. Observation of nature is also a consistent theme in the reading selections.

While these programs are deeply literature-based, they nevertheless manage to provide students with a thorough language arts education, with the guides teaching everything from writing skills to parts of speech. Students starting the program are expected to have basic beginning spelling and phonics proficiency, be ready to begin chapter books, and be able to copy short words and sentences.

If your child is beginning the program, you’ll need the following materials for the first year course: 

You’ll also want to get your child a good-quality colored pencil set, such as this one by Prismacolor. Additionally, you’ll need to supplement this program with a good spelling and phonics curriculum appropriate to your child’s level. 

Conclusion

Elementary school is a wonderful time to study language arts, and there are many wonderful homeschool curriculum options that will make the experience rich and rewarding for students and parents alike. If you are looking for a writing curriculum for your elementary student, check out our article Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum for Elementary Students. For high schoolers, check out Best Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum – High School. If you would like more information or have a question about this topic, please email us!