Best Homeschool Language Arts Curriculum for 6th Grade

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If you are homeschooling a sixth grader, you have many excellent options when it comes to language arts curriculums. The programs on the market include some combination of instruction in reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation. Some also include literature study. In this article, we’ll tell you about four of our favorite programs. Don’t forget to also check out our related article, Best Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum – Middle School. And if you are looking for a curriculum geared more toward writing skills, check out Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum for Middle School.

Best Basic Program

Writing With Skill and Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind, Well-Trained Mind Press

If you are looking for a solid language arts program for your sixth grader, consider Writing With Skill and Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind, both published by Well-Trained Mind Press. The two programs are independent, with the first focusing on writing skills and the second on grammar, but they are often used together because they compliment each other so well. While these programs follow the ideals of classical education promoted in The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, they are not rigidly classical in the way that some other programs are. Although each book is designed to take about one school year, these programs are in reality flexible and students may work through them at a slower or faster pace if preferred. 

With short, simple lessons that clearly demonstrate writing and grammar principles, these programs are popular among families who follow a variety of different homeschooling approaches. 

Both Writing With Skill and Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind are designed to be used for students in grades 5-8. Writing With Skill offers three levels, while Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind has four levels. Most sixth graders starting these programs should begin the first book in each series. For the writing program, you’ll want to purchase Writing With Skill, Level 1 – Student Book. An instructor text is also available. For the grammar program, we recommend purchasing the Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind – Red Full Course Bundle. 

If you want to incorporate creative writing into your child’s language arts experience, we recommend the Creative Writer series by Boris Fishman, which nicely compliments Writing With Skill and Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind. 

Also note that, although these programs do include excerpts from classic literature, literature study is not a central focus of either curriculum, so you’ll want to make sure your child is also reading plenty of good books.

Best Online Program

6th Grade Language Arts, Calvert Homeschool

If you are looking for a thorough secular language arts program that your student can complete online, consider the 6th Grade Language Arts course offered by Calvert Homeschool. Calvert has been producing high-quality homeschool curriculum for many years, and all of its grade 3-12 courses have now moved completely online. Students enjoy the media-rich platform, and parents appreciate the user-friendly interface, which keeps track of schedules and assignments and does most grading automatically. Students work through the material at their own pace, anytime of day. Parents can log into the Teacher’s Dashboard feature at any time to check on their child’s progress.  

The 6th Grade Language Arts course focuses on narrative fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and other texts. Students develop their writing, research, and communication skills while covering the following units: “What a Character!” (two parts); “Journeys”, “Journeys into Literature”, “Controversy in Our World”, “Arguments, Claims, and Evidence”, “Perspectives”, and “Research and Report Writing”. 

Calvert’s courses can be purchased individually or as part of a subscription plan. The subscription option if great if your child will be taking multiple courses through Calvert or you want to enroll more than one student in the program. 

Best for Gifted Students

Moving Beyond the Page Age 10-12 Language Arts Program

If your sixth grader is an independent, intellectually curious learner, consider the wonderful Age 10-12 Language Arts Program offered by Moving Beyond the Page. Although Moving Beyond the Page can be used with all types of learners, it was designed especially with gifted students in mind. This curriculum is unique in the way it combines themes across disciplines, showing connections between language arts, social studies, and science. For this reason, many students use the full Moving Beyond the Page curriculum. However, students using just the language arts program will also receive wonderful, in-depth instruction in writing, reading, and literary analysis. 

The Age 10-12 Language Arts program includes the following literary selections: Sharon Creech’s The Wanderer, Jeanne Duprau’s The People of Sparks, Paul Fleischman’s Bull Run, Kathleen Krull’s Albert Einstein, Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars, Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting, Mildred D. Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry!, Lois Lowry’s The Giver, Pam Munoz Ryan’s Esperanza Rising, Mary Ann Hoberman and Linda Winston’s The Tree That Time Built, Ann Nolan Clark’s Secret of the Andes, Patricia Polacco’s Pink and Say, Janet Pascal’s What Was the Great Depression?, and a collection of short stories. 

Moving Beyond the Page offers both print and online versions of its curriculum. If using the print version, you’ll want to purchase the Age 10-12 Full Year Language Arts Package, which includes all of the curriculum, literature, and supplementary manipulatives your student will need to complete the program.

Conclusion

If you are homeschooling a sixth grader, you have many wonderful options when it comes to finding an engaging and thorough language arts program. For more suggestions on homeschool language arts programs for middle schoolers, see our article Best Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum – Middle School. And if you are specifically wanting a program that will help your child’s writing skills, check out Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum for Middle School.