Episode 18: The Relatable Homeschoolers Talk Homeschool Language Arts
In this episode, we’re breaking down homeschool language arts. We discuss what it covers, how we all approach the subject, and the many curriculums we’ve used.
There are many ways to integrate language arts into your homeschool day. Whether it’s diagramming sentences, copywork, dictation, narration, spelling, writing essays, or reading good literature, language arts encompasses many skills.
As you’ll find out in the episode, we all take a different approach to homeschool language arts. Heather shares how language arts curriculum is the one she has changed the most throughout her homeschooling years. Currently, she is using four different curriculums for all four of her kids.
If you have a child with dyslexia, Lindsay highlights what they use in her home, especially for her daughter who has dyslexia. And Harmony shares how she uses the Charlotte Mason approach in her homeschool.
No matter your personality or teaching approach, you will connect with something in this episode. If language arts is not your sweet spot, we have plenty of encouragement for you. As we’ll explain, language arts can be surprisingly simple–all you really need is a library card and a whiteboard. Sound crazy? Listen in, and we’ll unpack it all for you.
If you haven’t checked out our previous discussions on the core homeschool subjects, you can listen to our podcasts on homeschool math, homeschool science, and homeschool history.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
- What is language arts, exactly? (0:43)
- What language arts looks like in Heather’s homeschool (1:59)
- And Harmony’s homeschool (6:50)
- Then in Lindsay’s homeschool (16:13)
- How we use audiobooks to support language arts (25:02)
- Our thoughts on graphic novels, children’s editions, and abridgments (28:43)
- Bookstores and libraries and language arts (31:02)
- Strewing books to enhance language arts and other subjects (32:31)
- Why all you really need is a library card and a white board to teach language arts (33:43)
- The advice we’ve give our earlier homeschooling selves about teaching language arts (35:23)
Links from this episode:
- First Language Lessons
- The Well-Trained Mind
- Apologia Writers In Residence
- Birchbark Series by Louise Erdrich
- Teachers Pay Teachers
- The Book Whisperer by Donalynn Miller
- Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
- BOB Books
- The Reading Lesson: Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons
- Sarah MacKenzie and Read-Aloud Revival
- Brave Writer Arrow
- All About Reading
- Boogey Board
- Build Your Library
- Handwriting Without Tears
- IEW
- Write Shop
- The Story of the World
- The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
- Anne of Green Gables graphic novel
- A Wrinkle in Time graphic novel
- Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales
- Strewing
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