When planning your school year, you probably start with the basics – reading, writing, and arithmetic or, in today’s terms, language arts and math. But what is language arts exactly? It is the study of essential communication skills, including reading, comprehension, writing, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary, all of which are crucial for developing effective communication and critical thinking skills.
You usually end up with a different course for each one of these skills, and together, they take up a major portion of your homeschooling hours. Is there a better way? Research indicates that teaching English language arts skills in isolation is not as effective as taking an integrated approach.
What is an Integrated Approach and Why Does it Matter?
Integrated learning incorporates spelling, reading, vocabulary, grammar, writing, penmanship, and phonics in the same lesson. This method not only gives the student more understanding of the skills as they work with real-world models but also strengthens their retention. You can also check out the study on the impact of integrated learning on Science students.
So, why is it better?
Instead of being taught each skill in isolation and then filling in a workbook page, students are taught the skills by reading fine literature and working with good models of writing. This real-world application gives structure and meaning to what is being taught. You have seen a similar process in your children when they learned to talk. Not by learning rules of speech, but by listening and responding to English spoken well. The process was so gradual that they were not even aware it was taking place.
What are Real Books and Why Does it Matter?
Many language arts curriculums rely on short, scripted texts, but real books provide a much richer learning experience.
Using quality literature as a model for writing will improve your student’s writing skills, because children who read a lot become better writers. Reading real books instead of basal stories makes reading more attractive to the student and creates an appreciation of literature that will enrich their lives and encourage critical thinking skills.
What is Language Arts?
Many parents ask, “What’s language arts, and is language arts English?” Language arts curriculum covers essential skills needed for reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking. Common Sense Press’ Learning Language Arts Through Literature program provides your student with a rich foundation in literature. By reading old and as well as new classics, students will strengthen skills such as:
- Strengthening reading comprehension
- Developing vocabulary
- Learning grammar and writing mechanics
- Building critical thinking through literary analysis
Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension is the ability to understand written text. In order to comprehend what you are reading, you must first learn to read. In the early grades, LLATL uses a phonics-based approach to teaching reading. Once the student is reading with ease, they will learn to answer and ask questions about what they are reading. Using classic and modern literature they will learn to summarize, follow plots, predict outcomes, analyze characters, and recognize themes.
Vocabulary
To enhance reading comprehension, students need to have a wide vocabulary, much of which is learned through the context in which the word is used. Students build their vocabulary by being exposed to a variety of writers and by reading literature selections that have been carefully chosen for their grade level. Understanding words and their nuances increases a student’s ability to communicate in writing and in speech. To learn more about strategies, check out the research on vocabulary development.
Grammar and Writing Mechanics
Understanding English language arts means mastering grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, and capitalization. These skills help students write clearly and effectively.
A classic example that shows the importance of a comma is “Let’s eat, Grandma!” as opposed to “Let’s eat Grandma!” Students use these skills to plan, outline, revise, edit, and proofread their work.
For students looking to refine their writing skills even further, Wordsmith is an excellent resource that helps build confidence in writing through structured exercises and engaging activities.
Critical Thinking and Analysis
Why is language arts important? Because it goes beyond just reading and writing—it develops critical thinking skills that apply to all academic subjects.
From kindergarten through middle school, students learn and hone their language arts skills. In high school, they will use these skills in the study, evaluation, and analysis of literature. The ability to think critically and communicate effectively can be applied across other academic disciplines.
How Does LLATL Work?
All levels are written for a 36-week school year. Grades 1-8 include a Teacher’s Book written in a conversational format, making it easy to use with little or no preparation time for the teacher. Student Activity Books are available for the 1st – 8th grade, providing practical language arts examples to enhance learning. Since the lessons are integrated, you don’t need to add grammar, writing, spelling, etc. to the curriculum. Regular quizzes and assessments are included to check comprehension and to ensure students retain and master the skills.
For grades 9-12, The Gold Book series is designed to encourage the high school student’s ability to read and understand literature and to develop the ability for verbal and written expression which will enable him to interpret and access literary meaning in terms of content and philosophy and clearly state a position in response.
Added Benefits of Using LLATL
Choosing the right language arts curriculum is about more than just covering the basics—it’s about finding a program that fosters engagement, comprehension, and a love for learning. Here are the following benefits of our language arts curriculum:
Flexibility
- Designed to be flexible for those who may need more practice or who would benefit from having something explained in more than one way. There is no busy work, so most lessons usually take 20-30 minutes or less. This frees up your time to supplement, if needed, according to your students’ needs.
- Works for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.
- Parents can adjust lessons based on their child’s pace and needs.
Encourages Independent Learning
- Designed for older students to work through lessons with minimal guidance. Of course, the first few grades require one-on-one teaching, but by third grade you can start assigning activities to be completed on their own.
- Builds self-motivation and responsibility.
Supports a Love for Reading & Writing
- Students are introduced to hundreds of pieces of quality literature, including novels, short stories, poetry, and essays.
- By focusing on learning language skills through engaging content, our program supports the development of English language arts competencies.
- Encourages students to express themselves through writing and discussion.
When you read a book, you are in a mind-to-mind encounter with its author, whether he lived 1000 years ago or lives today. This is the wonder of real books – all kinds of books, not only the serious and factual. Your mind grows through these encounters.
And while you read or after you finish a book, if you have a personal response of some kind, and write, your mind grows even more. You clarify your thoughts. You develop new ways of thinking. This is education, ongoing.
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully, Dr. Ruth Beechick
Conclusion
Using an integrated program to teach language arts is effective because students can better understand the skills and how they work together. If you’ve ever wondered, “What is language arts?”, it encompasses reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary—essential skills for clear communication. An integrated approach is engaging because students read interesting, real books, making learning more meaningful. It is also efficient, as it does not rely on time-consuming workbooks.
Since the goal of any homeschool language arts program should be to equip students for a lifetime of effective written and spoken communication, why not try a literature-based, integrated approach?
