Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum: A Plan From Kindergarten to Graduation

A homeschool language arts curriculum helps your kids discern God’s truth and share it through writing and reading. Here’s a simple plan for reading, writing, and grammar!

Are you drowning in language arts workbooks and wondering if your child will ever love reading? Do you worry that your kindergartener isn’t reading yet while your neighbor’s child is devouring chapter books? 

Maybe you’re just trying to figure out how to fit spelling, grammar, reading, AND writing into your already packed day.

Choosing a language arts homeschool curriculum can be the most difficult decision to make. It’s not difficult because of the actual subject itself. It’s often difficult because of what we make of it as parents. We realize the importance of it and, as a result, often put so much pressure on this one thing that our kids begin to suffer.

So before we even get started, let’s agree not to panic, deal?

It’s incredibly important to note here that the national average for becoming a proficient reader is age 8. <— Please go back and read that again. Did you see AGE 8? I meet so many kindergarten and first-grade parents in a panic because their child is not yet a proficient reader. Granted, this can be a huge problem in the public school because it’s run more like a factory, and kids must keep up or get tossed aside. But your homeschool isn’t a factory, and your child can learn at his or her own pace.

It harms nothing if they don’t learn to read until the 3rd grade. Or even the 5th grade. My friend, just keep doing the right things, keep a healthy perspective, and be patient with your sweet little person. (I would encourage you to read the rest of this post, but if you can’t wait one more minute, please read What to Do When Your Child Struggles With Reading.)

Why Is Teaching Language Arts in Your Homeschool So Important?

First things first, let’s make sure we are on the same page about WHY this subject is so important. For much of the history of education in America, reading has been the most important subject, and rightfully so. If you can’t read well, you can’t fill out a job application, read signs in the grocery store, or figure out how to get from one place to another. Being able to read is a crucial life skill.

The trouble is that we’ve become so focused on life skills that we’ve lost sight of WHY we ever taught this subject to begin with. American children were originally taught to read for one reason only: to be able to read the Bible. Of course, our kids have much more to read than the Bible these days, as literature and text are readily available to everyone. But the primary purpose should still be to help our kids learn to read so they can read God’s Word themselves.

In our homeschool, the purpose of language arts is to help children become literate Christians able to discern God’s truth and share it with others. When I keep this as my primary purpose, it relieves the pressure of feeling like my children should perform at a certain pace. It also helps me motivate them to learn

What Exactly Is Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum?

Many homeschooling parents are confused about the term “language arts.” Is reading the same thing as language arts? What parts are needed? How do they fit together? Do I need a curriculum for each component?

Language arts is simply the overall term used to describe the entire process of becoming literate – learning to read and write. This includes reading, writing, grammar, comprehension, spelling, and critically analyzing text.

The important thing to remember is that all these parts have the same goal: to help children become literate. 

The main focus of language arts is learning to read and write. The other parts are a support structure for these two pieces. Keep that in mind when purchasing a curriculum. Sometimes we get so enthusiastic about this that we have 25 workbooks and a 1st grader in tears. That’s not where we want to be! So, let’s dig into some practical tips for teaching homeschool language arts.

Tips for Teaching Language Arts

First, remember that reading and math are your core subjects in elementary years. If your child is struggling with reading, it’s okay to put other subjects on the back burner for a while. Until your children can read fluently, focus your time and energy on sharpening this skill. If reading is a struggle, every other subject becomes just a reminder of that struggle.

Second, don’t rush the process. Many parents panic when their young child isn’t reading at the same pace as others. Remember that age 8 is the national average for reading proficiency. Some kids aren’t ready until later, and that’s perfectly fine in a homeschool setting. Keep reading to them, keep making it fun, and be patient.

Third, integrate language arts naturally when possible. Reading great books together, discussing stories, keeping simple journals, and having meaningful conversations all build language skills without formal lessons. This is especially important for younger children.

Fourth, as your child grows, remember that reading skills develop so they can learn THROUGH reading. Once a child reads fluently, you don’t need a separate curriculum to teach this subject. Instead, focus on comprehension and critical thinking through quality literature.

Fifth, keep writing fun and informal in the early years. Before 4th grade, writing should be enjoyable. Let your kids keep journals, write stories, or respond to books they’ve read without worrying too much about spelling and grammar. That will come later.

Elementary Language Arts

For young children who are just learning to read, I recommend focusing exclusively on reading. Don’t worry about formal grammar or spelling programs yet. Spend 10-15 minutes daily on systematic reading instruction, then practice with leveled books. We love Beginnings for this task. It’s a gentle approach that combines phonics, phonemic awareness, and sight words to teach kids letters and sounds. The lessons are engaging, include hands-on activities, and incorporate Bible lessons throughout. Once your child completes Beginnings, they can move to Connections, which guides them to reading fluency.

Once kids are fluent readers, we move on to the Reading Journal. This curriculum allows kids to pick the books THEY want to read while still developing literacy skills and comprehension. Each day students do a 10-15 minute half-page activity on the book of their choice. This can be the whole book or even just a chapter or portion of the book.

For spelling in the early years, we don’t use a formal curriculum. Teaching reading through a systematic approach like Beginnings essentially teaches spelling as well. Around 3rd grade, we move to a more structured spelling program like IEW’s “Phonetic Zoo.”  We use this program through middle school. There are three leveled CDs that are self-paced for independent learning. They teach rules and jingles. Kids write the words and keep practicing them until they are mastered. This program was a game-changer for my 4th grader, who really struggled. I won’t say she’s now perfect, but it helped tremendously.

For grammar in the elementary years, keep it simple and natural. Focus on basics like complete sentences and subject-verb agreement as they come up in conversation. There’s no need for formal grammar workbooks until around 4th grade.

Finally, for writing in elementary school, keep it informal and fun. Let your kids keep journals, write stories, or respond to books they read. Don’t stress about spelling and grammar at this point – focus on developing a love for putting thoughts on paper.

Middle School Language Arts

This is the one subject that often tips parents over the edge, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Grammar is simply learning to understand how sentences are put together to convey a clear thought. When your kids are first learning to read, grammar is relatively irrelevant to them. That’s understandable. However, it can quickly become a natural part of the conversation.

By middle school, your child should be reading fluently, which means they can learn through reading rather than just learning to read. At this stage, we are still using the Reading Journal as our core curriculum. Students still get to choose their own books, but the journal becomes a bit more advanced as it’s focused on entire books instead of picture books or shorter content. Students read 6-8 books per year and have follow-up activities for each book in the journal.

Around 6th grade is when we introduce more formal grammar and writing instruction. We love Easy Grammar because it’s exactly what the name suggests – easy! The goal is simple: short assignments that help teach concepts that will make your kids better writers. Typically, my students have grammar as a subject for 6th-8th grade, and then we integrate it in high school. 

For spelling, we continue with Phonetic Zoo through middle school if the student is still working on the levels. Once these CDs are mastered, spelling is no longer a separate subject in our homeschool.

High School Language Arts

As your child enters high school, they’ll likely need 4 language arts credits for graduation. This is truly the combination of all of the above elements. You don’t need separate curriculum pieces for this. In fact, if you had that, your child would really struggle to keep up. There’s a lot going on in high school. No need to make it harder than it already is.

For 9th and 10th grade, we use The High School Reading Journal. This full-year language arts curriculum is much like the middle school journal, but more advanced. Students still select 6-8 fiction and nonfiction books of their choice and then complete the journal pages, continuing to develop comprehension and analytical skills. We usually choose a theme for fiction books like American Literature, British Literature, or you can do General literature if you don’t want to go that narrow. 

in the 11th grade, we do creative writing with the In Your Own Words Creative Writing Journal . This is the perfect resource for both your budding writer and reluctant student. This journal examines traditional forms of poetry and prose, pointing out the literary devices and characteristics of each form while maintaining an enjoyable yet practical atmosphere. This year-long curriculum includes specific examples of poetry and prose in each unit so that your high schooler can understand the terms and techniques being taught.

For your senior year, I recommend In Other Words , which teaches practical writing skills your student will need after graduation – resumes, professional emails, reviews, and more. These are the real-world writing skills that will serve them well beyond high school.

I hope this post encouraged you and you found some practical ideas to help your homeschool journey.

Remember, language arts doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. Keep your focus on developing lifelong readers who can discern truth and communicate effectively. Be patient with the process, especially in the early years, and don’t compare your child’s timeline to others.

Most importantly, remember why we teach language arts in the first place – so our children can read God’s Word for themselves and effectively share His truth with others.

You don’t have to be an English major to give your children a great language arts education. You’ve got this, and I’m cheering you on!

Your turn—> What is your favorite language arts homeschool curriculum? Share with us!