Language arts is critically important to our children’s academic and life success. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean teaching these skills has to take hours, be difficult, or even worse, be boring.
In my search for curriculum to teach my children to read and analyze good literature, build a strong vocabulary, spell accurately, use grammar properly, develop legible handwriting, write creatively, write to inform, and speak well, I found myself alternately delighted and depressed. Some things worked brilliantly–others, not so much.
After 17 years of teaching language arts to my own six children and eleven of my friends’ children, I’ve learned there’s a better way.
Language Arts Teaching Can Be Fast
My initial attempt at potty training my oldest son took a very. long. time. Once he was ready, it took no time at all. I didn’t have to remind him or clean up accidents at night. He had it.
Teaching grammar, in particular, can be like potty training. You can teach the abstract concepts year after year before a child’s reasoning has developed, or you can wait until teaching grammar takes no time at all. You can take your high school student through a course like English Grammar 101 and be done with that aspect of language arts in no time. Meanwhile, you can skip the dry grammar workbooks that could squelch your child’s desire to ever learn it.
My fourth son was potty trained very fast because he happened to think potty training was fun. Formal teaching doesn’t have to — and probably shouldn’t — take a lot of time. This list of children’s reading behaviors by grade levels makes it clear that elementary students cannot sustain attention for long periods. Kindergarteners’ attention span is just 10-15 minutes!
The best way to use those minutes of limited attention in younger students is to read. Students who read (or are read to) frequently will develop better vocabularies, spelling skills, and writing skills than students who don’t — even without workbooks.
Language Arts Teaching Can Be Easy
I hear from many homeschooling moms who aren’t confident in their ability to teach language arts. Some of these moms choose a curriculum that looks difficult so they feel confident their child will learn more than they did. Harder must be better, right? Wrong!
Many reluctant readers avoid reading because the books they’re given are just too hard for them. The way to motivate them is to give them books they can be successful reading. As homeschooling moms, we want to choose curriculum that makes language arts concepts simple for us to understand, too.
Language arts teaching can be easy for parents by focusing on reading. Ask your child questions about what was read. Look up new words together. Spell words in the car. Write things incorrectly and see if your child can guess what’s wrong. And did I mention the importance of reading? 🙂
Make language arts easy for your child by giving as much assistance as is needed. Read the directions for him. Allow your child to dictate spelling words or entire stories. Put off work that is too difficult in favor of learning what makes her feel successful.
Language Arts Teaching Can Be Fun
The best way to make language arts teaching fast and easy is to make it fun. Kids learn faster when they’re having a good time and it’s much easier to teach a happy child than a crabby one. This also works in reverse. Short, easy lessons are a lot more fun for kids than long, overly difficult ones. I’ve shared how to make grammar fun, but vocabulary, spelling, and writing can be fun, too.
I did my master’s research on humor and learned that surprise is a key component of what makes us laugh. Read books with a surprising and funny twist. (Kids prefer funny fiction, so give it to them!) Surprise the kids by playing games instead of doing seatwork. Let them surprise you with their funny writing.
Let your child lead you in making language arts enjoyable. Incorporate your child’s personality and preferences into your teaching. Does your child love to play video games? Have him read game hacks online. Does your student love movies? Read the book first and have a movie party to celebrate finishing it. Do you have competitive kids? Turn every aspect of language arts into a challenge.
Grammar Galaxy is Fast, Easy & Fun Language Arts for Beginning Readers
I wanted a curriculum that was all of these things and hadn’t found it, so I created one.
Grammar Galaxy is Fast.
Whether you’re homeschooling multiple children or your child attends a traditional school, you don’t have a lot of extra time. That’s why Grammar Galaxy is designed to take just ten minutes of teacher/parent time a day. Your beginning reader can use the extra time to read and write for the fun of it!
Grammar Galaxy is Easy.
If reading and writing aren’t your strengths, you’ll love Grammar Galaxy. Concepts are presented in an easy-to-understand story format. And there’s no prep work! Just read with your child and do the short activities that reinforce the learning.
Grammar Galaxy is Fun.
The evil Gremlin tries to destroy Grammar Galaxy and the guardians have to save it by completing missions. Grammar Galaxy includes humor and mystery, but it doesn’t include dry exercises. Young writers are asked to do very little handwriting. Instead, they enjoy learning by doing.
You can click the “Learn More” button to download a sample and check out reviews or “Shop” to take advantage of introductory pricing that ends after April 17th.
I explain the story behind Grammar Galaxy and how to use it in the video.
Humor is a great way to motivate kids to write. When we give kids freedom to write what they think is funny (as long as it isn’t hurtful or offensive), they can discover the joy in writing. While some of these writing prompts aren’t funny in and of themselves, they open the door for your student’s comedic genius.
Get the Printable Prompts Here. Subscribers will find the printables in the folder linked at the bottom of your email. Just like the funny fall writing prompts I created, these writing prompts are appropriate for all ages. Younger kids can dictate their writing to you. These are the kinds of cute papers that will be keepsakes! New writers will appreciate the printables I’ve created for subscribers with colorful pictures and handwriting lines. Older writers can use their own paper or type their responses.
These winter writing prompts include Christmas and Valentine’s Day topics
Five things that wouldn’t make good Christmas gifts are:
Make up a recipe for fruitcake that explains why few people like it.
Write about who the Gingerbread Man would run into in your neighborhood and who would end up eating him.
Write your ideal Christmas Day schedule
Write a nice thank you note for an ugly Christmas sweater
Write a letter from a snowman to a weather forecaster complaining about the warm temperatures
If snowflakes could talk, they would say…
If you had the power to freeze things like Elsa from the movie Frozen, how would you use your power?
Describe a sled ride down a hill from a dog’s perspective
Write lyrics for the song a love-sick cat would sing
Create the perfect candy for Valentine’s Day, listing ingredients and directions
Describe a cold to someone who’s never had one before
Click the Graphic Below to Access the Printables
You’ll also receive tips for teaching kids to write funny. (You know what I mean.) Or get the printables here.
If your child writes something really funny, share it with me at psychowith6 at gmail dot com and I may share it on the blog.
This week I’ve written about how to help your child read and read fluently. The final piece of the reading puzzle is your child understanding what he has read. We want children to read for pleasure frequently, but we also want them to be able to make sense of what they read. Reading comprehension is vital for succeeding in advanced studies.
Why Your Child May Have Poor Reading Comprehension
If your child is a beginning reader, there are a number of factors that work against her in understanding what she reads.
First, she must expend most of her mental effort in decoding words. Her attention is focused on the words rather than their meaning in context. If you’ve ever been nervous as you read something out loud, you may have noticed that you had no idea what you read. Divided attention can decrease reading comprehension.
Second, he has a limited vocabulary and literary knowledge. Parents may assume their child knows a word when in fact, he does not. To make matters worse, a beginning reader may not ask the meaning of words he does not know. Your child may also be unfamiliar with themes in literature that would help him make accurate predictions about what he will be reading.
Third, your child doesn’t have advanced reasoning ability. He is unlikely to make connections unless they are explicitly stated in the text because of his developmental level. This is also why word problems in math can be difficult for young students.
Regardless of your child’s reading level, there are a number of strategies you as her teacher can use to improve her reading comprehension.
How to Increase Your Child’s Reading Comprehension
Modify the SQ3R method.
Survey: Before reading to your child, look at the book together. Look at the front cover, any description of the book on the back cover, and any chapter titles or headings as you skim through.
Question: Based on your survey of the book, give your child questions that you expect the book to answer. If you will be reading a book about snakes and one of the headings is “Snake Habitats,” suggest that the book will answer the question, “What are snake habitats like?” Encourage your child to give you questions he expects the book to answer.
Read: As you read, point out the answer to a question you thought the book would answer. Be sure to define words that your child may not know. When reading fiction, ask your child what he thinks will happen. Use literary terms that are appropriate to your child’s level like character, antagonist, or climax.
Recite: Stop at the end of a section or chapter and ask your child to explain what happened or what was learned. For example, ask your child why she thinks a character did what she did. If she isn’t sure, review key passages together.
Review: Ask your child to retell the story or content to a family member later in the day. Continue to ask your child to recall key information from what was read later in the week.
If your child can read, but not fluently, you know what I’m talking about. The halting pace with voice pitch changes that don’t match the text are very noticeable. But just to be clear:
“Reading fluency is the power to read quickly and accurately. The more fluent a reader, the more he or she automatically groups and recognizes words. Fluent readers excel at oral reading, which is highlighted by smooth and natural expression.” – ReadingRx
Slow reading and failing to voice pronunciation correctly are normal for beginning readers. But if it continues, poor reading fluency will affect your child’s reading motivation and comprehension. Improving your child’s reading fluency is a top priority.
How to Improve Your Child’s Reading Fluency
Practice, practice, practice. Have your child read aloud a lot. If she resists because she doesn’t feel confident, remind her that reading is like every other skill: it requires practice. No one is born reading well. Once a child is reading in our home, they earn the privilege of getting to read Scripture out loud during our Bible time.
Build your child’s confidence. Have him read a beloved book in his skill level to a younger sibling or for a grandparent. Let him read the same book over and over and praise him when he does.
You read first. Let a child who struggles with reading fluency hear you read new material first. This is no different than having a young musician listen to a piece before trying to play it.
Have her read with you. After you read to your child, have her read out loud along with you. Read at a slightly faster rate than your child has been.
Assess your child’s reading speed. Choose a passage that isn’t familiar but can be read by your child with at least 100 words in it. Ask your child to read it out loud for speed for one minute (use a timer). Record how many words were read and share the number with your child without judgement.
Challenge your child to improve. Have your child read the same passage again to see if he can improve speed, accuracy, and a natural voice. Repeat this process, taking note of your child’s interest. If she is weary, try it again another day. Depending on your child’s personality, you may want to have him try to earn a reward for improving speed. You could also have him compete for improvement in speed with a sibling (not in total words read). Continue choosing new material to read for the challenge, encouraging your child to keep practicing.
Fluent readers are more likely to be consistent readers. This Pinterest board has games you can use to improve your child’s reading fluency.
I had successfully taught my oldest three sons to read using The Phonics Game, Jr. and Christian Liberty Press readers.
Phonics Readers, 4 Volumes, Grade K By Florence M. Lindstrom / Christian Liberty PressHelp your new readers master the basic sounds of the English language with this colorfully illustrated series. The first two books emphasize single-syllable short vowel sounds. The other two cover long vowels and build vocabulary skills. Simple consonant blends are introduced throughout the series. One to three pages in length, each story honors God and teaches Christian values. 27–59 pages each, four softcovers.
I was feeling pretty confident in my teaching ability!
Then my fourth son was ready to learn to read. Strangers had commented on his advanced vocabulary for his age, so I was sure he would be an early reader. Nope. We used the same materials and while he knew the letter names and sounds, he could not use phonics to read.
I had read that I should have him sing the sounds to make them easier to run together. This particular son loves to sing, so I was sure that would work. Nope again.
I decided he was just a little slower in making the connections, so wasn’t worried. We continued to review phonics. But as the months went by, he continued to sound out c-a-t without ever once blending the sounds into a word. Although he couldn’t read phonetically, he was doing something interesting. He was memorizing words and was guessing at the rest using some letter sounds and context.
Although he definitely had a system for reading, it was clearly the wrong one! Everything I had read about teaching reading suggested that he HAD to learn to read phonetically. He memorized words very quickly and was very clever at decoding words apart from straight phonics. But I knew that I wouldn’t always be there to teach him unknown words. Phonics would be.
I Asked an Expert
My neighbor is a reading specialist. Convenient, no? I mentioned my son’s struggle to read phonetically and what he was doing instead. “Oh,” she answered. “He just needs to read using whole language.”
Oh. What was whole language again? I had to look it up. It’s an approach to teaching reading that has been in and out of vogue for decades. It emphasizes learning to read whole words and through literature rather than with the decoding skills of the phonics approach.
When I shared what she had said with my mother, Mom said, “That’s how you learned to read.” Sure enough, I remember being in class and circling the word that the teacher read. There were no phonics-based worksheets that have become a staple of modern reading instruction. And yet I learned to read.
I was still nervous about not continuing to drill my son with phonics. I asked yet another expert at a homeschooling convention if I would be hurting my son by allowing him to read his way instead of the phonetic way. He agreed with my neighbor. I should let him memorize words and use the context to read.
What Happened When I Stopped Using Phonics to Teach My Son
My first thought was that I was going to drill my son with sight words. I bought a sight-word curriculum and I noticed that it bored him. I didn’t blame him. It really was boring.
Fortunately, sight words weren’t the only change in my approach. I started letting him read the Christian Liberty Press readers with help. We would review the words on the left page (the same approach I had used with my sons who used phonics to read). Then when he couldn’t read a word in the paragraph on the right, I didn’t tell him to sound it out. I just told him the word. He would say it and keep reading.
At first my son was surprised by his newfound freedom from phonics. He was also hesitant to use his reading method. I realized that I had inadvertently communicated to him that he wasn’t a good reader, simply because he couldn’t sound out words. I started praising him for reading his way. He grew more confident and eager to read.
The end result is that within no time, he was reading at grade level and then beyond. I shouldn’t have worried about his lack of phonics skills. His basic phonics knowledge, great exposure to literature through audio books and read alouds, and his excellent use of context has enabled him to read new words on his own.
What to Do When Phonics Doesn’t Work
I have shared my story a few times with other homeschooling moms who say phonics doesn’t work. I haven’t expected them to relate. I figured my son was just a rare bird. Turns out that there are a number of kids who do not use phonics to read in the way we expect.
Recognize that pure phonics doesn’t work for every child and that’s okay. Most children should be taught using aspects of both phonics and whole language activities. This article shares how.
Talk to an expert. It’s possible your child has a visual, auditory, or learning issue that is at the heart of the problem. Get help addressing these issues if they are present. If a diagnosis doesn’t apply, consider the next few tips.
Teach your child how to use context in reading. Before reading a passage, make sure your child looks at the pictures. Pictures stimulate the brain to choose appropriate words from a range of possibilities. Ask your child to summarize what she has read up to the unknown word. The previous sentences and words provide important clues to the new word.
Encourage guessing. Pure phonics discourages guessing, but the slow pace of phonics decoding really puts off some kids like my son. Allow your child to make an educated guess using context and any recognizable phonics. If your child guesses wrong, tell him the word.
Encourage your child to memorize words. Everyone memorizes words. The only time accomplished readers use phonics is for new words and names. Some children prefer this strategy right from the beginning. While sight word flashcards may have some value, reading the same words over and over is even more effective. Repetitive books like Dr. Seuss titles are excellent for this purpose.
Praise your child’s reading skills. If, like me, you have communicated that your child isn’t reading right, you will want to make an effort to encourage your child. Explain that his approach definitely works; it’s just different.
Reading is a vitally important skill for our children to develop. Because it is, we have to do what we can to make reading appealing. Research suggests that teaching approach has a powerful impact on children’s attitudes toward reading and the amount of time spent reading independently. Are you doing any of these things in your homeschool that could discourage your child from reading?
Limiting the Range of Books That Can Be Read
Studies of kids whose academic progress is stunted in summers off from school suggest they are kids with the least number of books in the home. While I’ve never met a homeschooler who didn’t have a lot of books, I have known some who have very strict standards for literature. Of course we don’t want our children to read books that conflict with our values or that aren’t high quality. But limiting our children’s reading selection to the 1800s classics that you love may have the unwanted side effect of inciting rebellion in other areas.
Our children have different personalities and preferences than we do. Refusing to allow them to choose books that appeal to their God-given passions may not only kill their desire to read, but may wound their spirits. Reading what you consider to be a silly book may bring a lot of joy to your child and may encourage him to read more serious works later.
When my son was little, he was obsessed with dinosaurs. I found two dinosaur books at the time written from a Christian perspective. If I had limited his reading to those two books, he would have been extremely frustrated. Instead, we checked out every book we could find on dinosaurs from the library. We used the evolutionary statements in the books as opportunities to review what we know to be true–a teaching approach with proven effectiveness.
One of the things I did this year in our literature co-op was allow each child to choose one classic book and one book of their choice for the group to read. Which books do you think the kids were most excited about? I want children to be exposed to classics, but when they beg me to let them read another excellent book in a contemporary series, why would I ever say no?
Freedom of reading choice (within reasonable limits) encourages children to read.
Requiring Extra Work With Reading
Reading is intrinsically rewarding when a child is able to read with adequate speed and comprehension (I have upcoming posts on these topics). But we can make reading a chore when we always tack on assignments.
Book reports, chapter summaries, and writing definitions for vocabulary words are excellent means of developing particular skills. Unfortunately, they are terrible ways of encouraging children to read. Few children find these assignments fun. Would you want to read if you had to do these tasks for every book?
In math the expression “drill and kill” refers to the practice of requiring students to complete pages and pages of problems, with the end result of killing joy for math. We can drill and kill in language arts as well. Elementary students should primarily be focused on discovering the joy of reading, rather than on developing technical skills. Assignments that are given should be short and purposeful.
Once the kids in our literature co-op had practiced completing a literature map for books several times, I stopped requiring it. They understood literary terms and enjoyed using them in our discussions without the busy work.
Reading without having to produce extra work encourages children to read.
Not Allowing Time for Reading
A new program in some public schools called Stop, Drop and Read is having a great deal of success in promoting independent reading. Freedom of reading choice and not requiring additional assignments have likely made it effective. But I would argue that the most powerful part of the program is the dedicated time for reading.
Today’s schedules that are packed with extra-curricular activities and online access have made reading a luxury few think they can afford. Many of my adult friends tell me they simply don’t have time to read. How will we prepare our children to be readers in the future if we don’t create a space in our lives for books?
Reading for enjoyment (the most powerful predictor of academic and life success) can easily be neglected in lieu of more “serious” schoolwork. Even reading aloud as families (which is my favorite part of homeschooling) should not be undertaken at the expense of time for your child to read on her own.
Our family encourages reading before bed, but sometimes we stop, drop, and read too. What’s critically important is that parents participate. The modeling speaks volumes, to use a reading metaphor. If we are too busy to read for pleasure, how can we expect our children to take the time? Put a free reading time on your calendar or add it to your child’s lesson plan. I have found that adding reading time to the other, less desirable assignments encourages reading. It’s the first subject my kids complete for the quarter.
Making dedicated time for reading encourages children to read.
Not Providing Reading Support
Just as children are unique in their reading interests, they are unique in their preferred format. Failing to provide support will keep our kids from reading.
As a busy homeschooling mom, I can relate to wanting a child, who knows how to read, to read independently. But some children need you or another mature reader with them while they read out loud for emotional or decoding support. If your child hates to mispronounce or misread a word, he will be reluctant to pick up a book on his own until he is more confident. This child will need lots of encouragement and reminders that any mistakes he makes will be corrected as he reads more. It’s worth it to spend the time building this type of reader up.
Reading and discussing in a group can also provide the support your child needs to read more. I’ve already mentioned that my kids read for a literature class in our co-op. It works so well to get kids reading. The kids ask each other how far they are in the book. But consider another option that I am considering for this year: start a book club. The book 100 Books for Girls to Grow On describes the benefits of reading books for tween girls in a mother-daughter book club. You could start a mother-son or a father-son or a grandparent-grandchild book club with any age child and build readers while you’re building relationships.
Some children with dyslexia find the process of reading printed materials exhausting and need a different kind of support. These readers can benefit from listening to audio books for fun. Another option is to have your struggling reader listen to books while they read the text. Disney Story Central, Epic Books, and Amazon’s Immersion Reading titles have this reading support built in. Our digital-native children may feel more comfortable reading on a Kindle than printed books. Borrow a friend’s Kindle for your child to try and see what she thinks.
Less confident readers may also be very sensitive to the format of the words on a page. Graphic novels that look like comic books are very successful in pulling these types of readers in. Capstone Publishers produce fiction and nonfiction titles on high-interest topics that are for lower-level readers. There are captivating pictures and lots of white space to encourage aspiring readers. You can find their books at your public library.
Providing books in your child’s preferred format encourages children to read.
Not Getting Outside Help
A child who hates to read is usually a child who feels he isn’t good at it. If you haven’t had your child’s vision, hearing, or reading skills evaluated, I recommend it.
Homeschoolers are understandably concerned about admitting to those outside the homeschooling community that our child isn’t reading well. But there are professionals–even those associated with public schools–who can be of great help. Every situation is unique, however, so my advice is to contact someone in a local or state homeschool support group for advice. You may have a reading specialist who now homeschools in your group! You won’t know until you ask. I also recommend the blog Homeschooling With Dyslexia.
When my child was struggling to read, I discussed it with my neighbor–a teacher and reading specialist. Her advice made all the difference! I’ll be sharing about our experience later this week.
Getting outside help for struggling readers encourages them to read.
Not Expecting Your Child to Be a Reader
If you aren’t a reader or your spouse isn’t, it can be easy to communicate that you don’t expect your child to be an avid reader. Homeschooling can reverse the no-reading habit for you and your child.
Remember that being a reader isn’t limited to reading War and Peace for fun. Reading is important and enjoyable for all kinds of kids, whether they want to enter a profession or a trade. Reading isn’t for “smart kids.” Reading is what makes kids smart. We shouldn’t automatically assume that dyslexic kids won’t be readers, either. Kids with learning disabilities can be the most passionate readers of all, because they have had to work for their skills.
I know people who aren’t readers, but who love God’s Word. If for no other reason than you want your child to enjoy a close, wonderful relationship with the Lord, expect that your child will be a reader. Children always want to meet the expectations of a loving parent. Pray that God would give you wisdom and direction as you seek to raise a reader.
Expect your child to be a reader to encourage her to read.
What to Do If You’ve Made These Mistakes
If you have already made some of these mistakes with your child, and it’s appropriate, apologize. One of the most valuable lessons we can teach our children is how to admit when we are wrong. Taking the blame has the added benefit of encouraging your child to believe that he CAN be an avid reader and that it isn’t his fault. Explain that it’s something you will work on together and with God’s help, you will succeed.
I’m a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. My life can be a little crazy, so I look for sanity-saving ideas to use and share. I hope you’ll read my About page to learn more.
