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Teach Homeschool Language Arts

Which One is Really the Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum (a comparison)

June 7, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’ve used some of the best homeschool writing curriculum; I hope you’ll benefit from my experience. Also, I’m going to help you hone your goals. Your goals are key to choosing a homeschool writing course which works for your family.

Then, I’ll share some quick comparisons between the best homeschool writing curriculum. Besides, what is the best homeschool writing program during the elementary years is not always the best writing course in high school.

First, look at how I honed my writing goals and standards for my children. This is your beginning point. Isolate your goals with clarity.

 best homeschool writing curriculum

4 Ways to Identify the Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum

  1. Identify what type of writing curriculum your family needs now. A curriculum can include the physical act of learning how to write which is penmanship. In addition, it may only be the mental part of writing which is composition. Penmanship is learned in the early grades; a good rule of thumb for beginning composition is fourth grade.
  2. Narrow down the choices to either a complete language arts course or just the writing component. I prefer to keep language arts separated components because my children were at different levels. From my experience, my children learned better by not heaping grammar, reading, and spelling into one lump. Isolating just to composition or writing courses helped my children to learn the art of writing.
  3. Understand that learning how to write is an interactive skill but that doesn’t mean it should always be learned online. Although I didn’t have experience teaching composition when I started, I chose detailed teaching manuals so I could understand the writing process. I’ve learned that most children just need a caring adult to guide them even if they choose an online course. So, even if you choose an online writing course, your writer, no matter the age still needs you.
  4. Be sure these vital components can be identified in a writing curriculum: brainstorming tips, prewriting, drafting, editing/rewriting, and publishing.

Homeschool Writing Courses for Elementary Students

Next, look at these writing courses I used for varying purposes and times through my journey.

In my children’s early years, I used curriculum which encouraged copywork, but equally important was what was being copied.

I hail to the mindset the great writers need to see excellent writing, hear beautiful words, and copy them.

We used part of Aesop for Children: Story and D’Nealian Copybook Volume I and Writing Strands.

However, I started by using the older version of Writing Strands; a newer one has come out. I have mixed feelings about Writing Strands.

While it sometimes did not give an abundance of clear direction for me, it was a lightweight and fun curriculum.

At the time when I was struggling with an outline of what to teach in each grade, it eased the burden I had put on myself.

It gave me a glimpse of how easy it can be teaching writing logically.

Another curriculum I loved and used in the early years was Writing with Ease by Susan Wise Bauer.

As an artist when it comes to writing, you’ll love her methods for teaching writing.

Did I mention Susan Wise Bauer is a homeschool mom whose career was based on writing?

Not only is her passion for writing contagious, but she understands that as parents we want comprehensive teaching tips.

It’s true that Writing with Ease is a classical approach which means a heavier focus on writing, but it’s a solid writing program for the younger years.

Then, WriteShop is another favorite written by two homeschool moms. We loved the crafts and hands-on way to bring writing to life and reduce the struggling writer syndrome.

WriteShop worked for me when I needed step-by-step instructions of the writing process. In addition, I’ve learned to toggle between a gentle and rigorous approach in the early years. This means mixing curriculum.

Writing Reference and Supplement Tools for Young Children

Besides, mixing curriculum with different approaches is based on my child’s development.

Some years we did more writing. Other years my children focused more on brainstorming and organizing thoughts. It’s all part of the whole writing process.

So you need a variety of tools and references for your child to get the whole picture of writing.

Don’t feel like you need to stick to just one curriculum.

For example, I love Daily Paragraph Editing.

Besides, essays at the higher grades are really just bigger paragraphs. If a child struggles with writing, typically it can be traced to the basics — a lack of variety of sentences and how to write a paragraph.

Next, I’ve always used these books by Emma Serl because they use a gentle Charlotte Mason approach..

Moving on to the older grades there are just as many solid choices for writing curriculum as they are for the early grades.

Middle School and High School Writing Curriculum

We have loved Institute for Excellence in Writing for middle school and high school.

Institute for Excellence helped to foster independence in my kids for writing. Having a fun writing teacher to teach my kids was one of the best parts.

I didn’t completely abdicate all teaching to Mr. Pudewa but it was hard to contend with him. He is funny and teaches writing to be something that my children looked forward to.

And although it’s more structured writing curriculum it still maintains a Charlotte Mason flare.

The next one I used with my middle son was Jump In: Middle School Composition.

It’s a great example of how a curriculum should take a student from brainstorming to prewriting and end with a final version.

Jump In: Middle School Composition takes a traditional approach to teaching writing.

I found it quite easy to implement with my teen and it presented the writing steps in a coherent way. We loved the step-by-step help.

Finally, like any conscientious parent, I worried about finding the perfect homeschool essay writing curriculum.

Little did I realize that Jump In: Middle School Composition had already given my sons a great start in how to write essays.

Once I learned that all essays follow the same format — introduction, body, and conclusion, I encouraged my sons to write on a variety of topics.

Homeschool Essay Writing Curriculum

Similarly, The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School is written by the same author as .Jump In: Middle School Composition. It’s another winner for us during the high school years.

One year I felt one of my sons needed more of a challenge and the curriculum touted to be a college-prep course.

He absolutely soaked up the challenge. Look at my post Review of The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School.

Another one we used in high school was Essentials in Writing.

Although it is a complete language arts curriculum by the time your teen gets to high school, he needs those teens.

One of my sons loved using Institute for Excellence in Writing for his essays and preferred their structure. At this age, I do think your teen should have a voice in how he learns best.

My vote is for Essentials in Writing and The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School for essays because I love things that are detailed and simple.

Both programs have visuals to help my teen organize his writing and evaluate his work.

 best homeschool writing curriculum

Also, another resource which has helped me through the years is Write Source 2000.

Beyond writing, it helps your middle school and high school students learn how to think. All the parts of learning how to write are connected.

It’s not just about putting pen to paper. Why? Because a teen needs to learn how to learn, how to organize his thoughts, understand his audience, and know the difference between formal and informal writing. Write Source 2000 has served as guide to me and a reference.

Did this help you to identify a few writing courses which can help you this year?

Find more writing curriculum tips here:

  • 5 Creative Ways to Boost Handwriting in Older Kids
  • Faith-Neutral Homeschool Grammar and Writing Program
  • Homeschool Writing Program For Middle and High School Students
  • 3 Ways to Choose the BEST Writing Curriculum (for a Growing Homeschool Family)

1 CommentFiled Under: Teach Homeschool Language Arts Tagged With: composition, essays, handwriting, homeschoolanguagearts, language arts, languagearts, onlinewriting, teachingwriting, writing, writing prompts

How to Choose a Homeschool Phonics Program Like a Pro (& recommendations)

May 30, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

With my first reader, I wanted to know how to choose a homeschool phonics program like a pro. It’s hard to do when you’ve never taught a child to read. Teaching a child to read has many parts and choosing a homeschool phonics curriculum is only a small part.

Today, I’m diving into helping you understand what is phonics and how the reading journey progresses.

Beyond choosing a homeschool phonics program, you’ll want to focus on how to develop a strong love of literature in the early years.

In addition, I’ll share a few recommendations of the best homeschool phonics curriculum.

First, before you can choose any curriculum, understand what is phonics.

What Is Phonics

Simply put, phonics means using letter sounds to read words. Mastering sounds is the first BIG step.

Did you know that it’s not as important to read the words immediately as it is to become familiar with the letter sounds? But let me back up a minute to explain two different educational mindsets about phonics.

Back when I started homeschooling, whole language advocates were numerous and very vocal.

But what exactly is the whole language approach? The whole language approach means to learn whole words basically in their context and not by phonics in step-by-step lessons.

a homeschool phonics program

One of the best examples of to show that we need both a whole language approach and phonics was shared with me by a seasoned homeschool veteran.

She explained that eating requires both chewing and swallowing; learning to read is similar.

Now, the educational world has shifted in how to teach phonics. There is now a focus on skill driven learning like phonics.

Most young children need direct instruction to make the transition from sounds to words.

However, remember that while children are learning phonics, we are exposing them to sight words.

Sight words don’t really follow regular rules of phonics. This makes complete sense to me — we use both whole language and phonics as we need them.

As you can see, when you start teaching phonics, tap into both direct lessons and a whole language approach. It really is a natural way to begin reading.

What Grade Should You Teach Phonics

Next, I get many questions like what grade should you teach phonics.

While it’s true that you want to teach phonics as early as Kindergarten, there are many factors which affect when a child should begin.

For instance, it’s important to know that pushing a child when he is not ready can have a negative effect.

From the beginning, a child’s love for reading can be ruined if you don’t look for clues of readiness by your child.

While waiting on the development of your child to show readiness in learning to read, you want to create a literate environment.

Look at these 4 ways to foster reading awareness while watching for phonics readiness.

  • Set the example by reading. All my children as adults love to read although my childhood was not filled with many books. My parents didn’t see the value of great books in our home, but I loved reading. I carried that love into adulthood.
  • Fill your home with a mix of genre. Wordless books, picture books, and even beginning chapter books introduce the fringes of the world of reading to your budding reader.
  • Reading aloud. Out of all the things I did, reading aloud to all of my children from birth was one of the best things I did. It was hard to appreciate that at the time.
  • Continue having fun with letters and crafts. The transition from letter sounds to beginning reading is a gradual one. Don’t rush it. Allow a child to linger with letter names and hands-on fun manipulating letters.

Better Later than Early Philosophy

Additionally, remember that each child is different. I had one child that was interested in reading early and I started with phonics lessons at age 5.

In contrast, my second son waited until closer to 6 years old before he showed the slightest interest in reading. Teaching him formal phonics lessons in Kindergarten would have been counterproductive.

Waiting on my son’s maturity to catch up, I did formal lessons later in the school year.

You are the only one to decide if a later start will work. But do keep this important thing in mind.

Children are soaking up everything they can learn. It’s our job to lead our children and not push them.

Introduce phonics and move at the child’s pace. Waiting too long for some children can likewise be disastrous.

Teaching phonics can be like an ebb and flow. I do think that children take huge leaps when they’re ready then seem to linger or ruminate.

When my children didn’t seem to retain anything I taught them, I realize now they were ruminating on the lessons. It’s important to let a child stay at a level until he is ready to move.

Next, don’t quit teaching phonics the minute your child seems to get it. As a rule of thumb, a lot of phonics programs go to about the fourth grade. There is a good reason for that.

If you stop teaching phonics too soon, a child may not master decoding (breaking written words into spoken sounds).

Eventually, it’s my experience that encoding (translating a spoken word to a written word or symbols, i.e. writing) is affected as well. By the way encoding is taught through spelling.

And although writing and reading are connected, they’re not learned at the same time with beginner readers.

So, the point is to take cues from your child and keep learning fun. You are the only one to know whether you need to wait later or move ahead.

Best Phonics Homeschool Curriculum

Then, there are many wonderful homeschool phonics programs that we have available now.

Here are some of the ones I really love.

1. All About Reading.

I loved using All About Reading because of how interactive it can be made for your child.

When your child is learning to read, using all his senses are important.

Some kids are visual, and others are stronger using audio. In addition to having everything you need to make learning fun, the teacher’s manuals are helpful.

All About Reading

2. Explode the Code.

Second, we used Explode the Code series and loved using every books. This is an affordable and easy to use program which makes it easy for beginner readers. I love how complete the set it is.

Just follow the sequence suggested which makes this program easy. Your child can progress at his pace.

Another one I used and loved is The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading.

3. The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading.

If you want a bit more hand holding, you’ll love using The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading.

4. Hooked on Phonics.

Now, this next one I haven’t used as much, but have helped others to use it.

Hooked on Phonics. is an easy-to-use program which has been around for a while. There is a reason. It works. This program is geared for ages 3 to 4. Again, many have a love or hate relationship with this program.

5. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

Another program loved by many homeschoolers is Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. Many homeschoolers have successfully taught their children to read using it.

I started using it but found that I wanted more hand holding. Again, you decide if it will work for you.

Lastly, we loved using Horizons Phonics.

6. Horizons Phonics.

I used Horizon Phonics with my son who was later to learn reading. It is an advanced program, but if you use it from the beginning the pace is gentle. I started using it with later grades.

a homeschool phonics program

Homeschool Phonics Program

Choosing a homeschool phonics program does not have to be scary. Creating lifelong readers happens by choosing beautiful books. It begins with a solid phonics program and thankfully in the homeschool world we can choose from many excellent ones.

What do you think, feel better narrowing your choice?

  • 12 of the Best Books For Beginner Readers Being Homeschooled
  • How To Get Your First Homeschooled Child Reading
  • 5 Easy Steps to Putting Together Your Own Homeschool Phonics Program
  • 10 Fun Things You Can Teach Using Geronimo Stilton Books
  • Homeschool Colorful Reading Journal to Motivate Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: How To - - -, Teach Homeschool Language Arts, Teach Homeschool Preschool, Teach Homeschool Preschool Tagged With: homeschoolanguagearts, homeschoolreading, language arts, languagearts, phonics, reading

54+ Fun Books Turned Movies to Spark a Love For Reading

December 16, 2020 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Living in a world of visual learners, we need numerous ways to nurture their love for reading. Today, I’ve rounded up 54+ fun books turned movies to spark a love for reading.

Whether you want to do a comparison between a book to a movie or want to breathe life into language arts, you’ll love the choices here.

54+ Fun Books Turned Movies to Spark a Love For Reading

Books Turned Movies

Click on the book cover for the book link and the corresponding movie link is under it.

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Too, here are a few questions to stir your creative conversations about the movie.

I like to have a set of questions to give my kids ahead of time. They can think about the answer while the movie is playing, then discuss afterwards.

  • What do you think is the message of the movie? Which part in the movie makes you feel that way?
  • What do you predict will happen?
  • Are there any expressions which you don’t understand?

Teaching Language Arts with Movies

Movie link.

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Comparing Kids Books to Movies

Additionally, here are a few ideas if you use the book with the movie.

  • Instead of having a child write, use compare/contrast visual charts.
  • Then use a rating system. Did your child like the movie or book best? We did this while watching and realized many times we loved the book better, but not always. My kids would just down a few words for the part they either liked or didn’t on the movie, then we’d compare at the end.
  • Do a character sketch. Instead of writing about the character, have your child draw them from what they think they look like from the book. Compare their visualization with the movie.

Click on the book cover for the book link and the corresponding movie link is under it.

Movie link.

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Teaching Reading with Movies

And besides turning the caption on in movies for beginner readers which is a fun tip, here are a few other ways to teach reading with movies.

  • Look for movies which align closer to the book because I’ve found for visual learners it’s easier to remember the story.
  • Character sketches can be drawn in reading journals then write the traits.
  • Although the movie is not like an audio book, it can still be viewed like that. Have your child predict outcomes.
  • Have your child listen and watch with the closed captions for figurative expressions and new vocabulary words.

However, unlike an audio book, a movie is visual. Your child’s spelling can improve by watching the captions.

In addition, remember I have the free form, Free and Useful Editable Movie Report For Homeschool which you can use in place of a book report.

Movie link.

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Another one of my favorite resources to teach about movies and language arts is by Literary Adventures for Kids.

Check out Poetry and a Movie.

We loved doing the unit Poetry and a Movie.

54+ Fun Books Turned Movies to Spark a Love For Reading

Is The Book Better Than The Movie

Additionally, deciding whether the book or movie is better is normally a cause for great conversation in my home. 

I read one time when a book turns movie it can focus on the outside of the character while a book spends time describing what a character is on the inside. I agree.

True, some movies are better, but as a book lover overall I prefer the descriptions in books.

Click on the book cover for the book link and the corresponding movie link is under it.

Movie link.

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54+ Fun Books Turned Movies to Spark a Love For Reading

Appreciating Literature Through Movies

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Homeschooling with Netflix

Next, I have this list too of books turned movies which can be found on Netflix.

  • There is a series of Unfortunate Events.
  • Anne Frank.
  • The Lorax
  • Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2.
  • Pride & Prejudice.
  • The Indian in the Cupboard
  • War Horse
  • Mowgli from The Jungle Book
  • White Fang
  • The Cat in the Hat
  • Jurassic Park
  • Green Eggs and Ham
  • Benji
  • Les Miserables
  • Richie Rich
  • E.T.
  • Fiddler on the Roof
  • Magic School Bus
  • Chicken Little

Another fun resource you’ll love to get is the guide to use Movies as Literature. It’s very comprehensive.

Lastly, the list above is by no means complete, but it has many different levels of books turned movies; I know you’ll find one or two to interest your kids.

I think you’ll love these other resources:

  • Best Homeschool High School Literature Suggestions For Teens
  • 12 of the Best Books For Beginner Readers Being Homeschooled
  • How to Easily Add Language Arts to Homeschool Unit Studies (& Resources)
  • Free and Useful Editable Movie Report For Homeschool
  • How to Choose the Best Middle School Literature And Favorite Resources
  • 20 Ideas for Bringing Writing Alive through Unit Studies
  • What You’ve Got To Know About Teaching Reading Comprehension
  • When Should I Start Teaching Spelling in Homeschool?

Do you have a favorite book turned movie?

2 CommentsFiled Under: Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Do Unit Studies, Homeschool Multiple Ages of Children, Homeschool Simply, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Homeschool When Nobody Wants To, Middle School Homeschool, Reading Lists, Teach Homeschool Language Arts, Teach Homeschool Science, Teach Unit Studies Tagged With: homeschool, homeschoolreading, language arts, languagearts, movies, read aloud, reading, reading journal, readingcomprehension

Best Homeschool High School Literature Suggestions For Teens

December 15, 2020 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Creating these homeschool high school literature suggestions for teens is more satisfying now that my teens graduated. Looking back, I know their love of reading came from being exposed to a variety of genre.

Having a variety of genre to choose from is just one element of keeping teens reading into adulthood.

Beyond reading to fill a high school credit, use your time with your homeschooled teens to shape and develop their thinking.

Contrary to what some educators think, teens are still questioning beliefs. Their thinking is not fully matured. Issues raised in literature gives you the opportunity to analyze beliefs.

Too, high school and college courses require your teens to interpret literary terms and techniques. I found this was best done by classic literature.

Best Homeschool High School Literature Suggestions For Teens

The point is whether your teen is reading American, British, or World literature he is gaining a greater understanding of the world. That is something which will stick with him well into adulthood.

This high school literature list will give you a starting point in choosing the best literature for your family.

Moreover, don’t fret if your teen is still not loving to read. Some of these books will ignite a fire and did I mention some are short?

Whether you have a teen who is a voracious reader or who is an unenthusiastic reader, I have some high school literature suggestions for all.

Homeschool High School Literature

  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • The Great Gatsby
  • The Red Badge of Courage and Other Stories (Penguin Classics)
  • The Old Man and The Sea
  • A Tale of Two Cities (Dover Thrift Editions)
  • The Time Machine (Dover Thrift Editions)

Also, it’s important to remember that there is so much more going on when a teen engages with a book

Books for your High School Teen

For example, when a teen reads

  • and the genre is historical fiction it can make the time period come alive;
  • and the prose is challenging, it can raise his reading comprehension;
  • his vocabulary is expanded; and
  • critical thinking skills are introduced.

Knowing that so much more is involved then filling a credit at the high school level, be choosy about what your teen reads.

Also, what helped me at the high school level are the self-paced online classes, Literary Adventures for Kids.

We covered a poetry unit for one of my teens in a fun way.

Look at my post Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved).

Best Homeschool High School Literature Suggestions For Teens

Teens Reading List

  • Frankenstein
  • Emma (Penguin Classics)
  • The Odyssey
  • By Frank Herbert Dune (S.F. Masterworks)
  • All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel
  • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

See, I had to learn the hard way that a teen should have a choice in what he reads.

I remember being in English class in middle school and reading about boring topics.

I was a good reader, but not an enthusiastic reader until I read The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. He’s not an author I thought I would be drawn to as a teen.

However, his stories and poems invoked a love for reading detective stories along with his great storytelling. I loved everything about that poem, the figurative language, the dynamics, and the theme.

Homeschool High School Reading

The point is I would have never picked up his book on my own when evaluating my choices.

So your teen needs your help. It literally takes one book your teen can’t put down for your teen to look at reading differently.

Now as a parent, it is a learned balancing act when each teen got to the high school level.

I tried to find their interests and themes they loved to weave that with other genre they weren’t interested in or thought so at the time.

Also, another way to engage your high school kids is to learn through a theme.

We love history in our house and learning history through living literature has been one of our very favorite ways to learn history.

For 10th Grade

We love Beautiful Feet History, and have used their high school literature. They suggest the following sequence which we mostly followed which has changed too.

Grade 9  |  Early American

Grade 11  |  Medieval History Senior High

Grade 10  |  Ancient History Senior High

Grade 12  |  Modern U.S. and World History for Senior High

Books for High School Readers

  • The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Dover Thrift Editions)
  • The Last of the Mohicans (The Leatherstocking Tales)
  • The Three Musketeers
  • Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (Vintage Classics)
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; Pearl; [and] Sir Orfeo
  • Gone With the Wind

Although my teens had choices, I also had requirements because I wanted to invoke conversations to get my teens to think about the broader picture.

Learning to think critically means to know how to support your ideas from the book. It’s not always easy to do with just books they chose to read.

  • The Call of the Wild by Jack London: Complete With Original And Classics Illustrated
  • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  • Les Miserables: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
  • The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: The Original 1820 Edition
  • Pride and Prejudice

Why Some Homeschoolers Choose to Read Banned Literature

Next, I also had to decide how I wanted to talk to my teens about sensitive subjects. A lot of homeschoolers, including myself, reject some modern reading lists.

However, the similarity stops there when choosing literature. Families and teens differ in how they want to handle sensitive topic.

When you research about banned books, the Washington Post stated, “The American Library Association launched Banned Books Week in 1982 to celebrate the freedom to read.”

However, every since then, the topic of banned books sparks controversy for any education. You too have to decide if you’ll present these banned books to your teen.

It’s been my experience that the sensitive subjects in books allows me the chance to direct my children about mistakes of the past.

  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer AND The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Unabridged. Complete with all original illustrations)
  • Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
  • Great Expectations (Penguin Classics)
  • Common Sense: The Origin and Design of Government
  • Roots The Saga of An American Family

I didn’t want to cover up mistakes in history, but to expose them so we learn from them. Most important that we don’t repeat them in the future.

Children relate to everyday things and some kids lives have had painful turns they couldn’t control. Although my kids didn’t experience the sadness of divorce and death at the time, they had friends who did.

Homeschool High School Books

It helped my sons to form a compassion for their friends. Every child has a different maturing rate and I was sensitive to each teen’s emotions.

The point is that you are the only one to know whether you want your children to read banned books or not. Me? I will do the choosing for my family and determine the values; you probably feel the same way.

  • The Lord of the Rings: 50th Anniversary, One Vol. Edition
  • The War for Independence: The Story of the American Revolution
  • Lord of the Flies
  • Ivanhoe (Penguin Classics)
  • Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
  • The Scarlet Letter

Homeschool High School Reading List

I want the opportunity to help my sons’ learn from the past, but not be promoting ideologies which conflict with our worldview.

That is not always easy to do, but being familiar with literature your teen is absorbing is essential.

  • Wuthering Heights (Penguin Classics)
  • Fahrenheit 451
  • Invisible Man (Penguin Essentials) by Ralph Ellison
  • Anna Karenina
  • The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty
  • Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years & the War Years (Library of the Presidents)

As you see from this quick list that the books reflect personal tastes of each teen. In the end, you want your child to enjoy reading.

I stressed way too much about balancing the genre when my focus should have been on the short time I had with each teen.

Besides being forced-fed never worked for any reader. So use this list to begin your list for your unique teen.

Lastly, this is by no stretch all that each kid read in high school.

As I pore over my huge amount of books, I’ll update this post for you.

The point today was to get this quick glance to you.

In the end what matters is creating a lifelong reader.

Remember what Francis Bacon said “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few are to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.”

Best Homeschool High School Literature Suggestions For Teens

I know you’ll love these other posts:

  • Homeschooling High School: Curriculum, Credits, and Courses
  • How to Choose the Best Middle School Literature And Favorite Resources
  • How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Middle and High School Language Arts Curriculum & Options
  • Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved)
  • Modern U.S. and World History High School Literature
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Hugs and love ya,

2 CommentsFiled Under: Graduate a Homeschooler, Homeschool Multiple Ages of Children, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Reading Lists, Teach Homeschool Language Arts Tagged With: book lists, books, high school, high school electives, high school literature, homeschool highschool, homeschool subjects, homeschoolanguagearts, homeschoolhighschool, homeschoolreading, language arts, languagearts, literature, reading

12 of the Best Books For Beginner Readers Being Homeschooled

December 8, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Finding the best books for beginner readers was at the top of my list when I sat my first homeschooled grad on my lap at 3 years old to teach him to read.

Books for Beginner Readers

Equally important was learning the other skills I needed as the homeschool educator to teach him to read.

Like many educators who have their first budding reader I too was overly worried about the process.

First, look at some of these tips for teaching beginning readers which have worked for me through my many years of homeschooling.

12 of the Best Books For Beginner Readers Being Homeschooled
  • Trust that the process is natural. Unless your child has special needs or a disability to hamper learning how to read, he will learn to read. What I’m saying is that children learning to read are learning with every breath they take. Seizing their love of learning in their organic environment (your home and your lap) is where the seed is planted.
  • In addition, I didn’t realize the value of my habit of reading aloud to my first reader and reading silently. The point is from the beginning I was placing not just a high value on the skill of reading, but a love for it. Although you may not think so now, teaching a child a child to read can be quite easy compared to teaching him to be a lifelong reader. Lifelong readers model what they see.
  • Next, like a lot of new homeschool educators, I concentrated on intensity instead of consistency. That was a mistake and I almost gave up homeschooling. So the power of little and often cements a pattern for how your child learns to read. Short fun spurts throughout the day teaching your child to read is how to make true progress.

Timeless Tips for Beginner Readers

Picture Books Library Lists

Second, remember that while you’re teaching your child to read, he will need direct phonics instructions.

Not only are you training his eyes to read or decipher (decoding), but you’re training his ears to hear sounds (encoding).

On top of that, remember to look at the BIGGER picture as you embark on your journey to teaching your child to read.

Direct phonics will help your child to decode words, and training his ear to distinguish between sounds and writing the correct symbol for that sound is encoding.

The Power of Little and Often

What I’m saying is that you want to pair a phonics program along with teaching your child to read.

Look at some of these helps:

  • 5 Easy Steps to Putting Together Your Own Homeschool Phonics Program and
  • How to Build Elementary Homeschool Curriculum Directly From Amazon
All About Reading

In addition, you also want plenty of time reading aloud to your child which doesn’t include direct instruction.

You constantly want to reaffirm that reading is enjoyable, meaningful, and should be pain free. Keeping that warm and fuzzy feeling for reading is essential.

Books that Help Kids Learn to Read

So read below about books which make it easier for teaching beginner readers being homeschooled.

Book 1. Bob Books.

The set of Bob books have been keepers for years in the homeschool world and there are several reasons.

One is because it normally takes only about 10 to 15 minutes a day. The second reason is that the books hold your child’s attention and are short.

Book 2. Dick and Jane Series.

You’ll get mixed feedback on the Dick and Jane series that so many parents remember from their childhood.

Although what may seem as funny repetition, the books works for budding readers.

New readers need the constant repetition found in these series of books.

Too, it’s been my experience that struggling readers do well with this series since the text is predictable.

Repeated Practice Equals Mastering

Book 3. Maisy Mouse Books.

Then, Mouse Mouse book series hails from England and your kid gets a nice influence to other cultures.

While reading about everyday things like bedtime, your beginning reader is entertained while his reading skills are sharpened. It’s just a fun and sweet series which entertains your kids.

Book 4. Usborne Phonics Readers.

The beauty of the phonics readers is that text is still predictable and rhyming.

Decoding which is the common thread with phonics readers makes the Usborne phonics readers a keeper.

Remember the power of little lessons done often creates a master reader.

Book 5. Usborne Very First Reading Books.

Next, this series Usborne Very First Reading Books are timeless and I love them because they encourage parent and child to read together.

There is one part for the parent to read and one part for the child to read. Did I mention they’re just fun?

This series of books to me are for the child who has had his introduction to phonics and is ready for his first reader. It’s still easy reading while being fun.

Book 6. Cat in the Hat Series.

I remember using the Cat in the Hat series to teach my first reader and every kid after him.

However, I had no idea how this series of books set up all my kids for reading success lifelong. Maybe Theodor Geisel didn’t have a clue either.

I remember reading how Dr. Seuss was trying to kill the 1950s Dick and Jane series which some viewed as boring

Whatever the case, building stories around sight words is not easy. Building a silly story with sight words is what worked for all of my kids. Too, this series is great for many ages, not just beginning readers.

Book 7. Repetitive books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See

Additionally, filling my bookshelves and yes floor with books with repetitive texts like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See was something else I did right.

Little did I know then that repetitive text in fun books in how kids learn to read.

Multiple exposures to text encourages mastery.

Know that readers are nurtured by reading nursery rhymes at the newborn to preschool ages turns to repetitive text in books in the early years of reading. That equals mastery and brings meaning to reading.

Book 8. Mo Willems Elephant and Piggie Series

Although the Elephant and Piggie series is classified closer to a first grade level, grade levels are subjective; we know that as home educators.

Besides you need a variety of levels as your child repeats and reads higher level books. Then he backs up and reviews basic concepts from lower grade levels.

Reading well is accomplished by pushing the boundaries to the next level without your child feeling any pressure.

12 of the Best Books For Beginner Readers Being Homeschooled

I learned that reading is like weaving or folding in different concepts. A child retraces basic steps going what appears backwards at times as he stretches forward to learn to read at a higher level.

So having a variety of books at your fingertips is key.

9. McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers.

Then, the McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers are a staple in a lot of homeschool libraries and mine is no exception.

There is a reason that books from 1836 are loved by us and that is because of their rich language.

Besides the fact they’re free, the series spans several grade levels. I’ve used these books to teach reading and when my kids struggled with reading.

Over at the Happy Homeschool Mom she has linked the readers in pdf for you. Nice!

If you want to purchase the physical books here is the link for the McGuffey Eclectic Readers.

10. I Can Read Series.

Too, besides long time favorites, I love newer-ish book series too.

The I Can Read series is one of those newer flexible options compared to how long homeschoolers have been using the McGuffey readers.

One of the best things about the I Can Read series is the multiple levels.

From prek to level 4 you have many choices of fun stories to go up and down in level to repeat texts as your budding reader needs it.

11. I Can Read It Series.

Next, like the other readers listed with controlled vocabulary which means that a handful of words are repeated, the I Can Read It Series does the same.

What I also love about them as a parent is not just the predictable text, but in the fourth volume there is a word list which is helpful to me.

12. Hello Reader Series

Lastly, I used the Hello Readers from Scholastic to not only teach my new readers, but the sight word practice found in each book was needed for my kids

I know some of these books will work for you because they have worked for homeschool families for years. Our needs at home vary because we want to teach phonics, love of reading, and sight words all in a natural way.

Our tools and books we choose should help us to nurture lifelong readers so I know you’ll love these.

Do you have other favorite new reader series?

You’ll love these other tips which work solidly for me through the years for beginner readers.

  • How To Get Your First Homeschooled Child Reading
  • Awesome Reading Aloud Tracking Time Homeschool Form
  • 6 Boy Approved Books Which Spark the Love of Reading
  • 6 Tricks for the Kid That’s NOT in Love with Reading!
  • Homeschool Colorful Reading Journal to Motivate Kids
  • 25 Fun Learning Apps and YouTube Videos for Little Learners
  • 5 Easy Steps to Putting Together Your Own Homeschool Phonics Program
  • How to Know What A Homeschooled Child Should Learn Yearly?
  • How to Teach Homeschool Preschool From the Inside Out (And Preschool Skills)

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Teach Homeschool Language Arts, Teach Homeschool Preschool Tagged With: book lists, books, homeschool preschool, homeschoolreading, preschool, preschool skills, reading, readingcomprehension

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