2014-15 Homeschool Plan: Language Arts

Next up is language arts. Here's what's what:

GRAMMAR: Analytical Grammar worked fabulously for Noah last year. He completed all three seasons and brought up his language arts score on the standardized test we do every other year considerably. Thanks to the program, he also was just two points shy of testing into college English at the charter high school he's attending (which is fine and dandy, as he's now taking high school English and it's a good fit...especially considering that we didn't really do any grammar before last year and that technically he's still a year shy of high school).

Given all this, I'm using Jr. Analytical Grammar and Mechanics with Asher this year (and will then have him work through Analytical Grammar with reinforcement over two years after that).

I figure Micah still has time but am having him watch the Cover Story grammar videos this year. I'll move on to the Jr. Analytical Grammar, etc in years to come.

SPELLING: Still entirely happy with All About Spelling. We're doing Level 7 this year. (We've already made it half way through the book, actually, but I'm going back to the start and reviewing.)

VOCABULARY: We'll work through both All About Homophones (grades 5-8) and Word Roots A2. Worked well last year. ;)

READING: As our summer reading program proved, my younger two have no issues with reading. :) (I'll do a post about book lists soon!) So. I'm just going to leave this alone and have them continue reading as they've been doing...requiring at least 100 pages a week (which has been absolutely no problem...Asher's actually been doing more than twice that). Every so often, I'll throw in an assigned book that relates to a unit we're working on, but I'm mostly letting them choose their material.

WRITING: I give up on trying to follow specific writing curriculums for now. I'm going to try to work this into our other subjects this year instead...having the boys write summaries and outlines and essays progressively as we go through the year. I think the key for us this year is simply to do more writing. :) (I have high hopes that this will be easier to accomplish without a certain teenager bringing us down and complaining about why we have to do things, lol.)

And that's language arts...

PS To those who have contacted me mentioning how much you enjoy seeing what other homeschoolers are doing, I'd love to see what you're up to also! Link me up! ;)