Language Arts

Which Language Arts curriculum would you recommend for students ages 10 - 13?

Language Arts is a subject which I believe is critical to childrens' education. In all aspects of our lives we use these skills, though for many students, it is a subject that does not bring pleasure, nor fun. Consider for a moment the number of daily tasks which require reading and writing. For me, it is almost constant. That's something I learned the day I had my eyes dilated and could not read for several hours.

Last year we used the Learning Language Arts Through Literature curriculum. As a first year homeschooler, I thought the program was terrific because it focuses on a specific piece of literature for each lesson, while teaching grammar. The student book presents the lessons in an easy to understand way, while the teacher's manual guides the parent in understanding how to assist the child with the lessons. It was rather easy to use and the boys did not complain about their assignments.

In our second year homeschooling, I kept my 5th grade son in the Learning Lang. Arts Through Lit curriculum, but I wanted more challenge for my 7th grade son in writing. I've switched his curriculum to Learn to Write the Novel Way. He will have a completed novel when he's finished all the assignments, but it's been a challenge because it is focusing on writing without necessarily teaching the grammar skills.

In a desperate attempt to find the perfect language arts curriculum, I have jumped on board with other homeschool moms who are making the switch to The Institute for Excellence in Writing. Two other moms are already using the program with success, and several of us are currently attending weekly workshop meetings to learn how to implement the program. So far, I am impressed with the method it uses to teach note taking and summarizing and am looking forward to using the program after we've completed the current, Learn to Write the Novel Way.

Do you have a favorite curriculum you have used in Language Arts?