How to Teach Homeschool English

Homeschool English is about communicating. Our children need to be able to read what others have to say. They also need to be able to present their ideas in speech and writing. Being able to read and write is a mark of an educated person.

Elementary Homeschool English

English instruction should start in the elementary years. Then when your child is in high school English will not be so difficult. The beginning years will be taken up with learning to read, spell, and write. The best way to learn is to practice. You child will need to read and write daily.

When your child is writing daily you should check for grammar and spelling errors. Use the misspelled words as the weekly spelling paper. You can also use your child's writing paper to teach grammar. Have your child circle the nouns or verbs.

If you need more ideas about teaching elementary English be sure to check out my pages on grammar, spelling, and writing curriculum.

High School English

Your child will need credits in homeschool English. In high school he will need to learn to write essays and letters. If your child has not done so already he will need to know how to write a research paper. Literature is usually taught in high school.

Writing

Essay writing is easier to teach when your child knows how to write and has some background knowledge. The easiest way to have your child write an essay is to find a subject that he is interested in. Then read a short book about the subject to give him some background knowledge. Have your child put some facts about the subject into a graphic organizer. Then have him write three paragraphs about the subject. The last paragraph should mention how he feels about the subject. This is a pretty simple essay and can be taught to an elementary aged child.

When your child is in high school you will need to teach him the different types of essays and how to write them. A college writing textbook will tell you how to write the different essays. When I was in college I used Basic Usage, Vocabulary, and Composition by Hulon Willis. The most common essays are the descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive.

Before your child goes off to college make sure that he knows how to spell and use proper grammar. If you have been practicing writing and spelling throughout your child's school years he should not be making too many mistakes. It is helpful to have a grammar usage book handy to help your child correct his writing.

Children also need some practice in writing a long research paper. They need to know how to make a bibliography and site references in their writing. Children need to learn about plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Another writing assignment that should be included in homeschool English is letter writing. Young children can practice writing thank you letters to friends and relatives that give them gifts. Another fun project is to find pen pals for your children.

Older children need to learn how to write business letters. They need to be able to write cover letters for resumes and college applications.

Literature

Literature can be included in your child's education even before they can read. You can read classic and other good books to your children.

Children should also be exposed to different types of genre besides the novel. They should know the difference between fiction and non-fiction. Children should also read or listen to different types of poetry and short stories.

Besides just reading good books children should learn how to analyze fiction. The main reason is that it is usually done in high school in preparation for college literature classes. So our high schooler should know how to describe the characters in a book. They should understand how to describe the theme, setting, and plot of the story. We should also teach about figures of speech and symbolism. I don't like to analyze everything that we read. I think that it takes away from the enjoyment of the book. I do like to try to determine the worldview of the book.

Speech

It is hard to include speech in homeschool English. You can have your child study famous speeches. Your child can also learn how to write a speech, but unless he is involved in a group it is hard to give a speech.

There are ways to have your child practice public speaking. Some homeschool co-ops have classes where your child can give a speech. He could also take a class at a local college. In almost all of my college classes I had to give a speech.

If your child does not have the opportunity to take classes there are creative ways to for him to get up in front of a group of people. Your child could teach a Sunday school class or help out with the youth group. Also look into different groups such as 4H or the scouts to see if they have speaking opportunities.

Homeschool English is an important subject. All children need to learn to communicate. They need to be able to read, write, and present their ideas.

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