Homeschool Language Arts

Have you thought about homeschool language arts? It includes everything that a child would need to understand the English language.

The subject matter includes listening, reading, speaking, and writing. A child needs to do well in language arts to exceed in history, science, and math.

So I worried when my children took a long time to learn to read and write. How did I get over the hump?

How did I homeschool language arts? I took a relaxed approach. I read to my children. I started reading to them when they were able to sit up. I read simple picture books. Here is a list of some of my favorites.

As they grew I increased the difficulty of the books and by the time they were in second grade I was reading chapter books. We also talked a lot and sang songs.

When they were in first grade I started teaching phonics

Homeschool language arts are not a separate set of textbooks on phonics, reading, writing, grammar, and spelling. But, it is an interrelationship between listening, speaking, phonics instruction, spelling and writing.

To understand how to read a child needs some instruction in phonics and sight words.

To spell, he also needs to rely on phonics.

Good literature helps a child learn to write by showing good spelling and grammar. So, we should teach language arts as an integrated subject.

Integrated Homeschool Language Arts

When we start to teach reading we need to teach reading readiness. Reading readiness includes listening development and oral language.

When I think about reading readiness I think nursery rhymes and songs. You can start reading nursery rhymes when your child is a toddler. When my children were younger I would read part of the rhyme and my child would tell me the missing word. An example would be "Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the ______." I would have my child say clock. I would coach them by saying, "it rhymes with dock".

After your child has had plenty of practice with songs and rhyming start

Spelling is the reverse of phonics. To spell "fun" your child has to think what letter makes the "f" sound and so on.

When your child is reading stories well you will need to see if he comprehends the story. Before he can write he can present the information orally. Later he can write about what he has read. When your child starts to write teach him grammar.

When to Teach Reading

As I said reading readiness can be started when the child is very young. I feel that formal teaching of reading should be delayed until the child is ready. I know this is hard when you have struggling learners. I had several children who struggled with reading. I would start phonics they would not get it, so I would back off for a month and start again. During the time that I was not teaching phonics I would still read to them. Eventually they learned to read are in the process of learning to write.

Developmental Skills

For a child to learn to read and write he needs to develop skills. He needs to have auditory skills. He needs to be able to hear different sounds. If he is having a lot of trouble, have his hearing tested.

To be able to write a child has to have fine motor skills. When he is young buy a fat pencil so it will be easier to write.

A child also needs to have visual skills to be able to read and write. Again if he seems to be having a lot of trouble, have his eyes check. Also if he is writing letters backwards and is having difficulty reading have your child checked for learning disability.

Remember that homeschool language arts are integrated subjects not a stack of separate textbooks.

Learning Disabilities Reading Tutor has information about how to help children learn to read. Rene can also tutor your child over the internet via Skype.

Dora the Explorer Adventures provides general information to parents with preschoolers and young children. On the site you will learn about Dora the Explorer books and how they can help with language art skills.

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