This program is based on research which shows that there is no useable relationship between the study of grammar as an abstracted skill and the ability to communicate. Writing Strands provides quality reading, writing and speech materials for homeschoolers with children ages 3 through 18. The guided exercises in Writing Strands progress incrementally and allow students to work independently, yet provide the guidance students need to sharpen their ability to inform, persuade and entertain in writing. Helps develop successful writing skills for your child’s lifetime.

At Last! A Reading Method for Every Child offers a balanced approach with intensive phonics and literature-based reading instruction. This is a simple method of teaching reading, with lots of supplemental materials. Get product information here.

Montessori Reading is a beginning reading and writing program for elementary aged children. This series of books introduce phonetic letter sounds, phonogram combinations, reading simple sentences, and reading and writing words that name everyday objects, animals, etc. A teaching guide and a child's journal are included.

Reading Made Easy is a phonics-based program, featuring 108 easy lessons, designed to be taught in less than 30 minutes per day. It is fully scripted and has original Christian content and stories. Includes hands-on writing and drawing activities. Reading Made Easy can be purchased here.

Happy Phonics uses games to teach early reading skills. Simple yet entertaining and educational, these phonics games are printed on colorful, sturdy cardstock ready to cut out. Included is a mother-friendly guidebook which contains details on how to teach phonics and reading, how to pronounce and teach the phonics sounds, how to make your own simple beginning readers, and step-by-step teaching information for each phonics sound. Happy Phonics covers beginning to advanced phonics.

This teacher's manual, written by a homeschool educator with experience as a professional school teacher and private tutor, shows how to teach reading the "write" way. By phonetically teaching spelling from the start as the backbone for reading, all children can be taught, regardless of learning styles, to read and spell. If your student knows how to read already, this program can improve his or her spelling. Find out more about this product here.

Create! Press carries creative approaches to teaching creative writing and composition. Their products include the Create-A-Story game, Writing Adventures, Stepping Stones, and more.

Explode The Code provides a sequential, systematic approach to phonics in which students blend sounds to build vocabulary and read words, phrases, sentences, and stories. Frequent review of previously learned concepts helps increase retention. Each workbook in this series contains exercises that incorporate reading, writing, matching and copying. The consistent format of the books helps facilitate independent work. This series includes primers—Get Ready for The Code, Get Set for The Code, and Go for The Code—which introduce initial consonant sounds. In addition, Beyond The Code provides a comprehension component introducing basic comprehension skills with phonetically controlled stories. You'll find product information here.

Progeny Press study guides include vocabulary exercises, comprehension, analysis, and application questions, introduction of literary terms, background information, discussion of related Biblical themes, suggestions for activities related to the reading, a complete answer key, and more. These are some of the titles available (grade range is in parentheses):

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (9-12)
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (6-8)
• Amos Fortune, Free Man (5-7)
• Anne of Green Gables (5-8)
• Bears on Hemlock Mountain (1-3)
• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (4-6)
• The Bridge (4-6)
• Bridge to Terabithia (6-8)
• The Bronze Bow (6-8)
• Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (9-12)5-7
• Charlotte's Web (4-6)
• A Christmas Carol (8-12)
• Clipper Ship (1-3)
• The Courage of Sarah Noble (1-3)
• The Cricket in Times Square (4-6)
• Crown and Jewel (4-6)
• A Day No Pigs Would Die (9-12)
• The Door in the Wall (4-6)
• The Drinking Gourd (1-3)
• Farmer Boy (4-6)
• The Fellowship of the Ring (9-12)
• Frankenstein (10-12)
• Frog and Toad Together (K-2)
• The Giver (7-9)
• The Great Gatsby (9-12)
• Hamlet (9-12)
• Heart of Darkness (9-12)
• Henry & Mudge in Puddle Trouble (K-1)
• The Hiding Place (6-8)
• The Hobbit (8-12)
• Holes (5-8)
• The Indian in the Cupboard (5-7)
• In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (4-6)
• Introduction to Poetry: Forms and Elements (8-12)
• Island of the Blue Dolphins (5-7)
• Jane Eyre (9-12)
• Johnny Termain (6-8)
• The Josefina Story Quilt (1-3)
• Julius Caesar (9-12)
• Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie (1-3)
• The Lion, Witch & Wardrobe (4-7)
• Little House in the Big Woods (4-6)
• Little House on the Prairie (4-6)
• The Long Way to a New Land (1-3)
• The Long Way Westward (1-3)
• The Lord of the Flies (11-12)
• Macbeth (9-12)
• The Magician's Nephew (5-7)
• Maniac Magee (6-8)
• The Merchant of Venice (9-12)
• The Minstrel in the Tower (2-4)
• Miss Rumphius (1-3)
• Mr. Popper's Penguins (3-5)
• New Coat for Anna (1-3)
• Number the Stars (5-7)
• The Old Man and the Sea (9-12)
• Oscar Otter (K-1)
• Out of the Dust (7-9)
• Out of the Silent Planet (9-12)
• Ox-Cart Man (1-3)
• Perelandra (9-12)
• Prince Caspian (5-7)
• The Red Badge of Courage (9-12)
• Redwall (5-9)
• The Return of the King (9-12)
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (6-8)
• Romeo and Juliet (9-12)
• Sam the Minuteman (1-3)
• Sarah, Plain and Tall (4-6)
• The Scarlet Letter (9-12)
• The Screwtape Letters (9-12)
• The Secret Garden (6-8)
• Shiloh (5-7)
• The Sign of the Beaver (5-7)
• Stone Fox (3-5)
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (8-12)
• The Swiss Family Robinson (7-9)
• A Tale of Two Cities (9-12)
• To Kill a Mockingbird (9-12)
• Tuck Everlasting (6-8)
• The Two Collars (4-6)
• The Two Towers (9-12)
• Wagon Wheels (1-3)
• Where the Red Fern Grows (5-7)
• The Whipping Boy (3-5)
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond (5-7)
• A Wrinkle in Time (5-8)
• The Yearling (9-12)

Phonics Pathways begins with short-vowel sounds, slowly progressing to whole words, phrases, and sentences of gradually increasing complexity. Special teaching tips, extensive examples, and 100% decodable practice readings reinforce each lesson. Contains all spelling rules with a spelling index, spelling charts, spelling short-cuts, diacritical markings, and a wealth of inspirational proverbs. The new 9th edition of Phonics Pathways features many new enhancements including a wealth of reproducible games, a step-by-step spelling guide, teacher/student record sheets, a Dewey-the-Bookworm Bookmark and a new carefully-researched appendix detailing how Phonics Pathways aligns with most State Standards. Supplements to this program include The Train Game (to teach letter sounds), WordWorks (a set of cards used to reinforce phonics reading skills), and Blendit! (a set of eleven board games that reinforces knowledge of specific begining spelling patterns). For product information on Phonics Pathways, click here or visit their website.

The Time4Learning preschool program combines technology, animated characters, original stories and fun music to inspire a love of learning in the littlest e-learners. Ed Mouse and his friends guide children through more than forty topics such as numbers, letters, rhymes, self, time, music and colors.

Finding the right homeschool preschool curriculum is important. For many children, this will be their first introduction to organized learning. Giving your child the right introduction to the world of knowledge can help them become life-long learners. To learn how to choose the right homeschool preschool curriculum for your child, consult the resources offered at Sonlight.

4 My Kids Records is committed to producing quality educational and entertainment products that will ignite a child’s excitement to learn. Every catchy song, dance-floor groove, memorable story, colorful illustration and fun-filled animation is created with a timeless heart.

Tips for teaching language arts (writing, grammar, handwriting) in a large family.

If you have a home school, you will appreciate these tips to help you teach reading, gathered from parents and professionals.