SuseyQ
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Language Art Program that really works???
Hi,
Has anyone found a language art program that really works? Should include grammar and writing. Spelling is optional as is reading and handwriting. Should be easy to implement and easy to understand. My dau is 11y.o. working between the 2nd/3rd grade level in this area. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thank You, Sue
In Topics:
Homeschooling, Helping my child with writing
Has anyone found a language art program that really works? Should include grammar and writing. Spelling is optional as is reading and handwriting. Should be easy to implement and easy to understand. My dau is 11y.o. working between the 2nd/3rd grade level in this area. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thank You, Sue
> 60 days ago
What the Expert Says:
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Additional Answers (2)
Hi Sue,
I taught 1st and 3rd grade as well as being the reading intervention teacher, and I teaching language arts was always my favorite. This is a very important area of study.
As for a specific program, I never subscribed to those. I always taught, and was taught, how to use best teaching practices. I always used a balanced literacy program in reading and the students were engaged in reading and writer's workshop. Basically for reading I always had my students use reading strategies and to not focus on skills. The difference is that strategies help you become a stronger reader while skills are used in reading as a way to pick things out of text. For instance a skill is when a teacher asks the teacher to find the specific causes and effects in a story. While the strategy helps the child better understand and find cause and effect. I know it sounds confusing, but it is a highly controversial area in education.
To wrap up here are four things I would share with my students:
1. Become the character--what if you are the character how would you be dealing with these events?
2. Ask "What Does the Author Want Me to Learn?"--this helps the child talk to themselves during the reading and discover why exactly the author wrote this book other than just for fun.
3. Ask Questions and Find Answers--have your daughter ask a question about what is going on in the story and then have her find the answer in the story. Sometimes answers aren't clear, but at least she will be interacting with the text.
4. Make Connections--take Post-It notes and have her make a personal (Text to Self--T-S) connection to the book. She will place the Post-It on the page where she has made the connection (she will write T-S to remind herself that is it a text to self connection). She can do this for Text to Text (T-T) connections, when the book she is reading reminds her of another book she has read.
Finally, for writing she can just keep a journal of things she is interested in. If she likes nature go out to the park and gather things. then write down a list of what is found and make a story up about them. Or if you live in the city, write down sounds and sights of the city. Again, make a list and try to generate story. Let her be free with these tasks and draft and revise. Remind her authors do it all the time!
If you have any other questions just keep asking or search our reference articles!
I taught 1st and 3rd grade as well as being the reading intervention teacher, and I teaching language arts was always my favorite. This is a very important area of study.
As for a specific program, I never subscribed to those. I always taught, and was taught, how to use best teaching practices. I always used a balanced literacy program in reading and the students were engaged in reading and writer's workshop. Basically for reading I always had my students use reading strategies and to not focus on skills. The difference is that strategies help you become a stronger reader while skills are used in reading as a way to pick things out of text. For instance a skill is when a teacher asks the teacher to find the specific causes and effects in a story. While the strategy helps the child better understand and find cause and effect. I know it sounds confusing, but it is a highly controversial area in education.
To wrap up here are four things I would share with my students:
1. Become the character--what if you are the character how would you be dealing with these events?
2. Ask "What Does the Author Want Me to Learn?"--this helps the child talk to themselves during the reading and discover why exactly the author wrote this book other than just for fun.
3. Ask Questions and Find Answers--have your daughter ask a question about what is going on in the story and then have her find the answer in the story. Sometimes answers aren't clear, but at least she will be interacting with the text.
4. Make Connections--take Post-It notes and have her make a personal (Text to Self--T-S) connection to the book. She will place the Post-It on the page where she has made the connection (she will write T-S to remind herself that is it a text to self connection). She can do this for Text to Text (T-T) connections, when the book she is reading reminds her of another book she has read.
Finally, for writing she can just keep a journal of things she is interested in. If she likes nature go out to the park and gather things. then write down a list of what is found and make a story up about them. Or if you live in the city, write down sounds and sights of the city. Again, make a list and try to generate story. Let her be free with these tasks and draft and revise. Remind her authors do it all the time!
If you have any other questions just keep asking or search our reference articles!
> 60 days ago
Hello,
First of all, each child will respond differently to the tactics used by the program you select. Secondly, I have a degree in English and taught this subject for three years. I have never found a better elementary program than Abeka. Abeka has enough practice sheets and clearly outlines the topic being taught. I highly recommend!!! My daughter is in the 4th grade and has mastered some skills I was not even able to in middle school. I usually do not promote a program; however, this one is very accurate! Good Luck!
First of all, each child will respond differently to the tactics used by the program you select. Secondly, I have a degree in English and taught this subject for three years. I have never found a better elementary program than Abeka. Abeka has enough practice sheets and clearly outlines the topic being taught. I highly recommend!!! My daughter is in the 4th grade and has mastered some skills I was not even able to in middle school. I usually do not promote a program; however, this one is very accurate! Good Luck!
> 60 days ago
