| According to the National Council of Teachers of | | | | focus of phonics programs on the sounds |
| English (NCTE), the academic subject known as | | | | associated with the consonant letters to simple |
| language arts is composed of "composition, | | | | rules for correctly using the variable sounds |
| language, literature, media, and reading." And, | | | | associated with the vowels. |
| according to some experts, reading and writing | | | | But fundamental characteristic of homeschooling |
| are two of the most important components of a | | | | are the freedom and flexibility to modify and tailor |
| language arts program, especially for early | | | | any learning program to the child's learning style. |
| learners. As a matter of fact, reading and writing | | | | This means that children who need extra phonics |
| are so important to young students that they are | | | | or syllabics instruction, additional reading practice, |
| viewed as the basis for success in nearly every | | | | or who learn better with computer software or |
| other academic subject. | | | | worksheets than traditional instruction, are taught |
| Language Arts Instruction for Homeschooling | | | | using whatever teaching method works best for |
| Parents | | | | them. In the early grades, reading and phonics, |
| Many studies and publications exist to help | | | | supplemented by introductions to syllabics, take |
| teachers understand the importance of reading | | | | precedence over vocabulary, grammar, and even |
| comprehension in subjects other than language | | | | spelling. |
| arts, but one of the most important tools that | | | | The early language arts curriculum should also |
| educators can provide children with is their own | | | | include basic writing skills. At this age, there is little |
| ability to understand that children learn to read | | | | need to concentrate on anything other than how |
| differently, at their own pace, and in their own | | | | to hold a pencil and how to shape letters and |
| way. This understanding is especially important in | | | | numbers and, for the thoroughly modern child, the |
| the homeschool environment where parents and | | | | location of each letter on their computer |
| homeschool educators are relatively free to | | | | keyboard. The specifics of how to write words, |
| employ whatever teaching methods work best | | | | sentences, and paragraphs will come later. |
| for the individual child. | | | | Language Arts for Students in Grades Three |
| Reading instruction is a component of the | | | | Through Five |
| language arts curriculum that should be introduced | | | | The language arts curriculum for students in |
| across multiple subject matter content. Children | | | | grades three through five builds upon the basic |
| ultimately have to understand what they read in a | | | | reading and writing skills that students mastered in |
| variety of textbooks, not just as part of a | | | | grades K-2. Journaling, preparing basic book |
| language arts class. Yet, reading instruction begins | | | | reports, and group discussions all help students to |
| long before formal education begins, especially for | | | | develop writing skills and enhance their reading |
| homeschooling parents and educators. | | | | comprehension. Reading becomes not only a |
| Teaching Reading to Preschoolers | | | | situation of pure story enjoyment, but also |
| Teaching reading and other language arts skills to | | | | encourages students to start thinking about such |
| preschool learners relies heavily on a concept | | | | things as cause and effect, story lines and |
| known as modeling. Modeling merely means | | | | progression, and story meanings. |
| exposing young children to the types of behaviors | | | | There is no better time than the present for |
| and habits we want them to learn. Many parents | | | | educators to begin to use more than basic |
| and homeschooling educators employ this kind of | | | | instructional texts to help students learn to read. |
| instruction naturally, without giving it much thought. | | | | As a matter of fact, some educators warn that |
| To model reading behavior to young children, | | | | reading programs that use only developmental |
| adults and other children should read to, and with, | | | | reading texts fail to expose early readers to real |
| early learners. This type of instruction can take | | | | life books, i.e., literature. Children should indeed be |
| place from the moment of birth and can | | | | exposed to genuine literature at the earliest |
| significantly impact a child's love for reading. In | | | | possible age, not merely books written primarily |
| addition to a love for reading and stories, children | | | | to teach reading. It is important to note that the |
| who are read to at an early age learn skills such | | | | literature that early readers are exposed to is not |
| as book knowledge and word appreciation. | | | | the same literature that adults read. Early reading |
| Book knowledge is the ability to recognize book | | | | literature merely means creative books written |
| formats and purpose. Early readers learn how to | | | | by authors who write to entertain, not just teach. |
| hold a book properly, to read English from left to | | | | Middle and Upper Grades Language Arts |
| right, how pictures supplement the story, and that | | | | Students who have successfully mastered the |
| books have basic components such as a front | | | | basics of reading and writing in the lower grades |
| and back, spine, pages, covers, and more. Children | | | | are ready to spread their wings and read! Upper |
| automatically learn these things at a conceptual | | | | grades language arts curriculums emphasize |
| level long before they understand the purpose of | | | | further reading comprehension by requiring |
| each component. | | | | readers to tackle increasingly more difficult |
| Children who have been exposed to reading | | | | literature. Students in grades six through eight gain |
| modeling also learn beginning phonics. Children who | | | | comprehension by analyzing what they've read |
| are ready, learn basic letter sounds, word and | | | | and participating in critical discussions and writing |
| phrase inflection, and the alphabet. From this point, | | | | assignments. |
| children will often enjoy participating in simple | | | | It is really important that every reader, at all |
| letter recognition and pronunciation games. They | | | | levels, find the genre that melds best with their |
| probably don't recognize the fact that they are | | | | unique interests. Requiring children to read "To Kill |
| learning! | | | | a Mocking Bird" when they prefer "Cujo" is nearly |
| Teaching Reading to Students in Kindergarten and | | | | guaranteed to destroy their interest in, and love |
| First Grade | | | | of, reading. Allowing a student at least some |
| Ideally, children who have been introduced to | | | | freestyle reading is one key to maintaining a child's |
| reading modeling behavior enter kindergarten and | | | | interest in reading. There will certainly come a |
| first grade ready and eager to read on their own. | | | | time when reading Chaucer might be necessary, |
| For most children, the formal teaching of reading | | | | but the language arts curriculum should never be |
| begins in these grades. Most educators, | | | | so rigid as to require only one source of literature |
| homeschool or otherwise, use a combination of | | | | over all others. |
| phonics programs, worksheets, and actual books | | | | More information on the teaching of reading and |
| to teach reading. These are all tried and true | | | | language arts instruction can be found by visiting |
| methods and can result in reading success. A | | | | the National Council of Teachers of English |
| relatively new methodology, syllabics, extends the | | | | website at ncte.org. |