Language Arts Resources
Mastering the English language lays a strong foundation for child's education. Studying one of these resources may strengthen an adult's language skills as well.
I have loved words since I was a young child. With the help of Dr. Seuss’s easy readers, I taught myself to read before kindergarten. At age eight, I began writing stories. In fourth grade, my teacher introduced us to etymology, the history of words. I was hooked. To this day, I love to look up the origin of words.
This passion led me to major in English literature and become a freelance writer, editor, and blogger. As a result, I’ve collected numerous books on the English language. This post will focus on English language fundamentals resources. Next month, I’ll share resources for writing and literature.
In September, I hit a milestone. I have practically completed cataloging my library—over 2,800 titles!
Teacher Resources
My all-time favorite homeschool curriculum is Spell to Write and Read, based on the work of Romalda Spalding and Dr. Samuel Orton’s method for phonics. See my review in the library catalog listing. This resource can be used with all ages, even for adults needing remedial help.
If you want to read Romalda Spalding’s work, see Writing Road to Reading. This tome was written for classroom teachers and is challenging to implement without the accompanying teacher workshop. However, by reading it, you will gain an understanding of the Spalding Method.
The ABC’s and All Their Tricks: The Complete Reference Book of Phonics and Spelling
If your child complains about irregular English spelling, reference this book. It lists words by phonograms and even tells how many words use uncommon phonograms. For instance, it lists all words that use the ough phonogram. I find this resource enlightening for spelling.
Ruth Beechick’s Books
Ruth Beechick follows a more classical style of education, prefers real books over textbooks, and encourages parents to customize their children’s education. The first two booklets guide parents in teaching language and reading basics to their children. The third title covers all the subjects for grades 4–8. Sonlight, a homeschool curriculum company, follows her educational philosophy.
A Home Start in Reading (grades K–3)
Strong Start in Language (grades K–3)
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully (grades 4–8)
Elementary Resources
Reading Comprehension
McCall-Crabbs Standard Test Lessons in Reading: Five Volumes in One
Part of the Spell to Write and Read program, this resource is used to develop reading comprehension, but it can also be used alone. See this site for a description.
Reading Detective Beginning (grades 3-4)
I used this Critical Thinking book to bridge my children from easy readers to McCall-Crabbs. It introduces students to higher-order thinking skills to improve reading comprehension.
McGuffey Readers
I bought these for historical curiosity and didn't use them with my kids. However, I have heard that homeschoolers do use these 19th-century texts with their children. The ones I own are reprints of the original readers from the 1830s. Over the years, these readers were dumbed down.
Primer
First Reader
Second Reader
Third Reader
Fourth Reader
Spelling
The Original McGuffey’s Eclectic Progressive Spelling Book
Spell to Write and Read (see above)
Language Skills
These handbooks cover grammar, usage, punctuation, vocabulary, and parts of speech.
Write on Track: Student Handbook (3rd grade)
The Language Mechanic: Tuning Up English with Logic (grades 4–7) by The Critical Thinking Co.
English from the Roots Up: Help for Reading, Writing, Spelling, and S.A.T. Scores, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (all grades)
I used this curriculum with my daughter while she was in middle school, and we played Concentration using the Greek and Latin root cards. See this site for free lesson plans.
World of Language Picture Books
These colorful picture books help young children identify parts of speech. Below are the three titles I own. The series has eight titles.
Merry-Go-Round: A Book About Nouns
Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs
Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs
Usborne English Skills Books
Have fun learning grammar and punctuation with the caveman Og family in two picture books.
Grammar Puzzles
Punctuation Puzzles
Lynne Truss’s Books
Adapted from Truss’s best-seller punctuation book, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves, these books entertain and teach.
Eats, Shoots and Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!
Twenty-Odd Ducks: Why, Every Punctuation Mark Counts!
Secondary Resources
Writers Inc: A Student Handbook for Writing & Learning
My son used this in a co-op writing course.
Grammar
Fix It! Grammar: Frog Prince, or Just Deserts, Book 3 Teacher's Manual (high school)
Instead of boring worksheets with random sentences, all the assignments in the book form one story. See the Institute for Excellence in Writing for more info. (Books for earlier grades are available through the publisher.)
Painless Grammar
My son used this easy-to-understand text in an early high school co-op writing class.
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: An Easy-to-Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples, and Reproducible Quizzes
I use this myself to brush up on grammar facts.
Vocabulary
I had my daughter learn a word a week from these books. We didn’t do them all, though.
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
Fun Books about English
Miss Thistlebottom’s Hobgoblins: The Careful Writer’s Guide to the Taboos, Bugbears and Outmoded Rules of English Usage
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
2107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings and Expressions from “White Elephants” to “a Song and Dance”
Richard Lederer’s Books
In the early 1990s, My husband and I attended the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and while there found our first Richard Lederer’s book, Anguished English. When Doug read this humorous book aloud, I laughed so hard at one of the bloopers that I fell off the bed! We loved it so much that we bought more from this author.
The Play of Words: Fun and Games for Language Lovers, great for road trips
Crazy English: The Ultimate Joy Ride Through Our Language
Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults upon Our Language
More Anguished English: an Expose of Embarrassing Excruciating, and Egregious Errors in English
Adventures of a Verbivore
Next month, I’ll cover writing and literature resources.