Homeschool Language Arts

Ideas for Teaching

Homeschool language arts involve learning to read and write. It is all about communication.

We learn to read and listen so that we can understand what other people say. We learn to write so that we can tell others our views.

Here are some activities and ideas for teach your child skills in English.

Skills

There is some evidence that a child needs to have some basic motor skills before he can learn to read and write.

 Some of the skills listed in Teaching Tips and Techniques by Rebecca Avery are;

• being able to hop
• being able to skip
• can jump rope
• can catch a ball
• can tie his shoes
• can cut with scissors
  

A child also needs to be able to hear different sounds before he can learn to read. When my children were young we made animal sounds. We woofed like a dog and meowed like a cat. Rhymes are also good for teaching children to hear different sounds.

Reading

Stories and reading out loud is a fun homeschool language arts activity. I started by reading to my children when they were able to sit up. Reading out laud can help children learn to read and write.

We also read nursery rhymes. Nursery rhymes and predictable books can help us determine if our children are ready for reading. If my child could provide the right word in the story I would start pointing out other sounds. If my children seemed interested and were able to remember some sounds I would start teaching reading.

Reading aloud can continue throughout your school years. You can expose your child to different genre that they would not read on their own. Through good literature we can develop shared experiences.

Teaching Reading

Most parents start their homeschool language arts program with reading. I know that we did. For most of my children I started formal reading instruction when they were five. Some parents start teaching reading earlier.

I started formal reading instruction with  phonics. There are several that are good. I like a program that uses a multisensory approach. When you are teaching letters I think that it is important to see the letter, trace the letter, and say the sound.

Writing

In homeschool language arts you will want to teach the mechanics of writing. Children will need to learn how to form letters on paper. They will also need to English grammar to write well. Children also need to learn to spell.

Next they will need to put thoughts onto paper. Most children like to do creative writing. They can learn to write stories and poems. It is also important that our children learn how to write essays and reports.

To learn grammar and writing we can buy curriculum. I have used several writing programs through the years.

Want to know more about how to teach reading to struggling readers? The site learning-disabilities-reading-tutor.com has a lot of information about teaching children who have difficulty learning to read.

When you are consistent most children learn to read and write.

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