itsmylife Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Newbie here! I belong to the afterschooling forum but I figured I would get more traffic here. What does Language Arts cover?? If I were to homeschool my child (1st grade), what would this encompass?? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LearningMomm Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar, Poetry and Handwriting. You don't have to do all of them for 1st grade though :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicMom Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar, Poetry and Handwriting. You don't have to do all of them for 1st grade though :) Yep. People break it up differently, especially depending on age. For 1st grade, I would include "phonics" (e.g. Explode the Code workbooks) in addition to "reading" (which I consider to be when the child practices reading). Most people don't include writing for 1st, but do include phonics. When they get older you might also include reading comprehension. Some also include "Literature" under LA and that would entail simply reading picture books and novels aloud to your child. For 1st, my LA list is: phonics reading handwriting spelling literature For 2nd my LA list is: all of the above, plus grammar For 3rd: all of the above, plus a little bit of writing For 4th: all of the above, plus reading comprehension Hope that helps. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Reading, writing, and the skills involved in those. :) I found the WTM book really helpful when deciding what subjects to teach when I pulled my son out of school halfway through first grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 The Noah Plan English has the most obsessive compulsive explanation of what Language Arts is that I've ever seen. If you'd like to swim in an ocean of archaic/scholarly terms finally explained to you in everyday English, then this is the book for you. If you like to TEACH instead of self-educate, skip it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomandlorih Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 It depends on what method of homeschooling you subscribe to.. =D For 1st grade I would focus on becoming a solid reader.. whatever that may look like for your child. and handwriting/copywork. For just general purposes.. to me.. Language Arts encompasses these topics but not necessarily all in each grade and some overlap so much that it counts as both (or more).. Phonics Reading Reading Comprehension Literature Appreciation (This would include poetry.. I use the CK books for this) Grammar Vocabulary Handwriting Writing (composition) Spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Welcome to homeschooling! I used the term Language Arts as the catch-all heading for everything I listed below, with some very broad ideas of things covered and when (every child's time table is unique, so take this with a grain of salt!). Hope that helps! Warmest regards, Lori D. - Reading gr. K-2 = learning to read; listening to read-alouds gr. 2-8 = fluency, increased difficulty of reading material, practice reading aloud; listening to read-alouds gr. 7-12 = literature and literary analysis - Writing gr. K-3 = narration (child narrates to you the key points of a passage you read to the child); copywork of 1-2 short sentences (from narration, or other sources) gr. 4-8 = learning/practing the process of thinking of what to say; how to say it; how to revise; how to edit; solid sentences, single paragraphs, building up to 3-5 paragraphs... gr. 7-10 = learning outlining; 5-paragraph essays; continuing to develop the process/practice of writing from gr. 4-8... gr. 9-12 = learning note-taking from lectures; writing longer papers; research papers with citations; - Handwriting gr. K-3 = learning/practicing how to form letters for printing (manuscript) gr. 3-6 = learning cursive - Phonics gr. K-3 = learning to read/spell gr. 4-8 = remedial for students taught only "whole words" - Spelling gr. 1-2 = optional; mostly short vowels and consonant blends; mostly 3-5 letter words gr. 3-6 = spelling rules of vowels and vowel pairs, consonants, etc.; syllabication rules; alphabetizing gr. 7-8 = if needed; can begin to combine this with vocabulary gr. 9-12 = remedial; or, combine with vocabulary - Grammar gr. 1-3 = sentences start with capitals, end with punctuation; what is a complete sentence; beginning parts of speech gr. 4-8 = parts of speech; grammar mechanics; types of sentences; subject/verb agreement; proof-reading; diagramming... gr. 9-12 = review; grammar applied/practiced within the context of writing - Vocabulary gr. 1-3 = vocabulary in context of reading and read-alouds gr. 4-8 = possible separate vocabulary program; root-word focus; words from reading... gr. 8-12 = in context of literature; can do a root-based study; SAT vocabulary word practice; separate vocabulary program... In high school, the term "Language Arts" turns into the term "English" and usually refers to: 1. Literature 2. Composition (writing) 3. Grammar (which is more in 9th grade, less or none by 12th grade) optional: Vocabulary remedial only: Spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 My list would be simply - reading - writing - spelling - grammar I like the way that SWB calls spelling and grammar the 'supporting skills' of writing - it helps me keep them in perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Newbie here! I belong to the afterschooling forum but I figured I would get more traffic here. What does Language Arts cover?? If I were to homeschool my child (1st grade), what would this encompass?? Thanks! It is a term I never use, because people don't all mean the same thing when they say it. You could think of it as literacy: the skills needed to read and write English well. That includes phonics, reading/literature, spelling/vocabulary, penmanship, composition, grammar. For a little 6yo person, the focus would be on teaching her to read, and penmanship so that she can write. She can also learn basic capitalization and punctuation, and that she needs to organize her words so that they make sense (you might think of this as writing sentences, but there doesn't need to be rules such as "Every sentence must have at least two words." It can include "The first word in a sentence is capitalized, and there must be some sort of punctuation at the end."). When you think she's ready, she can copy simple passages from books that she likes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I like to think of LA as: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. Things like grammar, vocabulary, phonics, etc... are included in one or more of these categories. For a first grader, I like to start simple: 30 minutes reading quality literature aloud to my child. Besides sharing wonderful stories together, this is a great way to develop listening skills, cover vocabulary, develop an ear for language, model literary concepts, and so on. 20-30 minutes of phonics/reading instruction 10 or so minutes of handwriting instruction 20 minutes basic spelling (after they are writing letters and can read 3-4 letter words somewhat fluently). Each year I add or alter what we do as needed. Here's a blog where I describe how I plan LA. HTH! Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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