2013 Virtual Curriculum Fair- Playing With Words: The Language Arts

I really enjoyed participating in the first Virtual Curriculum Fair with Homeschooling Hearts and Minds., so I was excited to be a part of this year's fair as well.  I really enjoy the opportunity to see what others are using for their homeschooling.

This week's topic is "Playing With Words", so I'll be sharing what we are using for literature, grammar, phonics, spelling, copywork, and foreign language. I will state up front that there may be Amazon affiliate links throughout this post.  If I can find the resources I really enjoy on Amazon, I will link to them for you to see.

Literature:

    Kathryne is using a Twilight unit study that I found at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.  She has already read all of the Twilight books, but this unit study includes some history and science topics and supplementary reading of a classic to correspond with every Twilight novel.  She's reading Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and The Merchant of Venice.  She is also using Defining Twilight for vocabulary study.

 Charles is using a Progeny Press study guide for Crispin and the Cross of Lead.  He thought it a little slow at the beginning, but he's enjoying it now.  When he finishes this one, he's going to use The Hobbit study guide from Memoria Press.

Ashlyne and Rachel read through A Little Princess with me the first semester using a free unit study that I found, and now we are reading Winnie the Pooh using another free study guide.  I try to pick classics for them that I can match up with free activities I find online.  I often use Homeschool Share to find unit studies and lapbooks for them.

Phonics:
Rachel is the last one still working in a phonics book.  She is finishing up Letters and Sounds 1 from ABEKA books.  I've only had my children work on phonics until they were more fluent readers.  Rachel is reading now, so when she finishes this book, she will be through.

Spelling:
     Ashlyne began working in Horizons 2nd grade spelling book last year when she completed phonics, and we have really liked it.  I like that the lists are mostly phonetic, so she continues to use phonics for spellings.  She has really enjoyed spelling and will be sad when she finishes up this book.

My older kids haven't regularly done spelling except with their literature units.  This year, neither one is doing spelling with literature, so I've decided for this semester to use the spelling lists from SchoolhouseTeachers.com.  I have a membership through the TOS Review Crew, and I have found the whole site to be a wonderful resource.

Grammar:
As a Charlotte Masonish homeschooler, I avoided the teaching of structured grammar in the early grades.  Following recommendations from Simply Charlotte Mason, I found Analytical Grammar when my oldest hit 7th and 6th grade.  I have loved, loved, loved this grammar.  I am an English person who can diagram sentences in my sleep- and enjoy doing it.  But traditional, structured grammar has always seemed tedious and disjointed to me, and I was never surprised as a teacher when my students had trouble with grammar.  When I first got an up close look at Analytical Grammar at a homeschool convention, I wondered why in the world someone hadn't thought of this sooner.  Analytical Grammar just puts things together in a way that makes sense. Even my son who doesn't love English does well with this.

Latin:
We study Latin in a rather laid back way.  My main goal in introducing Latin has been to help increase vocabulary and understanding of English grammar.  I've used Latin For Children, and we are in book C this year.  I enjoy the curriculum because the DVDs help me (I know no Latin), and it has taught all of us quite a bit without being overwhelming.





Stay tuned for next week: Discovering Patterns (Mathematics, Science and Logic. And you can check out what others are doing below:

Building Blocks of Education--Learning to Read  by Kristi Kerr @ The
Potter's Hand Academy
http://www.thepottershandacademy.com/building-blocks-of-education-learning-to-read/

Finding Our Way Through Language Arts by Christy @ Unexpected
Homeschool http://unexpectedhomeschool.blogspot.com/2013/01/VCFLA.html

How Does a Unit Study Teach Language Arts? by Nicole @ Schooling in
the Sun http://schoolinginthesun.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-does-unit-study-teach-language-arts.html

Our Language Arts Adventure by Linda @ Homeschooling6
http://training6hearts4him.blogspot.com/2013/01/our-language-arts-adventure.html

2013 Virtual Curriculum Fair-Playing with Words:  The Language Arts by
Leah Courtney @ As We Walk Along the Road
http://www.courtneysix.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-virtual-curriculum-fair-playing.html

Virtual Curriculum Fair-Playing with Words by Karyn @ Teach Beside Me
http://www.teachbesideme.com/2013/01/virtual-curriculum-fair-playing-with.html

Virtual Curriculum Fair ~ Language Arts by Dawn @ Guiding Light
Homeschool http://guidinglighths.com/?p=792276

Writing Help in a Critical Thinking book? by Missouri Mama @ Ozark
Ramblings http://oramblings.blogspot.com/2013/01/writing-help-in-critical-thinking-book.html

Virtual Curriculum Fair: Foreign Language Immersion in the Homeschool

by Tonia @ The Sunny Patch
http://thesunnypatch.blogspot.com/2013/01/virtual-curriculum-fair-foreign.html

Formula for Reading by Erin @ Delighting in His Richness
http://delightinginhisrichness.blogspot.com/2013/01/learning-to-read-with-little-of-this.html

Words and Learning by Annette @ A Net In Time
http://anetintimeschooling.weebly.com/1/post/2013/01/words-and-learning.html

A Custom Designed High School English Credit by Tech Wife @ A
Playground of Words http://www.playgroundofwords.blogspot.com/

Virtual Curriculum Fair 2013: Still Loving Language Arts by Pam @
Everyday Snapshots
http://everydaysnapshots.blogspot.com/2013/01/virtual-curriculum-fair-2013-still.html

Word Play by Lisa @ Golden Grasses
http://goldengrasses.blogspot.com/2013/01/word-play.html

Loving Language Arts by Kristen H. @ Sunrise to Sunset
http://sunrisetosunsethomeschool.com/2013/01/07/loving-language-arts/

Learning Language Arts ~ 2012-2013 School Year by Laura O in AK @ Day

by Day in Our World

http://daybydayinourworld.com/2013/01/learning-language-arts-2012-2013-school-year/

Virtual Curriculum Fair - The Language Arts Department by Joelle @
Homeschooling for His Glory
http://homeschoolingforhisglory.blogspot.ca/2013/01/virtual-curriculum-fair-2013-language.html

Playing with Words:  The Language Arts by Christa Darr @ Fairfield

Corner Academy: The Story of Our Life

http://christadarr.blogspot.com/2013/01/playing-with-words-language-arts.html

Playing with Words:  Language Arts by April @ Coffee, Cobwebs and
Curriculum http://coffeecobwebsandcurriculum.blogspot.com/2013/01/playing-with-words-language-arts.html

What Language Arts looks like in our house - Are we doing it right? by
Hillary M @ Our Homeschool Studio
http://www.ourhomeschoolstudio.com/2013/01/what-language-arts-looks-like-in-our.html

Getting lost and finding our way in Language Arts by Piwi Mum @

Learning and growing the Piwi Way

http://piwiprincess.blogspot.com/2013/01/language-arts-piwi-style.html