Quick answer: A good language arts homeschool curriculum covers five strands at every grade: reading, writing, grammar and spelling, literature, and speaking and listening. What changes by grade band is the weight of each. Grades K to 5 center on decoding, fluency, sentences and paragraphs. Grades 6 to 8 add essays, research and longer novels. Grades 9 to 12 center on literary analysis, argument and a credit-bearing English course each year.
Most families search for a homeschool reading curriculum and a homeschool writing curriculum separately, then find that the best programs treat the two as one subject. This guide shows what each grade band should include, what three states say about English in their homeschool rules, and a checklist you can run on any program before you buy it.
Table of Contents
What language arts includes
The Common Core State Standards, which Forest Trail Academy’s elementary and middle school English courses follow, organize English language arts into six strands: Reading: Literature, Reading: Informational Text, Reading: Foundational Skills (K-5), Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. Homeschool families often group these into five working parts:
- Reading. Sounding out words, reading smoothly, understanding what was read.
- Literature. Stories, poems, plays and novels, and how to talk and write about them.
- Writing. Sentences, paragraphs, essays, reports and research, using a plan, a draft and a revision.
- Grammar and spelling. The rules that make writing clear, plus the patterns behind words.
- Speaking and listening. Discussion, presentations and following what others say.
The standards list skills by grade, so two programs can build the same skills in different ways.
Language arts by grade band
Use this table to see what a program should include at each stage. It is a planning guide, not a state requirement.
| Strand | Grades K to 5 | Grades 6 to 8 | Grades 9 to 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | Letter sounds, decoding, sight words, fluency, comprehension of stories and informational text | Reading to analyze: inference, author’s purpose, theme, using evidence from the text | Close reading of complex texts, essays and memoirs, with a growing reading load |
| Literature | Picture books, fables, poems, first chapter books | Full novels, short stories, poetry forms, drama, an independent novel | World, American and British literature, plays, a research-based literary essay |
| Writing | Sentences, then paragraphs, then short narrative, opinion and informational pieces | Narrative, informative and argument essays, a research paper, editing and revising | Analytical, comparison and research essays, MLA citation, argument |
| Grammar and spelling | Capitalization, punctuation, parts of speech, spelling patterns | Verb tenses, clauses, pronoun use, punctuation marks, Latin and Greek roots | Sentence construction, parallel structure, modifiers, vocabulary from word origins |
| Speaking and listening | Discussion rules, reading aloud, recorded readings | Informative and persuasive speeches, interviews | Formal research presentations, debate, book talks |
Grades K to 5: build the reader, then the writer
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) publishes a practice guide on foundational reading skills for kindergarten through grade 3. It makes four recommendations: teach academic language and vocabulary, build awareness of the sounds in speech and how they link to letters, teach students to decode and recognize words, and make sure each student reads connected text every day. The guide rates the middle two recommendations as strong evidence and the daily reading recommendation as moderate.
In practice, a K to 3 program should show you a phonics sequence and give every lesson a stretch of real reading, not only worksheets. By grades 4 and 5 the weight moves toward informational reading, longer chapter books and multi-paragraph writing.
Forest Trail Academy’s course pages show what this looks like in an online course. The kindergarten English course teaches phonics so students can sound out words while reading, goes through the alphabet in letter groups, and adds sight words, capitalization and punctuation. The grade 3 English course has 19 content units covering reading strategies, a six-step writing process, grammar, spelling quizzes, vocabulary and recorded speaking assignments. Other grades follow the same pattern: grade 1, grade 5 and the others listed in the homeschool programs section.
Grades 6 to 8: from reading stories to analyzing them
Middle school is where language arts turns from learning to read into reading to think. Students write for three purposes (argue, inform, tell a story), cite evidence from the text, and write a first research paper. Grammar moves from naming parts of speech to using them: verb tenses, pronouns, clauses and punctuation.
The Forest Trail Academy grade 6 Language Arts course gives a concrete picture. Its 20 units include A Wrinkle in Time, The Secret Garden and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a poetry unit, a one-act play, a compare-and-contrast essay, a research paper with an outline and bibliography, a narrative essay, and informative, demonstrative and persuasive speeches. Grades 7 and 8 continue from there.
Grades 9 to 12: English as a credit course
In high school, language arts becomes English I through English IV, and each is a credit on the transcript. New York’s rule, for example, calls for four units of English in grades 9 to 12, and colleges set their own expectations. The work shifts to literary analysis, comparison essays, research and formal presentations, with vocabulary built from roots and word origins.
The Forest Trail Academy grade 9 English I course is a 1.0 credit course. It covers short stories, poetry, drama including Macbeth, persuasive texts, a comparison essay, a research-based essay, MLA formatting and a research presentation. English II, III and IV follow in grades 10, 11 and 12, and a creative writing elective is also available.
How to choose a homeschool reading curriculum
For beginning readers, look at the method before the packaging. Ask three things:
- Does it teach the sounds and letters in a set order? A phonics scope and sequence should be easy to find in the sample pages.
- Does every lesson include connected text? The IES guide above recommends reading connected text each day for accuracy, fluency and comprehension.
- Does it build vocabulary and comprehension? Look for questions that ask students to retell, infer and explain, not only to recall.
For older students, the question changes. Check the book list, the reading load per unit, and whether the program asks students to support answers with evidence from the text. Look for some free choice of books as well, such as an independent novel.
How to choose a homeschool writing curriculum
The IES practice guide on teaching elementary school students to be effective writers gives four recommendations: provide daily time for students to write, teach the writing process for a variety of purposes, teach fluency with handwriting, spelling, sentence construction and typing, and create an engaged community of writers. The guide rates the writing-process recommendation as strong evidence and the fluency recommendation as moderate. Those four points also work as a filter for secondary programs.
Use them to read a writing program’s table of contents:
- Does it teach a process (plan, draft, revise, edit) and not only assign topics?
- Does it cover more than one purpose: narrative, informational and argument writing?
- Does it say how a parent grades writing, with a rubric or sample responses?
- Does it grow in length and difficulty from one level to the next?
Place your child by skill, not only by age. A student can read well above grade level and still be building paragraph skills. Many families pair a reading program at one level with a writing program at another, and most programs offer a placement test or sample lessons for this purpose.
Grammar and spelling: where to put them
Grammar and spelling can sit inside the writing program or run as a short separate lesson. In early grades, spelling often follows the phonics sequence. In middle grades, spelling shifts to word roots and prefixes and suffixes. In high school, grammar work moves into editing students’ own essays. Whichever format you pick, check that the lessons end with a short quiz or a piece of writing so you can see the skill used.
What state rules say about English
States use different words for the same subject. Here are three examples, each taken from an official regulation or a homeschool-law summary that cites it.
| State | What the rule names |
|---|---|
| Texas | The Texas homeschool summary from HSLDA lists reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics and good citizenship, the five subjects set out in the Leeper court case. |
| New York | Under 8 NYCRR 100.10, grades 1 to 6 include reading, spelling, writing and the English language. Grades 7 and 8 call for English (two units). Grades 9 to 12 call for English (four units). |
| Pennsylvania | According to HSLDA’s Pennsylvania guide, elementary English includes spelling, reading and writing. Secondary English includes language, literature, speech and composition. |
Rules change, so confirm the current wording with your state department of education. Our homeschool requirements by state guide links to each state’s rules.
A 20-minute check you can run on any program
Download a sample lesson or the table of contents for the level you are considering. Then work through this list.
- Find the scope and sequence. It should list the reading, writing, grammar and spelling skills for the level.
- Count the writing assignments in one unit. You should see at least one piece of writing, not only fill-in answers.
- Look at the book list. Check that the length and difficulty fit your child’s current level.
- Read the grading support. A rubric, an answer key or a teacher who grades the work tells you how much time it takes you.
- Check the daily workload against the time you have. Divide the lessons in a level by the number of school sessions you plan in your year.
- Find the placement test, or a clear statement of who each level is for.
- For grades 9 to 12, confirm the course is described as a credit with a description you can put on a transcript.
- Check what happens if your child needs a different level partway through the year.
Worked example (a sample, not a real family)
A parent has a fourth grader who reads chapter books for fun but answers questions in single sentences. The parent downloads sample pages from two writing programs. Program A starts at paragraphs and asks for a topic sentence, three details and a closing sentence. Program B starts at multi-paragraph essays. The parent picks Program A, pairs it with a grade 4 reading and literature course, and moves to Program A’s next level when the child writes full paragraphs without help. The reading and writing levels do not have to match.
Three ways to deliver language arts
| Option | What you do | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Separate programs for reading, writing and grammar | Choose and schedule each one, then keep your own records | You want to match each skill to a different level |
| An all-in-one language arts curriculum | Follow one set of lesson plans for reading, writing, grammar and spelling | You want a single plan and one place to look |
| An accredited online school | Guide the day at home while the school provides lessons, grading and transcripts | You want teacher grading and an official record, especially in high school |
The same pattern holds for the other core subjects. Planned guides on math, science and history will cover them, and the guide to which homeschool curriculum to use compares whole-program styles.
Where Forest Trail Academy fits
Forest Trail Academy is a private, accredited, secular online school for kindergarten through grade 12. Courses are self-paced, certified teachers support students, and families can enroll any week of the year. Its English and language arts courses are described on the course pages linked above, so you can read the unit lists before you decide. If you are still choosing a route, start with how to start homeschooling.
Frequently asked questions
What should a homeschool language arts curriculum include?
It should include reading, literature, writing, grammar and spelling, and speaking and listening, with a clear level for your child’s grade. In high school each English course should read as a credit with a description.
What is the best homeschool writing curriculum?
The best one is the one that fits your child’s current writing level and your time. Look for a writing process, more than one type of writing, grading support and a path to the next level.
How many hours a day should we spend on language arts?
The IES elementary writing guide cited above recommends daily time for writing. Beyond that, state rules and programs differ, so check your state’s requirements and your program’s lesson plans.
Do I need a separate spelling program?
Not always. Some language arts programs include spelling. Early spelling often follows the phonics sequence, and later spelling follows word roots, so a separate program is a choice and not a rule.
Can I use different levels for reading and writing?
Yes. Reading and writing grow at different rates, so many families use a reading level and a writing level that do not match. A placement test or sample lessons help you choose each.
When should my child start formal essay writing?
Most programs introduce multi-paragraph writing in upper elementary and build essays in grades 6 to 8. Place your child by skill, and begin with paragraphs if essays feel too large a step.
Does Forest Trail Academy offer language arts for every grade?
Yes. English or Language Arts courses are listed for kindergarten through grade 12, and each course page shows its units.
An admissions advisor can match a level to your child’s current work. Book a call with admissions.
