I could have never dreamt that there were
such goings-on in the world between the covers
of books, such sandstorms and ice blasts of words.
Dylan Thomas
The major goals of any language arts curriculum are to help students develop and improve their reading ability, speaking and writing skills and critical thinking. Research and common sense both tell us that the best way to achieve these goals is through READING, the process of engaging the text and connecting it to the reader’s experiences.
Very few students learn to love books on their own. Someone has to lure them into the fascinating world of the written word; someone has to show them the way. What a golden opportunity for homeschooling parents to lead readers to the open door that lures them to one of life’s greatest pleasures.
Parents need to make their home classroom a place for ideas and to provide a variety of genre from novels, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, and drama. All are valued and talked about, used, and remembered. Additionally, students need to become independent and insightful thinkers with a love of reading and an appreciation for fine writing. They should be encouraged to read daily, aloud and silently, and to understand that reading and writing are common behaviors for the educated person.
In addition to the writing, rewriting, and editing processes, Literature: the Book, the Place, and the Pen has 12 chapters with genre information, student tasks, and forms of assessment for the short story, novel, setting of the novel, historical novel, reader response log, biography, autobiography, memoir, the book review, fables, fairy tales, and folk tales; William Shakespeare, Victorian writers such as Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll, and poetry: the sonnets, concrete poetry and narrative poetry. The text also includes lists of books, many with annotations, and short story and poetry titles.
Finally, the book is easily adaptable to students of all grade levels and of varied abilities.
The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you will go. . .
Oh, the places you’ll go!
Dr. Seuss
Jamie Gaddy
Jamie Gaddy, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D. has been a college education professor for over 17 years. Education has been an integral part of her life in both the classroom and as a principal. Six children later found her dissatisfied with traditional schooling and homeschooling became the better fit. She is also a pastor’s wife, remote project manager, and entrepreneur who now homeschools four of her six children (ages 11-17) in southern Georgia. Jamie loves to share about her homeschool experience and help other homeschoolers find success. Connect with her at [email protected]