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FAQs

How do I get started, and which level should I choose for my child?

Most children can start with the language arts course that corresponds to their grade level if they do not need extra reading help. We suggest administering the Placement Test if you are unsure whether your child needs extra reading help. Extensive placement FAQs can be found on the Placement Test document. 

You will find more information and product descriptions on the home page for each language arts course. We offer Language Arts Levels K–8 as free downloads so that you can review the entire course. You may also look through the sample pages that are available and use your own judgment in deciding the course level for your child, but the Placement Test is helpful for determining the appropriate place to start.

How do your Language Arts Levels compare to public school grade levels?

Our updated Language Arts courses correspond to slightly advanced public school grade levels. The homeschool experience usually allows children to progress at a faster rate. The Good and the Beautiful curriculum is carefully designed to pack a lot of learning into a short period of time while keeping difficult subjects understandable. Thus, our curriculum tends to progress at a faster rate than does public school curriculum. Children transitioning from public school to The Good and the Beautiful may start at a lower level than they would expect, but they also tend to progress very quickly. If your child is advanced, he or she may be able to move through the lessons more quickly.

You can download our Language Arts Levels K–8 for free. By downloading the free courses, you will be able to see exactly how concepts are introduced and taught. You can also view flip-through videos for each course on the FAQs, Helps, and Extras page of each level.

If my child hasn’t finished an entire course. Is it OK for him or her to move to the next course level?

We do not recommend skipping to a higher-level course than your child’s corresponding age/grade level or starting a new course before completing the previous course. There are many spelling, grammar, literature, geography, and reading concepts that are taught in each level. If a level is skipped, your child may miss these vital concepts. However, if your child passes the Language Arts placement test that corresponds to the child’s age/grade level, he or she can move to the next level without finishing his or her current level.

My child finished early. Do I wait until next year to start the next level?

No, you can continue straight into the next level when your child finishes.

Do I have to use the apps to complete the courses?

The app resources are highly recommended to enhance learning. Most parts of the courses can be completed without the use of our apps, but some parts, especially geography and some highly effective spelling rule videos, require the use of the Homeschool app. Those parts can be skipped if desired. The apps can be accessed and used on the computer. 

We have a free Letter Tiles app that can be used in correlation with the lessons in levels K–3.

We also have a Homeschool app, which is a tremendous resource that makes it easy and quick for you to access learning aids. Levels Preschool–3 have many videos that support learning and understanding, including letter sounds videos. Please note that these can be accessed on the app or the website, and instructions to access these resources are included in the course book.

How long will it take to complete a course book?

Levels K–6 consist of 120 lessons. To complete the course in one average school year, the child should complete one lesson daily, four days a week. This allows for five weeks of vacation, field trips, and/or sick days in addition to normal school breaks for holidays.

Level 7 consists of 140 lessons, which can still be done in one average school year with one lesson daily, four days a week.

Do the Language Arts courses have answer keys?

Yes, there are answer keys for Levels K–8. There is not an answer key for Preschool or Kindergarten Prep, since the answers are very basic. Answer keys are available as free downloads and include answers only to the select pages that require answers. All answer keys are available on our Homeschool app and on the FAQs page for each level, which are linked below.

Level K
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Level 7
Level 8 Book Studies

Are the PDFs free to download?

Levels K–8 of our Language Arts courses are available as free PDFs. Please visit our Free Homeschool Language Arts Resources page to find the download for the level you are looking for.

Does my child need to master a subject before moving on to the next level?

All of our levels include a lot of review. We do not expect children to retain everything learned the first time concepts are introduced. Therefore, we build review into our courses in a spiral method. All concepts taught will be covered again, usually multiple times. Spelling and grammar rules are reviewed in our upper-level lessons. The Levels 5–7 Grammar and Geography Cards also review grammar rules.

Why aren’t there spelling lists in the courses?

The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts courses do not focus on spelling lists or memorization of spelling words. Rather, the courses teach how to segment and decode words in order to spell them based on known phonics principles. In addition, children practice spelling a small number of high-frequency and irregular words right in the lessons; these are the “Unit Spelling Words.” Children will naturally know how to spell many words after learning the phonics principles behind the words. Teaching children to memorize a lot of decodable spelling words is time-consuming, frustrating, and ineffective. Children learn and practice spelling rules in higher-level courses. We invite you to learn about our Spelling and Writing Philosophy.

I am teaching multiple children. What do I need to purchase?

Each level requires a course book and additional items that are specific to the course. First, determine which levels your children place into based on the Placement Test. Then, visit the page for the chosen levels where you will find an option to purchase the entire course set and any additional recommended resources.

Preschool: Each child in your household will need his or her own Course Book and Practice Sheets. The Folder Activities are non-consumable and can be shared.

Kindergarten Prep: Each child in your household will need his or her own Course Book.

Levels K–2: Each child in your household will need his or her own Course Book. The Booster Cards and Booster Books Sets can be shared. The Booster Cards have one set of stickers the child gets to use to show completion, so each child may benefit from and enjoy having his or her own set of Booster Cards.

Level 3: Each child in your household will need his or her own Course Book and Spelling Practice Book. The Phonics Read-Together Books are non-consumable and can be shared.

Level 4: Each child in your household will need his or her own Course Book and Spelling & Writing Workshops. The World Biographies Reader and the Level 4 Personal Reader are non-consumable and can be shared.

Level 5: Each child in your household will need his or her own Course Book and Watercolor Template sheets. The Level 5 Book Set, Geography & Grammar Cards, and Watercolor Instruction Book are non-consumable and can be shared. However, it may be helpful for each child to have his or her own set of Geography & Grammar Cards.

Level 6: Each child in your household will need his or her own Course Book. The Level 6 Answer Key, Level 6 Reader, and Geography & Grammar Cards are non-consumable and can be shared. However, it may be helpful for each child to have his or her own set of Geography & Grammar Cards.

Level 7: Each child in your household will need his or her own Course Book and Daily Checklist. The Course Companion, Level 7 Reader, and Geography & Grammar Cards are non-consumable and can be shared. However, it may be helpful for each child to have his or her own set of Geography & Grammar Cards.

Level 8 Book Studies: Each child in your household will need his or her own copy of the Book Study booklet. The reading books can be shared; however, it may be helpful for each child to have his or her own reading book as well.

How do I report a typo/error?

Please email our customer support team ([email protected]) if you find a typo in the curriculum. If you are using an edition that is older than two years, the typo has most likely been fixed and will not need to be reported.

Do The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts courses follow Common Core standards? How do they compare to public school?

No. The academic spine of our curriculum was developed by compiling national state standards and then determining which ones are developmentally appropriate and also match Good and Beautiful moral standards and the abilities of our pilot children. Our curriculum also includes valuable learning and concepts not required by state standards. It does not follow Common Core standards.

We believe that children who work on The Good and the Beautiful curriculum consistently each day will find that they are far above public school standards. This belief is based on the results of extensive piloting during development, numerous awards, and the positive results reported by many of the hundreds of thousands of children who have used our curriculum.

What educational philosophies does the Language Arts curriculum follow?

The Language Arts courses are not based on one specific educational philosophy or method. Rather, the creators of the curriculum intensely studied many different philosophies over a period of years and compiled what they felt were the best elements from several different philosophies, pulling mainly from Charlotte Mason. Find more about our philosophy in the video below.

Homeschooling with The Good and the Beautiful: What It’s All About

Does the curriculum include doctrines specific to any certain Christian denomination?

No. The focus is on general principles of moral character such as honesty and kindness. The King James Version of the Bible is used when quoting Bible verses.

The Good and the Beautiful curriculum takes a general Christian worldview, focusing, not on the doctrine of any particular Christian church, but on high moral character and basic Bible principles such as gratitude, honesty, prayer, and kindness. Parents can add in their own doctrinal beliefs as desired.

The curriculum is reviewed by members of many different faiths to make sure that the curriculum does not include doctrine specific to any Christian church. We have reviewers and users of the following denominations and more: Lutheran, Assemblies of God, Catholic, Baptist, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mennonite, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nazarene, Methodist, Non-Denominational, and Seventh Day Adventists.

Watch our video below for in-depth information as well and see how we are encouraging unity and kindness among different Christian denominations through our unique, nondenominational approach to homeschool curriculum.

The Truth About The Good and the Beautiful

Which levels are parent directed?

Levels Preschool–3 are parent directed, which means that those levels require parent involvement in teaching the lessons. Level 4 and higher are mostly student-led, which means that the student is responsible for reading the lesson and doing the work independently. In those levels there are small parts for which the parent must be involved, but those areas take only about 5–10 minutes of the parent’s time.

Which Language Arts courses have new editions, and when did they release?

Language Arts New Edition Schedule (Schedule Last Updated July 2024)

Any courses that do not have a future date do not have new editions in active development.

Preschool: A new edition replaced our Pre-K Language Arts course and was released on August 30, 2021.
Kindergarten Prep: Kindergarten Prep (which replaced our Level K Primer course) was released on April 19, 2022.
Level K: A new edition was released on June 7, 2022.
Level 1: A new edition was released on June 14, 2022.
Level 2: A new edition was released on July 12, 2022.
Level 3: A new edition was released on June 6, 2023.
Level 4: A new edition was released on October 12, 2020.
Level 5: A new edition was released on March 8, 2022.
Levels 6 and 7: We plan to release new editions of these levels in 2026.
Level 8: A new edition will be released in the coming years after the Levels 6 and 7 courses are released. It will be a full-length course that will replace our current Level 8 Book Studies.
High School LA Courses: We currently do not have any plans to release more high school Language Arts courses.

New Edition FAQs