Language Arts Level 5: Quick Start

Daily Items Needed

• Large index card (for use with the ladders in the Course Companion)
• A timer (child times himself/herself periodically throughout the course)
• A watercolor set (dry cakes—not tubes)
• Paintbrushes and palette (or a white plate)
• Watercolor paper (9”x12”, at least 16 sheets of 140 lb paper)
• A blank notebook with lined paper (to be used as the child’s “Writer’s Notebook”)
• Handwriting: We recommend The Good and Beautiful Handwriting Level 4, 5, or 6.
• Books for Personal Reading: Visit The Good and Beautiful Book List and Library for suggestions
• Typing: It is recommended that children in Level 5 practice typing skills often. (Many writing assignments in this course are typed, which allows children to more easily edit their work.)

Subjects Covered

This course combines multiple subjects. Connecting learning in this manner provides deeper meaning and interest while eliminating the expense and trouble of purchasing and using many different courses.

• Reading
• Spelling
• Writing
• Literature
• Vocabulary
• Grammar & Usage
• Geography
• Art Appreciation & Instruction
• Poetry Memorization & Appreciation

This 120-lesson course was designed to be done 4–5 days a week. Each child’s pacing is individual, and parents should not feel a child needs to finish an entire lesson or complete only one lesson each day.

Level 5 focuses heavily on reading, writing, and spelling using sentence dictation. For this reason, this course is partially student-directed. Every day a parent or teacher reads the spelling dictation and a short section in the Level 5 Shared Reader with the child. The student then completes the course book on his or her own. Instructions for sentence dictation, word ladders, and poetry memorization, as well as the answer key, are found in the Course Companion.

Check the child’s work on a daily basis, giving feedback, and if/when needed, adjust the level of parental involvement. Occasionally quiz the child on Geography & Grammar Cards to assess progress. 

This course directs the child to do online research for a few lessons. Please talk with the child before starting the course. Explain the rules he or she should follow when researching online. Alternatively, you may choose to have your child do only off-line research, perhaps at a local library.

We also suggest that the child reads daily for 20 minutes.

The “About This Course” pages in the front of your course book provides a full picture of how this course works. Read the complete details unique to Level 5 by clicking on the “Read About This Course” button below.