Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling, Reading, Cursive Handwriting/Penmanship, and Writing Mechanics. Debbie Strayer and Susan Simpson, authors.

Customer Reviews

 
Amy G. from TN wrote the following on 10/27/2006:
We have been using LLATL for two years and we are really enjoying it. We started my first grader on the Red level and in second grade this year we are doing the Yellow level. I find this program to be a great blessing in our homeschooling. The lessons are planned for us and laid out in a very easy to follow outline format...practically no teacher preparation, except making sure you have the appropriate literature on hand and basic items such as pencils and crayons. Even though the lessons are planned out and somewhat scripted, the authors tell you to use what you need and change activities as necessary to suit your child's needs. The teacher and student manuals are very similar in content, but I think it is worth having both just to have the answers handy and to have my own book from which to read as we are doing the lesson together. I have not personally used this program with children of different ages, except for the read alouds (4 year-old son listens), but I think it would be very simple to use one grade level with children of slightly different ages (1-2 years apart), with minor modifications. LLATL uses a lot of different activities which work well for various learning styles. For example, it uses poetry memorization, read alouds, writing from dictation, drama, crafts, coloring, writing, and puzzles. It helps tremendously to have the extra books that go along with this program always available on your own bookshelf, if you are able to purchase them. Last year, we ran into the problem of not being able to get a particular book at the library for one of our lessons since it was already checked out, and rechecked out. This year, we purchased all the go-along books. If you are considering using this program, I recommend that you go to the Common Sense Press website and have your child take one or more of the assessments to determine the most appropriate level. This was very helpful to us. Overall, LLATL is a good value and it is very user friendly, both for the teacher and the student.

 
Brandee S. from greenville, texas wrote the following on 01/13/2007:
After much research and comparison before any of my five children began formal lessons, I decided on this program and have not been disappointed. I like Ruth Beechick's educational philosophy as it is very logical and developmental. This series follows her style and is easy for parent and student use. It moves slowly at first but can be paced to fit your child's needs. The kids seem to like it a lot. They learn and have fun. We sometimes add more literature or vary the activites, and we occasionally supplement with vocabulary, spelling, penmanship and grammar practice as needed per the individual child. I highly recommend this series to all homeschooling families. It is very comprehensive.

 
Kim B. from Texarkana, AR wrote the following on 02/19/2009:
My daughter is 9 and is in the yellow book. This is her first language arts. She started in her 3rd grade year. She learned to read using Explode the Code and Happy Phonics. I went back and forth using this curriculum for years. This year I did quite a different thing with the curriculum and would like to share it with you. I have a daughter who was not doing very well with spelling. She was not very good with lists. So, this is what I did with LLATL. On the first day she copies the dictation as she does daily the rest of the week. She has to write neatly and this has to be done perfectly or she has to do it again. This was a lot of trouble at first, but I did not give in. Finally, she understood that I meant business and did not bring it to me (or my daughter that was helping to teach her) until she checked it thoroughly. On the 5th day she takes the literature passage from dictation. The result of this is a daughter that spells great. I've seen her fix misspellings herself. I'm quite excited. She loves to read. We do that throughout instead of just at the appointed times. She is learning to narrate. I know this is not a full review. I just thought it was a nice way to use this curriculum, especially since most say it is not very good on spelling.

 
Deana D. from Ohio wrote the following on 02/22/2009:
I am a former classroom teacher and after much research I chose the Learning Language Arts Through Literature program 5 years ago for my children. We have used it every year since. It is such a complete program teaching my children everything from grammar to how to do research for a paper. The format is such that they can do much of the work independently. Now with today's economy I am finding that it is such a wonderful VALUE. One volume has everything you need for teaching spelling, grammar, reading and writing skills.

 
Heather C. from Butte, MT wrote the following on 04/13/2009:
I am so thrilled with Learning Language Arts Through Literature! (LLATL) My children actually BEG me to begin school. The little segmented parts of learning are just right for boys. Not too little and not too much. If your learner wants more it is easy to add to or continue on ahead if desired. The continued reinforcement throughout the week helps them retain the information very well. I love that it incorporates ALL language arts including handwriting, spelling and grammar. The student book and teacher books are laid out so well, there is practically no work for me to do ahead of time. I suggest getting the accompanying books in case you do not want to rely on your library. Our library is small so it helped me to have them on hand. Besides, the price for this entire set is so reasonable! (consider buying spelling, grammar and handwriting separate and you will understand my point!) Experienced home schoolers and those brand new to the game will enjoy EVERY aspect of this well thought out series. One last thing, if you are concerned about the stories used, DON'T BE! I thought my boys would dislike the "girl" stories. However, they enjoy most of them and in some places they have an alternate story you can read which is more "boy" oriented. Just perfect in every way! We are currently using RED and YELLOW and will continue all the way through!