Rainy Day Reader

Language arts programs listed in this section cover most areas of language arts (reading/literature, writing, grammar, spelling and handwriting) in one curriculum, although some skill areas may be covered with less intensity than a focused, stand-alone course.

"Reading should be fun, and writing should be satisfying." The author of this series believes this, and she has produced courses that try to keep that goal ever present. She WANTS students to enjoy themselves! Accordingly, reading assignments are comfortable - two novels, two non-fiction books, two short stories and several poems for the 7th grade course, for instance. Lessons are well-constructed and the excellent and thorough coverage includes vocabulary, comprehension, literary elements, composition, grammar, and mechanics.

The three components of this program are designed to be complementary and to be used together. The Student Workbook is the student's textual companion as they study the literature selections. This consumable book is the place for the student to "do" their work. It provides worktext space for all the essential exercises as well as some optional fun/reinforcement exercises.

The Teacher Guide is the "glue" that holds the whole program together providing a philosophical and methodical overview of the program and a weekly planning schedule (lesson plans) as well as chapter-by-chapter answers and teaching helps.

The last component is the excellent Literature Selections that are the heart of the program. Classics, familiar, non-familiar, poetry, and, occasionally, surprising choices all find their way onto the book lists for each grade level. While you may be able to locate some or all of the books at a library, we also offer Literature Packages for each guide that include the necessary books. You and your student are encouraged to read, enjoy, and profit from the year's literature studies. ~ Janice

Lightning Literature for the 7^th and 8^th grades has experienced a transition. Needs vary at this age. Some students need formal grammar and spelling reinforced before moving on to composition. Others are solid in these skills and can write freely and confidently, expressing their thoughts and opinions about what they have read. Here lies the issue – how do you treat all 7^th and all 8^th graders one way and do them justice?

The author, Elizabeth Klamath, heard your feedback and responded with 2 new levels: Storm and Tempest. These can be used as grade 7 and 8 ELA courses, or they can be used by a freshman in high school who needs a different pace. There is some flexibility here.

Below is the information regarding the former Lightning Literature grades 7 and 8. If you wish to see more about Level Storm and Level Tempest, click the links.

Regarding the Original versions of Grade 7 and Grade 8:

Lightning Literature's author, Elizabeth Klamath, wants students to enjoy reading. There is good variety in terms of genre in the reading selections. The lessons are effective vehicles for grade-level skills with thorough coverage of vocabulary, comprehension, literary elements, and writing instruction, along with grammar, usage, and mechanics. To give you an idea, in Chapter 6 of the 7th grade course, Helen Keller's autobiography, The Story of My Life, is covered. Lessons, in addition to the usual background, vocabulary, and comprehension, include these writing skills: lists about yourself, developing an idea, putting ideas into a paragraph, identifying resources, determining fact or opinion, identifying a biased viewpoint, and identifying sentences, plus a crossword puzzle, a word search, and an extra challenge exercise on autobiography and culture.

In each course, there are 36 weekly lessons grouped into chapters. There are eight chapters in Grade 7 and twelve in Grade 8, one for each of the major pieces of literature that are studied throughout the year. The chapters vary in length. For instance, in the 7th grade course, Chapter 5 is covered in two weeks, Chapter 6 in four weeks, Chapter 7 in two weeks, and Chapter 8 in nine weeks. There is a consistent pattern in the chapter contents, however: Introduction (to the literary work), While You Read (what to look for), Vocabulary List, Comprehension Questions, Literary Lesson, Mini-Lesson (writing lesson), and Writing Exercises.

There are 8-12 exercises per chapter, in seven different coded types - L for literary lessons, M relating to mini-lessons, C practicing composition skills, T for thinking skill pages, G for exercises that review grammar and mechanics, P for puzzles, and E for extra-challenge (the last two being the optional ones). There's a nice variety in these exercises and a well-thought-out relationship between the literary and composition activities. Frankly, I like the step-by-step skill building that is integral to the course.

The Student Guide includes instructional text, shorter works (i.e. poetry, excerpts), author backgrounds, discussion questions (comprehension, thought, literary), and writing exercises. The Student Workbook provides workpages to practice the skills and concepts learned in the lessons, along with composition skills (writing from note cards, rewriting in your own words, etc.), thinking skills (e.g., differentiating fact from opinion, identifying bias), and grammar review (e.g., capitalization, pronouns and antecedents). There are also optional puzzles and extra "Challenge" workbook pages. The Teacher Guide provides answers, schedules, teaching/grading tips, rubrics, project suggestions/checklists, and grade-tracking records.

There are required literature resources to use with each course. While you may be able to locate some or all the books at a library, we also offer Literature Packages for each guide that include the necessary books.

If your goal is to prepare your student for high school literature and composition skills, then Lightning Lit & Comp is a good, solid choice. Although there is a conservative moral "feel" to the series and an occasional mention of God (by authors Stephen Crane and Mark Twain, for instance), there is no obvious Christian content. ~ Janice

Lightning Literature Storm is replacing the current Lightning Lit Grade 7. The course covers grammar, punctuation, composition, and literary analysis using a 4-day, 6-week schedule. The required components include a Teacher’s Guide, two consumable Student Workbooks, and the literature.

Carefully selected literature engages readers, and the workbooks (one per semester) guide students through interactive exercises, reflection prompts, and comprehensive grammar drills. Comprehension, critical thinking, and writing skills are integral. No spelling is included. There is more writing instruction in Tempest compared to the previous grade 8 course.

The name change is in response to students this age being sensitive to grade levels. At the middle grades, students really have a wide range of abilities and needs. This course is meant to follow Lightning Literature 6.

For your convenience, we offer a complete Full Year Package with the teacher’s guide, student books, and all required literature. You can also purchase just the Teacher/Student Set or just the required Literature Only.

The Teacher’s Guide (TG) lays out lessons for you very clearly. The focus is on reading and composition, and your student has many of the lessons in their own workbooks to guide the independent learner. Answers are provided when relevant, otherwise you will find suggestions for providing productive feedback. There is a lot of discussion material here. It would be great for a group setting, but you can be the soundboard for your student as well with suggestions from the TG. Adaptations are constantly given to tailor the program to your learner’s needs. Only 1 week is spent on sentence diagramming. 402 pages.

Student Workbook Volume 1 and Student Workbook Volume 2 each cover one semester. These books are consumable, but the student will also write outside of the workbook. Students will appreciate the added color! Also, there is more writing instruction in the student books than in the previous Grade 8. The grammar and punctuation lessons are found between story lessons and incorporate literature as well.

Students read 6 novels from a range of cultural viewpoints, voices, and genres, and they will also read the Rainy Day Reader. While some of the titles include heavy content like racism and poverty, the selections are meant to make kids this age ponder, and topics are handled thoughtfully. You will also see a balance of male/female perspectives.

Required Literature selections include the following 6 novels, plus the special Rainy Day Reader (also used in Lightning Lit Storm). Click the links to read more about each novel or to purchase them individually. This is the sequence the novels are presented in the course.

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park is about Hannah, a girl growing up in America’s heartland in 1880 who faces racism for being half-Asian.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is about a band of elves and their quest to reclaim their gold. They choose an unlikely accomplice, Bilbo Baggins, at the suggestion of the wizard Gandalf.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is about an ordinary young girl, Alice, who follows a rabbit down a hole and finds an enchanted world full of zany characters.

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis is about a young boy, Elijah, who is the first to be born free in a Canadian settlement of former American slaves. Elijah shows his bravery when challenged by a thief.

A Day of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Warsaw by Isaac Bashevis Singer is an autobiographical collection of Jewish life in the city both before and during WWII. He wrote this for children to read.

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriott is about his life as a country vet and the often-hilarious cast of characters he meets and treats, from the largest to the smallest.

The Rainy Day Reader was created just for these courses (Storm and Tempest). It includes short stories and poems selected by the author.