You certainly can! As a world literature program, EWS focuses on foundational stories that provide the inspiration for later works of literature, music, and art. While it is designed to be your main K-8 literature program, there’s no reason to limit your child when there are many wonderful middle grade and YA novels to enjoy.…
The short answer is to avoid religious bias. Bibles that include both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures are…Christian Bibles. It is important for students of all faiths (or none) to understand the Jewish tradition on its own terms, and including Christian scriptures in a study of Hebrew wisdom tales sends the not-so-subtle message that the Torah…
I recommend that families use a dedicated writing program alongside EWS at least through Level F (US grade 5). Why? Isn’t EWS “enough” for writing? EWS is a world literature curriculum, not an all-in-one language arts program. In the primary grades, EWS is scheduled for one lesson a week to allow students plenty of time…
Teaching students to write is a perennial concern for homeschooling parents. We all know how crucial writing well is, both in academics and in daily life. Yet many children—not to mention adults—struggle when asked to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Students need to be taught to write, and that instruction should be…
In the context of homeschooling, composition refers to instruction in writing, especially academic writing. Composition is one of the instructional areas within the English Language Arts. Using this term prevents confusion between several overlapping meanings of the more general word writing, which can also refer to the art of creative writing or the skill of…
Word study is the process of analyzing individual words by breaking them down into their component parts: prefixes, roots (bases), and suffixes. Word study helps students with spelling and vocabulary acquisition by making clear the structure of words and how it relates to meaning. This post is part of TLDR (“Too long, didn’t read”), a…
Scaffolding is the practice of providing instructional support for beginning learners. Instructors use scaffolding by breaking complex tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks or by providing tools to make a task easier. Examples of scaffolding include sample worked problems in a math lesson, word banks on a vocabulary worksheet, and graphic organizers for taking…
Memory work is the process of memorizing information to facilitate learning. Memorizing key definitions, facts, and processes allows students to access this information instantly and effortlessly when they need it for more complex learning tasks, reducing cognitive load. For example, a student who has memorized their multiplication and division facts will be able to focus…
Dictation is the process of listening to spoken language and writing down what one hears. In addition to asking students to spell words and apply the rules of grammar and mechanics, dictation requires students to hold language in their heads as they write. This ability is a necessary—but often overlooked—prerequisite for writing, making dictation, along…
Copywork is the practice of copying a word, sentence, or passage from a written model, by hand. Copywork provides students with practice in handwriting, spelling, and mechanics. Alongside oral narration and dictation, it is a crucial part of instruction in composition (“writing”) for students in grades K-3. This post is part of TLDR (“Too long,…
