Frequently Asked Questions

If you desire to lean into literature-based learning, but you’re not sure how to start, I’d recommend starting small. Choose one subject you want to focus on for a bit and create your lessons around literature that teaches the specific topic. In my shop, you can find literature-based products focused on American History, elementary science topics, picture book studies revolving around a theme, and novel studies to incorporate into your language arts. Any of these resources would be a great way to try this out.

Once you get the hang of one subject, you may want to begin adding more. The important thing to remember is you don’t have to jump in and change everything all at once. Take your time and gradually work your way into a more literature-based approach. This will lessen the overwhelm and allow you to truly understand how to incorporate this type of approach in a way that best fits your family.

DIY Language Arts is a term I came up with when I eliminated the all-in-one language arts curriculum in our homeschool and began to lean more towards literature-based lessons with a variety of resources to help support me in different areas.

We made lessons and units from books that we chose and used supplemental curriculum as needed. This do-it-yourself (DIY) approach has become such a freeing and enjoyable way for me to teach language arts, and I am passionate about sharing the process with others that feel the same desire to get creative, mix things up, and move away from all-inclusive workbooks.

Yes, language arts can be taught using a variety of resources, instead of an all-in-one workbook. However, it is important to understand your state laws for homeschooling when it comes to answering questions like this. It is the parent’s responsibility to make the choices that follow these laws.

Understanding what the subject of language arts is will help you put together the literature or curricula that works well for your family. My free guide, Language Arts Simplified, was created to help homeschooling families understand what language arts truly means. The guide includes a variety of ways to implement the subject in a simple, natural way. It will also provide you with the encouragement to use additional support in different areas of the subject as needed.

This is exactly why I created Language Arts Simplified. In this free guide, I provide you with a detailed look at the subject of language arts and how your elementary children will develop at different ages. This guide was created by studying the national standards and breaking them down into a simpler text that can put your mind at ease and help you achieve specific goals at the pace of your children. It is not a detailed checklist of every rule or skill to be mastered. Instead, it’s a simplified overview of language arts—designed to help you understand what matters, guide your direction, and bring a sense of peace to your planning.

Language Arts Simplified is going to focus on what language arts actually means. It’s a way to familiarize yourself with the subject and really understand how children develop in the different areas of language arts. It will also share ideas on how to teach the different parts of the subject in a simple natural way in your home. One way to do this is through passage study, and that’s where the DIY Language Arts Guide comes in. If you have the desire to focus on real books instead of worksheets, the DIY guide will help you every step of the way, explaining how to create meaningful lessons from any book that you choose, whether it’s a picture book or novel.

Passage study is when you focus on a passage from literature. From that passage, you can create meaningful lessons in grammar, vocabulary, or spelling. Sometimes this can go even deeper discussing topics such as thematic elements, character development, or figurative language. These passages also become a great tool to practice copy work and dictation.

The novel studies on my website were created so that you could incorporate all the parts of language arts into a novel study. Through differentiated instruction detailed in the guide, this can be enjoyed with the whole family as multiple ages can participate in the readings and activities. Your daily plans will focus on passage study to anchor every lesson in the story you’re reading. Spelling words, vocabulary, grammar discussions, copy work, and dictation all come directly from the novel—so learning feels connected and memorable.

A weekly passage is chosen for you and each day will focus on a specific part of language arts. This weekly rhythm makes it easy to implement into your schedule without feeling overloaded and it creates a fun way to mix up your lessons each day. You’ll also be provided with a picture book each week related to the lesson. This book will take your studies further and may help create cross-curricular teaching moments, bringing in other topics from science or history.

At the end of each weekly schedule there is a bonus activity that brings the novel to life. From recipes, to crafts, or simple outdoor activities, these are meant to connect real life to the stories you love.

Both were created so that the whole family can learn language arts together using great books.

The Novel Guides provide daily guidance with a little more flexibility. For example, a grammar lesson may be explained to you, yet you have the freedom to take that grammar lesson and teach it as you choose, finding supplemental resources or hands-on activities that you enjoy in your homeschool.

Novel studies are more detailed and guided in the way they are presented. Every day comes with scripted lessons so that you know exactly what to say and do. Printable, interactive notebook activities are included to help teach the different lessons throughout the week. This scripted novel study walks you step-by-step through each lesson so you can confidently teach language arts to multiple ages while enjoying good books.

The best way to see this clearly is to look at the sample pages in the shop. This will allow you to see the difference of what a daily lesson might look like in each one.

The products in my shop are designed for a variety of age levels from your youngest learners to your middle school children. As I create these units, my primary focus is on elementary standards (K-5), but children of all ages can benefit from these stories. It’s difficult to assign an exact age range since every child learns and develops at their own pace, so please view these recommendations as a guide rather than a rule.

As the parent, you can decide how to best use these carefully curated book lists in your home—whether that means taking a gentle approach by simply reading and enjoying the stories together, using them as supplemental reading, or encouraging older students to explore the same topics through more in-depth study.

Picture Book Studies: 5-8 years

Novel Studies: 5-12 years

American History through Picture Books: 3-12 years

Science through Picture Books: 3-12 years

Printable activities: Preschool through ages 9-10, depending on the activity

Templates: These are made for the parent to help make your planning easier.

Yes, these units were created with family-style learning in mind.

Yes —homeschool families can successfully use picture books to teach history and science during the elementary years. However, it’s important to first familiarize yourself with the homeschool laws and requirements in your area. Ultimately, it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure those requirements are being met.

Beyond that, the decision comes down to what you feel works best for your family. In our own homeschool, picture books have been a meaningful and effective way to teach both history and science in the elementary years. They have helped create a strong foundation of knowledge while also making learning engaging and memorable.

In history especially, I’ve seen those early lessons carry over into the middle school years. As we now work through more advanced textbooks, my oldest child often recalls topics and events from the rich, unforgettable stories we read together when she was younger.

Learning science through picture books has also sparked curiosity and encouraged my children to want to learn more about different topics. Learning through literature in this way has provided meaningful lessons while creating a joyful learning experience for our whole family.

I encourage you to use your local library for as many books as you can. Having a specific list in the different units makes it easy for you to put books on hold by a certain date. Below is a list of options if you can’t find a specific book from the list at your library. You can choose what option is best for your family.

• Interlibrary Loan: Check to see if your local library offers this service. Interlibrary loans are a great option when your own library doesn’t have a book you are looking for. It allows you to borrow books from participating libraries around the state or even the country.
• Many of these books are read aloud on YouTube. When you go to the YouTube website, click on the search bar, and type in the book title followed by “read aloud” and see if the book is there.
• You always have the option to purchase the books you can’t find. Check a local bookstore or have them shipped from Amazon.
• If you’d like to try and save a couple dollars, you may prefer a used bookstore online like thriftbooks.com. Sometimes they have deals where you can purchase a certain amount and get one free.
• There are multiple books you can read about these topics. I’ve picked the one I felt was best, but there’s nothing wrong with reading something else if you can’t find the one I suggest. I encourage you to look at the topic the book is about and choose another book of your choice about that same topic. It will still be good! Remember to let the curricula guide you and not make you feel like there’s a certain unbreakable rule.
• If all else fails, skip the book, and watch a video about the topic instead! It’s OK…You’ll cover the same information. Watch it with your kids and discuss what you see. Then, move on to the next. You got this!

Once I decide on a topic, I begin searching for a variety of books centered around that subject. I’m especially drawn to what many would call “living books”—stories that engage the reader, hold attention, and spark the imagination in a meaningful way; but you’ll also find informational picture books on the lists as well.

From there, I consider availability. I want the books included in my units to be reasonably easy for families to find through libraries, bookstores, or online retailers. Finally, I narrow my choices down to the books I feel communicate the topic clearly and meaningfully while still being engaging for a wide range of ages.

The simplicity of a picture book unit can sometimes lead us to wonder if we should be doing more for our older children. I truly believe, and have seen in my own home, that reading and writing about a book (through written narration explained in the guides) is a great way to learn content and retain it. However, I also understand the desire to provide our older children with something more. Below I have listed some optional challenges that you may want to consider for your older children. This will all depend on your child and their abilities, so choose what is best for him/her. These optional, general assignments can be a great way to add a little challenge, if you are interested:

• Assign an interest-led poster project. Have your child choose one of the topics from the picture book list that he is interested in. Check out a few more books from the library about that topic. Using books (or even safe internet research), have your child fill a poster board with information and pictures that he can then present to you and your family. Allow some creativity! It will be fun to see what this leads to – paint, construction paper, drawings, typing…the possibilities are endless.
• Find a book at the library that provides information about the unit in a variety of ways. I’m thinking of a reference book that will have multiple sections on one subject. National Geographic Kids sometimes puts out books like this or another great series would be from DK Books. Assign a page or two to read, and have your child give you an oral narration about what they learned.
• Choose a documentary that your child can watch about the topic. Have your child write a half-page of notes while she watches. Then, she can share with you at the end.
• Assign a novel related to the topic you are studying. For a non-fiction focus, look into the “Who Was…?” series to find fact-based books on a topic. If you’re doing American History through picture books, you can choose a historical fiction novel from the time period you are studying. This is a great way to blend your language arts studies and history! Science units can also benefit from great novels. Aquatic Habitats – Island of the Blue Dolphins; Plants – The Secret Garden; Weather – The Long Winter. These are just a few examples. There are many more possibilities!
• You always have the option to use these book lists as a supplement to a text/workbook geared towards your older children. These amazing picture books can still be enjoyed with your whole family while your older ones continue going deeper through their own studies in a textbook.

The books I choose are not intentionally selected to fit strictly into either a secular or faith-based category. My primary focus is finding rich, engaging literature that communicates the topic well and draws children into meaningful learning.

That said, I am a Christian, and if I come across something in a book that I feel goes against biblical teaching, I will typically make a note within the guide, directed to you, the parent. From there, you can decide how you would like to handle it—whether that means continuing as-is, skipping a small section, discussing it with your child, or choosing an alternative book on the same topic.

At the same time, I do not believe in filtering history or real-life stories to remove every mention of faith or religion. If an important historical figure’s beliefs were part of their life and story, I believe it can be an important teaching moment, acknowledging that as part of learning about history and the world around us. I will always suggest you preview the books for your family, and make the decision that best fits the way you would like to present the information to your children.