Homeschool Help: Guide to Good Literature and Literature Based Curriculum

I have been quite vocal how our family loves reading. We believe that reading together has made our lives richer and deeper. We share common experiences, stories and learnings through the different literature we’ve read over the years. But how does one find good literature to read together?

Thankfully, there are many literature based curriculum and resource books that a homeschooling family can use. Even if you don’t homeschool, you can also use the book lists to shop for good books for your family.

Here are some books you can use as a reference to begin a lifestyle of reading good literature:

Honey for A Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt – A guide book discussing how to use books to help children grow. It also provides a list of best books on the market and classics that you would want your children to read.

Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson. Sarah helps you choose the best literature for your family. The extensive list includes timeless classics to modern favorites, from picture books to adventure novels to read-aloud favorites.

Here are some literature based curriculum :

Sonlight. Read more about Sonlight at www.sonlight.com. It is a literature-based Christian homeschool curriculum program which provides complete curriculum packages for K-12. It is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Image source: https://www.sonlight.com

Five in a Row. Read more about Five in a Row at fiveinarow.com. Five in a Row has 3 main levels Before Five in a Row for ages 2-4, Five in a Row for ages 5-8 and Beyond Five in a Row for ages 8-12. It offers a selection of great books, including picture books and you’d be reading one book for 5 days in a row. Through that particular book, you can do several activities with your little ones using the Teacher’s Manual.

Beautiful Feet. Read more about Beautiful Feet at bfbooks.com. Learn about history through literature for grades 1-12. The lessons begin in early American history timeline. Image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/60235713741619617/

Ambleside Online. Read more about Ambleside Online at www.amblesideonline.org. This free curriculum guide uses the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling. It has lists for K-12.

My Father’s World. Read more about My Father’s World at www.mfwbooks.com. This is a complete unit based curriculum with daily lesson plans using the Charlotte Mason approach and classical education with a Biblical worldview. It offers Pre-K to High School.

Image source: http://www.monarchroom.com/

Living Books Curriculum. Read more about Living Books at www.livingbookscurriculum.com Utilizing a Charlotte Mason approach to education, Living Books Curriculum incorporates classic literature into the traditional subjects such as history, language arts, and science. They have curriculum for K to 12.

Tapestry of Grace. Read more about Tapestry of Grace at http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/ Tapestry of Grace utilizes classical education approach using a 4-year cycle of the history of the world. This is for K to 12 and every student will cycle throughout history 3x as they pass through grammar, logic and rhetoric stages.