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General
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LLATL
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LLATL Gold Books
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Wordsmith
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Common Sense Science
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LAHTL
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What is a homeschool curriculum and how do I choose the best one for my family?
A homeschool curriculum is a set of educational materials for home-based learning. Selecting the right one involves understanding your child’s learning style and educational goals. There are many excellent homeschooling programs that cater to various educational philosophies and learning styles. When choosing the best homeschool program, consider your family's goals, budget, and your child's specific needs. Our guide helps you create a tailored homeschool curriculum list to fit your family's needs. CSP’s customer support team is happy to help you in any way they can.
What subjects are included in CSP's homeschool programs?
CSP offers a variety of curriculums and supplements. Curriculum includes Learning Language Arts Through Literature, a comprehensive language arts curriculum for grades 1-12; the Wordsmith writing program; and Common Sense Science. In addition, we offer supplemental math, writing, spelling, and editing tools.
Can I customize the homeschool curriculum?
Absolutely! Our curriculum is flexible and can be customized to fit your family's unique needs and learning styles. There are a variety of supplements from which you can choose to enhance your educational goals. The weekly lessons can be consolidated into a four-day week to allow for participation in co-ops, ministry, work, etc.
What makes our language arts curriculum unique?
Learning Language Arts Through Literature focuses on classic works of literature, fostering a deeper love for reading and helping students develop critical thinking and analytical skills. The program takes an integrated approach that eliminates the need for separate workbooks for each subject. As the program progresses, students are encouraged to work more and more independently. With our open-and-go approach, parents can easily guide lessons with minimal prep.
Can I print Common Sense Press’ e-books?
Yes, you have permission to print our e-books for your family’s use. The books come in a printable .pdf format
How can I save money when ordering from Common Sense Press?
We would recommend that you purchase the books from one of our resellers such as Rainbow Resource Center or Christianbook. We sell to them at a discount which they are able to pass on to you. You can also check out our imperfect books. These are books that may have a bent corner or small scratch on the cover. We sell these at 50% off. Since the supply is always changing, we cannot guarantee we will have the title you are looking for.
Do you ship to AP or APO addresses?
We do ship to AP addresses. If the website won't let you put the correct address in at checkout, we usually instruct people to put the address in the best that they can and then put the actual address in the "notes" section when they are checking out.
LLATL looks so simple. Is it really effective?
LLATL is simple for the teacher to use and very effective for the student. Research indicates teaching language arts skills in an isolated format is not as effective as an integrated approach. A student may be able to complete a workbook page on punctuation but not include correct punctuation in his own daily writing. When the skills are kept in the context of literature and writing they take on new meaning for the student. This method not only gives the student more understanding for the skills, but also adds to the retention of them. We’ve heard numerous stories of students who once disliked language arts when using a basal program, decided it was their favorite subject when they used Learning Language Arts Through Literature.
What is dictation and how can this method benefit the student?
LLATL incorporates the dictation method into lessons integrating grammar, punctuation, spelling, writing, and thinking skills. Copying is used at lower levels and is suggested for older students who have difficulty with dictation skills. When a student uses good literature as a model, he is learning to improve his own writing skills. It trains him to look for details, strive for accuracy, and learn to write.
Since this method may be new to you, here are a few suggestions:
For more information on dictation, watch our video.
Since this method may be new to you, here are a few suggestions:
- Before dictation or copying, read the entire passage to your student.
- Begin the dictation by reading one sentence at a time. If necessary, repeat the sentence, reading it one phrase at a time. It is important to use your voice to stress pauses and indicate punctuation marks.
- After dictation or copying, allow your student to use the passage to edit the work. At first, have him check his work one line or phrase at a time. Asking the student to correct the work all at once may prove to be frustrating. Usually, the first dictation is given on Monday followed by the same dictation on Friday.
For more information on dictation, watch our video.
Does anything need to be added to LLATL?
The lessons are integrated so you don't need to add grammar, writing, spelling, etc. to the curriculum. For many people, the program is enough, but we know that needs vary from student to student, so it is designed to be flexible for those who may need more practice or who would benefit from having something explained in more than one way. There is no busy work, so most lessons usually take 20-30 minutes or less. This frees up your time to supplement if needed according to your student’s needs.
Most students struggle with writing skills, so we do offer supplements that add to what they will be doing in LLATL. The Wordsmith series is very effective, easy-to-use, and students can work through it on their own with some oversight. The three levels are Wordsmith Apprentice (4th-6th), Wordsmith (6th-9th), and Wordsmith Craftsman (9th-12th). In addition to this you might look at Paragraph Writing for Kids (4th-6th) which gives a good foundation for writing five types of basic paragraphs. All the lessons in these programs should take less than 20 minutes a day to complete making them a good fit with any curriculum.
Most students struggle with writing skills, so we do offer supplements that add to what they will be doing in LLATL. The Wordsmith series is very effective, easy-to-use, and students can work through it on their own with some oversight. The three levels are Wordsmith Apprentice (4th-6th), Wordsmith (6th-9th), and Wordsmith Craftsman (9th-12th). In addition to this you might look at Paragraph Writing for Kids (4th-6th) which gives a good foundation for writing five types of basic paragraphs. All the lessons in these programs should take less than 20 minutes a day to complete making them a good fit with any curriculum.
Does LLATL allow for independent learning?
The program is designed for students to gradually work into independent learning. Of course, the first few grades require one-on-one teaching, but by third grade you can start assigning activities to be completed on their own. You will be reading aloud in the first and second grade, but after that the books are meant to be read by the student. We do have students who are more reluctant readers and need some help in this area. They will still be learning if you choose to read a book aloud or even have them read a chapter and then you read a chapter.
Do I need both the teacher and the student book?
We do recommend that you purchase the teacher and student book. Because the teacher book has the answers for each activity in the margin of the page which makes your job easier, you would have to cover that up each time your student used the book. Also, just having the teacher book would require your student to do a lot of extra copying of activities. The student book is designed to keep all your student's work together and to cut down on any copying work. While it does contain much of the teaching to encourage the student to work as independently as possible, this instruction is sometimes more abbreviated than the teacher's book.
Keep in mind that, if we have them on hand, you can purchase the books at 50% off from our imperfect bookshelf. This means that you could possibly get the two books for almost the price of one. Here's the link for the imperfect books: Common Sense Press | Scratch and Dent Homeschool Textbooks - Common Sense Press. The availability of titles is always changing.
Keep in mind that, if we have them on hand, you can purchase the books at 50% off from our imperfect bookshelf. This means that you could possibly get the two books for almost the price of one. Here's the link for the imperfect books: Common Sense Press | Scratch and Dent Homeschool Textbooks - Common Sense Press. The availability of titles is always changing.
Is LLATL a Christian curriculum?
Learning Language Arts Through Literature, while primarily a neutral language arts program, does have Christian content. A handful of the dictation lessons are based on passages from the Bible, hymns, and Christian biographies. They are used to teach grammar, spelling, vocabulary and other skills, just as the other dictation passages are. They are not designed to be used as religious study.
For example, after reading the Epic of Gilgamesh in the ninth grade, there is a critical thinking writing activity that instructs the students to do a study of origins and write a paper defending their conclusion. The student is not dictated a conclusion and the instructions leave it in the teacher’s hands. In another lesson students have an activity to compare and contrast different religions.
All the authors of the program are Christian. We do have many families that are not Christian who have indicated to us that they are comfortable with the curriculum, but some may find it objectionable. We suggest that anyone with concerns about the program, either way, should carefully review it before purchasing. This would be true of any teaching sources you consider bringing into your home.
For example, after reading the Epic of Gilgamesh in the ninth grade, there is a critical thinking writing activity that instructs the students to do a study of origins and write a paper defending their conclusion. The student is not dictated a conclusion and the instructions leave it in the teacher’s hands. In another lesson students have an activity to compare and contrast different religions.
All the authors of the program are Christian. We do have many families that are not Christian who have indicated to us that they are comfortable with the curriculum, but some may find it objectionable. We suggest that anyone with concerns about the program, either way, should carefully review it before purchasing. This would be true of any teaching sources you consider bringing into your home.
What is the difference between the 2nd edition and the 3rd edition of LLATL?
The 2nd edition books came out over 30 years ago. At that time, we were still using encyclopedias and card catalogs. About ten years ago, we decided that the books were in need of an update to reflect technological changes. It was a big undertaking, and one we do not plan to do again for a long time! Since we were addressing that issue, we decided to make some other needed changes such as replacing some of the more obscure literature with more classics, making the books more consistent, and adding more language arts activities. Because of these changes, most of the 3rd edition student books will not work with the 2nd edition teacher books.
Does Common Sense Press sell the novels that are needed for the book studies throughout LLATL?
Our Blue (1st gr.) and Red (2nd gr.) Books are bundled with readers that are needed to complete the program. For 3rd through 8th grades, you would need to acquire the four novels for the Book Studies. We do not sell these because, being classics, many people already have them, or they can be easily checked out from a library or purchased online used.
You can find all of the books you need at Rainbow Resource Center, though! They sell all of the levels of LLATL in bundles with the novels needed.
You can find all of the books you need at Rainbow Resource Center, though! They sell all of the levels of LLATL in bundles with the novels needed.
How do I decide which level to get for my child?
The placement tests are one tool you can use to help in determining grade level. You can also view sample lessons from each level and check out the scope and sequence.
Most children learn to read from four to six years of age. That means that the first two years of formal schooling is going to be a bit different for each. Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, we recommend that your student would benefit from staying on grade level. Even if a student is a strong reader, that is not all there is in developing language arts skills. We believe that every student can benefit from the review that is built into each level of LLATL. This review will strengthen their foundation. Moving ahead too quickly can also cause problems later on if students lack the maturity of fully understanding and enjoying high school literature.
Most children learn to read from four to six years of age. That means that the first two years of formal schooling is going to be a bit different for each. Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, we recommend that your student would benefit from staying on grade level. Even if a student is a strong reader, that is not all there is in developing language arts skills. We believe that every student can benefit from the review that is built into each level of LLATL. This review will strengthen their foundation. Moving ahead too quickly can also cause problems later on if students lack the maturity of fully understanding and enjoying high school literature.
When should formal writing instruction begin?
Children do not need to start formal writing instruction before fourth grade. Up until then, time should be spent strengthening their reading skills and learning basic grammar and spelling. Learning Language Arts Through Literature includes writing instruction, but because we think learning to write well is so important, we recommend giving even more opportunities to write.
That is why we carry several writing programs that fit well with the LLATL curriculum or any other curriculum you may choose. For fourth through sixth grades, we recommend Wordsmith Apprentice followed by Paragraph Writing for Kids. Both have lessons that take just about 15 minutes, and both are student directed with teacher oversight. They move on to Wordsmith in grades sixth through ninth and Wordsmith Craftsman in ninth through twelfth.
That is why we carry several writing programs that fit well with the LLATL curriculum or any other curriculum you may choose. For fourth through sixth grades, we recommend Wordsmith Apprentice followed by Paragraph Writing for Kids. Both have lessons that take just about 15 minutes, and both are student directed with teacher oversight. They move on to Wordsmith in grades sixth through ninth and Wordsmith Craftsman in ninth through twelfth.
Do I need to get the books that the dictation lessons are pulled from?
Most of the LLATL lessons are based on passages from classic literature. Students do not need to read the entire book, but we do hope the passages will act as “hooks” that will entice students to read the books on their own. The exception is the Orange Book. Several of the lessons use passages from a book and then students will take a week off to read the book.
How do I use LLATL and Wordsmith together?
Many people use Wordsmith alongside LLATL. The lessons are short and many of the activities are designed for students to work through on their own.
What do I do if I need to switch out the book study books for any reason?
We offer free book studies on our website. You'll find them here. Any of the book studies in LLATL can be replaced with one of these or any other book study that you like using.
What is Language Arts and why is it important?
Language Arts is a group of subjects that includes reading, writing, literature, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. It is important for developing effective communication and critical thinking skills
What do I do if my high school student needs more instruction in grammar?
By the time students start high school, it is expected that they have a good grasp of the mechanics and are now ready to apply what they know as they read and analyze literature. For these students, you will need to either drop back a grade level or two or incorporate skills alongside the high school text. Usually, older students pick up the skills much quicker than younger students.
We suggest purchasing a good English handbook such as McGraw-Hill Education Handbook of English Grammar & Usage, Writers INC: A Student Handbook for Writing and Learning, or The English Grammar Workbook for Adults: A Self-Study Guide to Improve Functional Writing for reference and review.
We suggest purchasing a good English handbook such as McGraw-Hill Education Handbook of English Grammar & Usage, Writers INC: A Student Handbook for Writing and Learning, or The English Grammar Workbook for Adults: A Self-Study Guide to Improve Functional Writing for reference and review.
In what order should the Gold Books be done?
There are four Gold high school books. Each book earns one credit toward the usual four high school credit requirements. We recommend World Literature for 9th, American Literature for 10th, British Literature for 11th, and Literary Criticism for 12th. There is some flexibility in the order of the first three books, but Literary Criticism is equivalent to a beginning college level course and most 9th and 10th grade students would find it challenging.
Do the Gold Books qualify for honors credits?
In the past, homeschool parents didn’t seem to be as interested in this. I think the main reason is designating a course as an Honors course is not regulated or standardized. From my research, the designation is up to school districts and school administrators, with teachers having some input. Of course, homeschools are not organized that way. Since there are no specific standards or universal definitions for the courses, they vary greatly not only in content but also in academic challenges.
The LLATL Gold Books are certainly college prep courses. I have taught them in many co-ops and found that students bring their own level of commitment to the class. Some give it their all. These students are identified by their level of participation by digging deeper and by exhibiting skills of time management, getting the work done completely and on time. I would consider these students to be Honors students.
As I interpret it, as your student’s teacher, you are the one to decide if the course is an Honors course or not. While students can work through the material on their own, the course will be more rigorous if you, as the teacher, are more involved in discussing the material and challenging your student. You could also add more essay writing assignments to a lesson.
The LLATL Gold Books are certainly college prep courses. I have taught them in many co-ops and found that students bring their own level of commitment to the class. Some give it their all. These students are identified by their level of participation by digging deeper and by exhibiting skills of time management, getting the work done completely and on time. I would consider these students to be Honors students.
As I interpret it, as your student’s teacher, you are the one to decide if the course is an Honors course or not. While students can work through the material on their own, the course will be more rigorous if you, as the teacher, are more involved in discussing the material and challenging your student. You could also add more essay writing assignments to a lesson.
What do I do with the Gold Book series supplemental material?
There is supplemental material in the Course Notes, Tests, Test Answer Keys book.
One way to handle the extra info, if you choose to do so, is to teach it at the beginning of each unit as an introduction. The supplemental material provides more foundation and should add interest to the subject.
The book shows which test questions should be deleted if you do not choose to use this supplemental material.
One way to handle the extra info, if you choose to do so, is to teach it at the beginning of each unit as an introduction. The supplemental material provides more foundation and should add interest to the subject.
The book shows which test questions should be deleted if you do not choose to use this supplemental material.
How to grade high school books?
Whenever I teach any of the books, I usually divide the grade points into class participation, tests, and writing assignments. If you only have one student taking the course, class participation means that all homework assignments have been completed and that the student is able to discuss the works they are reading. Each book has answers in the back to aid the teacher in those discussions. Each lesson will have the student reading and critically analyzing the literature. This is through assignments that can be either written or discussed in class. I like to mix it up and have the students do some of both.
We offer two resources to help with grading. The first is a class notes and test booklet for World, American, and British literature. The notes help the student to study for the tests. There are tests for each unit of the course, and an answer key is provided for you. This is optional. You can make up your own tests. The second service is a writing assessment for the major writing assignments for each course. Your student will send his or her essays to be evaluated. Someone will work with them providing instruction and guidance to help improve their writing skills. We don't provide a grade, but this will help you in assigning one. This is also optional.
We offer two resources to help with grading. The first is a class notes and test booklet for World, American, and British literature. The notes help the student to study for the tests. There are tests for each unit of the course, and an answer key is provided for you. This is optional. You can make up your own tests. The second service is a writing assessment for the major writing assignments for each course. Your student will send his or her essays to be evaluated. Someone will work with them providing instruction and guidance to help improve their writing skills. We don't provide a grade, but this will help you in assigning one. This is also optional.
Since there are only three Wordsmith books, what do I do in between?
The Wordsmith books are not a continuous program. For the years not covered between the levels, you will have to look for other programs that will give your student different types of writing opportunities. A couple of the major ones are IEW and Writing Strands. The only caution for these is that they will require more time each day. One of the things I appreciate about Wordsmith is that daily lessons only take about 15 minutes, and the student can work independently. You can find a lot of exercises and writing activities for free online. I think that offering varying approaches is a plus. Different things will appeal to each student.
If a student uses Wordsmith Apprentice in the 4th grade, I recommend trying Paragraph Writing for Kids the next year. This is an easy-to-use writing course that leads the student step-by-step through the writing process of the five basic types of paragraphs. Since it does not take a full year to work through, students have time to repeat each type of paragraph multiple times. This type of practice builds a strong writing foundation.
If a student uses Wordsmith Apprentice in the 4th grade, I recommend trying Paragraph Writing for Kids the next year. This is an easy-to-use writing course that leads the student step-by-step through the writing process of the five basic types of paragraphs. Since it does not take a full year to work through, students have time to repeat each type of paragraph multiple times. This type of practice builds a strong writing foundation.
Is this a full science curriculum?
Common Sense Science is a full science curriculum, not just a supplement. Each book is divided into 18 three-day lessons. This allows you to cover two books a year. Through our unique format, each book has materials and learning activities geared for the different grade levels.
How do I use the multilevel approach?
The lessons include foundational content appropriate for first through sixth grades at different mastery levels. Through our unique format, each book has materials and learning activities geared for the different grade levels. We use special icons or pictures to show the teacher which tasks to do with each particular age group.
For example, when learning about insect development, a first grader will learn that insects go through changes as they develop. This student is exposed to more information but not expected to retain it. In the same lesson, a sixth-grade student will know the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis and be able to describe the stages of each. Lessons are scripted for reading to younger students. Older students are able to work through the books independently with oversight.
For example, when learning about insect development, a first grader will learn that insects go through changes as they develop. This student is exposed to more information but not expected to retain it. In the same lesson, a sixth-grade student will know the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis and be able to describe the stages of each. Lessons are scripted for reading to younger students. Older students are able to work through the books independently with oversight.
What is a graphic organizer?
A 3D Graphic Organizer is a student or teacher made paper object that visually represents or explains the material learned by the student. Common Sense Science uses 3D Graphic Organizers to help students of all levels better understand concepts by taking complicated information and breaking it down into visual parts. Although the content for the level will generally be the same, assignments and expectations for recording information learned will vary for each level. To make the Graphic Organizers, you will need the accompanying Student Materials Packet.
Are labs included?
The study of science is based on the Scientific Method. Labs implementing this method provide context for the information found in the science lessons, increasing understanding as well as retention. These steps can be overwhelming to young children and should be used as a guideline to avoid frustrating them.
To simplify the process, the labs in Common Sense Science use the following approach:
Students
Most labs use common household items. Students record their predictions, observations, experiments, and conclusions in a Lab Book.
To simplify the process, the labs in Common Sense Science use the following approach:
Students
- are asked a question or presented a concept
- make a prediction of what will happen
- experiment and observe
- draw a conclusion based on what they have observed
Most labs use common household items. Students record their predictions, observations, experiments, and conclusions in a Lab Book.
Is the Common Sense Science series Christian in content?
Each unit is subject specific and fact based. For example, Earth is described simply as the third planet from the Sun. It is assumed that the teacher has already established origin, age of the earth, etc.
What is the difference between the Great Science Adventures and Common Sense Science?
The Great Science Adventures series was written over 20 years ago. The books were written in the format of lesson plans for teachers supported by little library books which contained the content needed for the students and Dinah Zike’s wonderful graphic organizers. We decided to update the books to make them easier to use and more appealing to students without losing the effective hands-on approach of Dinah's graphic organizers.
We kept the content and the organizers and activities, added more activities and clearer directions, and organized the series to be more pick-up-and-go, finishing up with a more up-dated look. The decision was whether to call the books new editions or revisions. After wrestling with this, we decided it would be best to just make it a new series, Common Sense Science, and to discontinue the old series, Great Science Adventures.
We kept the content and the organizers and activities, added more activities and clearer directions, and organized the series to be more pick-up-and-go, finishing up with a more up-dated look. The decision was whether to call the books new editions or revisions. After wrestling with this, we decided it would be best to just make it a new series, Common Sense Science, and to discontinue the old series, Great Science Adventures.
Do you plan on writing more history through literature books?
We have been asked about expanding the American history program and about writing a world history through literature book. We are thinking about how to do that. Currently, we are working on our Common Sense Science series, and that is taking up all our creative time right now.
