California Standards Math & ELA Options by Grade

Accelerated Learners are students who easily learn and retain information. Instruction in these programs is explicit at some times and truncated at other times. These students make connections between new information and existing knowledge automatically and may need only casual review. That said, they generally need help with time management, and it can be a challenge to find age-appropriate literature. Because parents are required to use grade-level curriculum, we have selected rich literature and instruction that allows these children to soar.

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For kindergarten math, we’re starting with New Earlybird Math, a gentle Singapore-method program that’s especially approachable for parents new to teaching. All teaching information is right on the textbook page, making it easy for parents to guide the lesson. Phonics and reading instruction come from The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading, which lets your child progress at their natural pace. Optional flashcards add an enjoyable, hands-on element to letter and sound practice. Spelling Workout helps solidify phonics patterns through spelling lessons. We’ve also selected the Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting program to develop clear, beautiful penmanship. We would encourage you to add plenty of read-aloud time with books from your library or home library each day as well. 

Schedule: Math 5 days/week; Phonics 5 days/week; Spelling 4–5 days/week; Handwriting 5 days/week.

Recommended:

For 1st graders, we recommend Beast Academy Level 1, a challenging program that emphasizes logical thinking and problem-solving. Lessons are taught together, while practice pages can often be done more independently. For language arts, Lightning Literature offers a complete literature-centered approach. In Year 1, parents typically read most or all the selections aloud (this is adjustable based on the child’s reading ability). Spelling Workout continues to build on phonics foundations through targeted spelling practice. Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting provides structured, elegant handwriting instruction in a slanted manuscript style.

Schedule: Math 5 days/week; Lightning Literature 5 days/week; Spelling 4–5 days/week; Handwriting 5 days/week.

Math instruction continues in 2^nd grade with Beast Academy Level 2, which focuses on logic and deep mathematical understanding. Parent-led instruction remains key for new concepts, with practice work allowing greater student independence. Lightning Literature serves as our complete literature-based ELA program that incorporates systematic grammar and writing instruction. In Grade 2, parents read roughly half of the literature selections aloud while the child reads the other half (this is flexible depending on reading readiness). Spelling Workout reinforces phonics concepts alongside grade-appropriate spelling. Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting keeps handwriting instruction consistent and refined, transitioning to a cursive-style italic about halfway through the book.

Schedule: Math 5 days/week; Lightning Literature 5 days/week; Spelling 4–5 days/week; Handwriting 5 days/week.

We are retaining Beast Academy for math in 3^rd grade, continuing with its logic-rich, problem-solving emphasis in Level 3. Interactive teaching sessions introduce material, followed by more self-directed practice. Lightning Literature remains our comprehensive literature-driven ELA curriculum, covering reading comprehension, literary analysis, writing, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and more. By Year 3, the student will read the assigned literature independently. (If you don’t already own it, remember to add the separate Book of Poetry for this level of Lightning Literature.) Spelling Workout supports ongoing phonics reinforcement through spelling activities. Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting rounds out language arts with graceful cursive practice.

Schedule: Math 5 days/week; Lightning Literature 5 days/week; Spelling 4–5 days/week; Handwriting 5 days/week.

*In the Lightning Literature grade 2 package, needed for level 3:

In 4^th grade, Beast Academy continues as our math choice with Level 4 delivering practice with in-depth logical reasoning and problem-solving. Parents guide instruction time, while independent practice encourages increasing independence. For literature, we’ve chosen Mosdos Press Literature, which features rich, high-quality reading selections paired with meaningful writing prompts. Plenty of material is included so you can tailor it to your child’s pace and needs. Writing and grammar instruction come from Essentials in Writing, complete with video lessons directed to the student. This program is structured to build grammar foundations first and work towards a research paper component later in the year. Spelling Workout provides grade-level word lists and reinforcing exercises. Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting offers beautiful, consistent handwriting practice in cursive.

Schedule: Math 5 days/week; Reading 5 days/week; Writing 5 days/week; Spelling 4–5 days/week; Handwriting 4–5 days/week.

Beast Academy Level 5 is our recommendation for 5th grade math, preserving its rigorous logic-based approach. Instruction is collaborative at first, with practice shifting toward student independence. Mosdos Press Literature continues as our literature program, offering abundant high-interest readings and integrated writing tasks. There is an abundance of content in each course so you can tailor it to your learner perfectly. Essentials in Writing delivers structured writing and grammar instruction, beginning with grammar skills and culminating in a research paper. Spelling Workout offers targeted grade-level spelling practice. Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting provides ongoing refinement of italic cursive instruction and practice.

Schedule: Math 5 days/week; Reading 5 days/week; Writing 5 days/week; Spelling 3–4 days/week; Handwriting 4–5 days/week.

In 6^th grade, we recommend a transition to The Art of Problem Solving for math. From the same publisher as Beast Academy, this higher-level program maintains an emphasis on logical reasoning and advanced problem-solving. We continue with Mosdos Press Literature for literature, with its generous selection of engaging readings and writing opportunities. The ample amount of material lets you easily adapt to your student’s strengths and interests. Writing and grammar instruction is handled by Essentials in Writing, which covers grammar thoroughly upfront and introduces gradual writing assignments that culminate in a research paper assignment. Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting supports continued development of elegant cursive handwriting.

Schedule: Math 5 days/week; Reading 5 days/week; Writing 5 days/week; Handwriting 3–4 days/week.

We suggest continuing with The Art of Problem Solving for 7th grade math, building on the logical, problem-solving foundation established earlier. For language arts, we shift to a more flexible, customized literature-based approach suited for advanced learners. Select and complete 5–7 novels from the provided list, using the accompanying Literature Guides for each novel. These guides include comprehension questions, vocabulary work, and literary analysis. Parent-student discussion is highly recommended, though the teaching style can be adjusted to fit your dynamic. Jensen’s Grammar and Jensen’s Punctuation are added for targeted grammar and mechanics support; students can work fairly independently and use these as a reference for writing projects.  

Math transitions to Jacobs’ Elementary Algebra for 8th grade, a thorough college-preparatory course with strong, clear teacher support materials. In ELA, we maintain a flexible yet guided structure for advanced students. Choose and complete 5–7 novels from the suggested list, supported by Literature Guides, which offer reading comprehension and vocabulary practice and literary analysis questions. Discussion between parent and student is encouraged to deepen understanding, though the format of the lessons remains adaptable. Jensen’s Format Writing provides structured writing support—use cover-to-cover or complete lessons selectively for specific composition needs.

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