California Standards Math & ELA Options by Grade

Striving Students are working at grade level but may need some accommodation within lessons. This could be a child showing signs of ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, dysgraphia, auditory processing, or another diagnosis. It could also be an undiagnosed child who benefits from interactive instruction, eye contact, and discussions, and generally requires extra time for reading aloud, comprehension, or handwriting. Math instruction with written practice and review can be helpful. For each grade listed below, you will find our recommendations for Math and ELA curriculum. We suggest starting your curriculum selections here and then choosing your Science and Social Studies programs to complete your student’s core curriculum plan for the year.

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For the early elementary years (K–2), the blend of Saxon Phonics & Spelling, Math with Confidence, and Handwriting Without Tears delivers straightforward, parent-friendly lesson plans that establish a firm foundation in mathematics, reading, spelling, and penmanship. Each of these programs supplies a range of supportive materials for multisensory learning, including manipulatives, visual aids, and auditory exercises. As you become comfortable with each curriculum, you can choose which activities and manipulatives best suit your child’s needs. You can also customize practice and review to match your child’s pace and abilities. A student may progress sequentially through all three levels or join at the appropriate grade.

Schedule: Plan to teach these subjects daily, five days a week.

We’re sticking with Math with Confidence for third grade—it remains a reliable, approachable option for students who need steady support and parents who appreciate ease of use. You can lean into the full lessons for extra reinforcement or condense them for a child who grasps concepts quickly. From Phonics to Reading by Sadlier serves as an effective bridge to fluent reading, with its warm, colorful lessons guided by a helpful teacher manual. Handwriting Without Tears advances into cursive instruction at this grade level. We’ve also included sets of Decodable Readers (fiction and nonfiction) to boost reading fluency and comprehension—incorporate as much daily reading as your student can comfortably handle.

Schedule: All core programs daily plus dedicated reading practice, 5 days per week.

Math with Confidence continues to be our math curriculum in fourth grade—a dependable, parent-accessible program well-suited for learners who benefit from consistent pacing. In language arts, you will notice multiple programs are introduced. For composition, we recommend Institute for Excellence in Writing’s Structure and Style for Students Year 1, Level A. This program’s clear video lessons and structured templates offer support for both student and parent. We’ve paired it with Fix It! Grammar Level 1 (also from IEW) for grammar reinforcement. For spelling, we are moving into Spelling You See Level C: Wild Tales, which emphasizes visual letter patterns and color-coded chunking—ideal for visual learners. Handwriting Without Tears progresses to more advanced cursive. For literature, we selected two beloved novels alongside Memoria Press Literature Guides (separate student and parent editions) to cover reading comprehension, literary elements, and guided discussion.

Schedule: Math, Spelling, and Handwriting 5 days/week; Composition 4–5 days/week; Grammar 1–2 days/week; Each novel + guide ≈ 4–6 weeks.

In fifth grade, we continue with Math with Confidence —it’s a solid, user-friendly choice that works especially well for students who thrive with clear, supportive instruction. For ELA, Structure and Style for Students Year 2, Level A advances composition skills with video-based teaching. We’ve added Fix It! Grammar Level 2 for continued grammar work. For spelling, we move into Spelling You See Level D: Americana, which relies on visual letter patterns and color-coded chunking to aid retention. Handwriting Without Tears further refines cursive skills at the 5^th grade level. Literature instruction comes from Ready Readers: Children’s Literature Volume 1, which explores comprehension, literary devices, and themes across five timeless children’s classics.

Schedule: Math and Spelling 5 days/week; Composition 4–5 days/week; Handwriting 3–4 days/week; Grammar 1–2 days/week; Literature 3–4 days/week.

Although 6^th grade can be a transition year for some, we are continuing with many of the same programs introduced in Grades 4 and 5. Math with Confidence concludes with Grade 6 (releasing summer 2026)—a strong, parent-friendly program tailored for learners who benefit from steady, encouraging lessons. For ELA, Structure and Style for Students Year 1, Level B from IEW delivers composition training via video instruction and structured writing checklists. We include Fix It! Grammar Level 3 for grammar. Spelling continues with Spelling You See Level E: American Spirit, using visual letter patterns and color-coded chunking to support visual learners. Handwriting Without Tears keeps building cursive proficiency. For literature, Ready Readers: Elementary Literature Volume 2 guides students through comprehension, literary devices, and themes in five classic stories.

Schedule: Math and Spelling 5 days/week; Composition 4–5 days/week; Handwriting 2–3 days/week; Grammar 1–2 days/week; Literature 3–4 days/week.

In 7^th grade, you’ll notice some curriculum changes in math and literature. For seventh grade math, we’ve selected a single-volume Pre-Algebra course, Understanding Pre-Algebra I, by The Critical Thinking Company. It’s concise, conversational, and easy for both parent and student to follow. There is no separate teacher book; answers are located at the end of the book. For language arts, Structure and Style for Students Year 2, Level B provides structured composition lessons with video support. Fix It! Grammar Level 4 provides grammar instruction. We continue spelling with Spelling You See Level F: Ancient Achievements, featuring letter patterns and color-coded chunking that benefit visual learners. Literature becomes flexible: Choose 3–4 novels from the provided list, each paired with a Literature Guide for practice with comprehension, vocabulary, and analysis. Aim to complete one novel per quarter.

Schedule: Math and Spelling 5 days/week; Composition 4–5 days/week; Grammar 1–2 days/week; Literature 2–4 days/week (each novel + guide ≈ 4–6 weeks).

For eighth grade math, we suggest The Critical Thinking Company’s Understanding Algebra 1. It is an all-in-one book with streamlined, conversational, and student-friendly instruction, with answers provided in the back for easy reference. For ELA, we continue into Structure and Style for Students Year 3, Level B, which offers advanced composition instruction through video lessons and their structured approach. We’ve added Fix It! Grammar Level 5 for more advanced grammar work. Spelling continues with Spelling You See Level G: Modern Milestones, which uses visual letter patterns and color-coded chunking to aid learning. Literature remains customizable: Select 3–4 novel packages from the suggested list, each with a Literature Guide to support comprehension, vocabulary, and literary discussion. Plan to complete one novel and guide per quarter.

Schedule: Math and Spelling 5 days/week; Composition 4–5 days/week; Grammar 1–2 days/week; Literature 2–4 days/week (each novel + guide ≈ 4–6 weeks).

Contact our friendly consultants for FREE to find further assistance with any curriculum questions you may have on Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Enrichment, and more!

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