English Lessons Through Literature (ELTL) is a gentle yet thorough Charlotte Mason-inspired language arts curriculum for grades 1–8. This literature-rich program uses high-quality living books, poetry, and picture studies as the foundation for teaching language arts while incorporating systematic grammar, classical writing methods, and narration.
Instead of worksheets and busywork, ELTL focuses on short,
meaningful lessons that help students appreciate great literature, develop
observation skills, express thoughts clearly, and master English grammar and
mechanics. Lessons are designed for teacher-student interaction and require
minimal prep time, making the program very homeschool-friendly.
How the Program Works
Each level contains 108 lessons (3 lessons per week over 36
weeks). A typical lesson includes:
- A read-aloud from a quality book, fable, poem, or short story
- Discussion and narration
- Copywork (replaced by commonplace book entries in upper levels)
- A focused grammar or mechanics “nugget”
- Picture study to develop observation and descriptive writing skills
Curriculum Highlights:
- Living books and timeless literature selections used as the heart of the curriculum
- Systematic grammar instruction that begins gently and grows more advanced each year, including sentence diagramming starting in Level C (Cultivating)
- Classical writing using the Progymnasmata sequence, starting with fables and narratives and progressing to chreia and maxim in the upper levels
- Picture studies that build observation skills and provide excellent practice in putting thoughts into words
- Memory work for important grammar rules and definitions
- Optional student workbooks that significantly reduce teacher preparation time
Eight Levels (Grades 1–8)
English Language Through Literature offers eight levels, A-H, named with words that begin with each letter. These levels include Aspiring, Blossoming, Cultivating, Discerning, Enlightening, Flourishing, Growing, and Harvesting. Levels loosely correspond to grades 1 through 8. The author recommends starting with Aspiring in 2nd grade, though many families successfully use it in 1st grade as well.
Program Components:
- Teacher Volumes: The heart of the program containing all lesson plans, grammar instruction, discussion prompts, picture studies, and helpful appendices (including memory work, diagramming guides, and writing protocols)
- Optional Student Workbooks: Highly recommended for Aspiring through Flourishing. They contain all copywork, exercises, and writing pages (available in multiple handwriting styles: Manuscript, Slant Cursive, Vertical Cursive, Basic Italic, and Cursive Italic)
- Read-Aloud Literature Books: Many are classic public domain titles, though some will need to be purchased or borrowed from the library
English Lessons Through Literature curriculum strikes an excellent balance between the gentle, literature-rich Charlotte Mason philosophy and the need for solid, systematic grammar and writing instruction. It is considered secular but inclusive, drawing from a wide variety of cultural and religious traditions presented as literature rather than doctrine.
Many families pair ELTL with the author’s Reading Lessons Through Literature to create a complete language arts program covering phonics, reading, spelling, grammar, and writing.