American Literature Teacher Edition

Language arts programs listed in this section cover most areas of language arts (reading/literature, writing, grammar, spelling and handwriting) in one curriculum, although some skill areas may be covered with less intensity than a focused, stand-alone course.

The Abeka® distinctives start very early and flow through all levels, such as a cursive-first handwriting approach (starts in K and reviewed up to 6), thorough grammar (with diagramming), foundation-based composition skills (begins in 1st grade) and listening/speaking skills (including reading aloud and poetry memorization). All with Christian, patriotic-focused content in a spiral format with detailed teacher instruction. In 1st grade, skills introduced in previous years (phonics/reading, optional cursive, poetry, and vocabulary skills) are enriched with creative writing and sentence-level mechanics, weekly spelling tests, and oral reading. In Grade 2, transition to reading comprehension and beginning literature analysis occurs. Grade 3 begins the four-pronged emphasis of reading skills (analysis & discussion), writing (academic & creative), spelling/poetry, and grammar. Grade 4 (Level A) adds speed reading, the writing process, researching, and diagramming. Students refine all skills in Grade 5 (B), aiming for varied reading and writing (emphasizing research skills), as they head for Grade 6 (C), which cements the elementary skills in preparation for Abeka® upper-level courses.