Literature programs for homeschoolers in kindergarten through fifth grade typically target various goals: giving students a gentle introduction to classic literature, strengthening language skills, building vocabulary and assessing reading comprehension levels. Some programs teach literature using workbooks with excerpts from well-known books and fill-in-the-blank comprehension. Others teach literature using the unit study approach, an in-depth look into a topic or topics inspired by a book. The classic "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," for example, would lend itself to a unit study on rabbits, gardening, England and Beatrix Potter. ProTeacher.com offers free elementary literature programs, games and other ideas for encouraging early literacy. Check out other online companies such as Learning Language Arts Through Literature and Teacher Created Resources.
Middle school homeschoolers are able to tackle longer, meatier books. Parent educators of sixth through eighth graders often take advantage of their students' developing analytical abilities by delving deeper into literature study. Junior high literature study often focuses on introducing literary terms and concepts such as the book’s protagonist, antagonist, allegory, archetype, foreshadowing, theme and conflict. Many middle school lessons encompass essay prompts and creative writing assignments. Some tackle historical or contemporary fiction in the young adult genre. Check into LitPlans.com for free, comprehensive study guides for a host of classic and modern authors, as well as Lightning Literature, Literature Lessons from the Lord of the Rings and the Prentice Hall Literature series.
From ninth through twelfth grades, homeschoolers should be reading classics, source documents and original modern works. Educators usually approach upper-level literature courses by theme: geographic location (American, British or multi-cultural literature), historical period (Puritan, Harlem Renaissance, Realism), author (Shakespeare, Dickens, Twain) or genre (allegory, fantasy, short story, memoir, science fiction, biography). Parents should expect deeper insights through written analyses from high school students. Review DVDs from The Teaching Company, which offers multi-lesson courses on literature and writing. Browse the Institute for Excellence in Writing's study guides and explore the free online lessons at the Glencoe Literature Library.