Our English Curriculum has both an online element and a workbook element.
Learning to Read
ABC Reading Eggs
Years: Pre-school – Kindergarten
For learning to read we used ABC Reading Eggs.
We started with the ABC Reading Eggs Starting Out book packs and their corresponding workbooks. The characters are fun and the boys really enjoyed completing them. Each pack comes with a progress chart and the boys enjoyed putting a sticker up once they mastered a lesson.
Towards the end of the book packs we started with the ABC Reading Eggs program online. The online subscription also includes access to worksheets that you can download and print.
Online English Programs
ABC Reading Eggspress
Years: Year 1 – Year 6
Once the kids finish ABC Reading Eggs, the next step is ABC Reading Eggspress. It is designed to teach a range of comprehension strategies and increases in difficulty as the kids progress.
ABC Reading Eggspress is included in the the subscription for ABC Reading Eggs. However it has a separate area the kids need to log into so you might not notice it at first.
They have a book correlation chart to show which Reading Eggs & Reading Eggspress levels relate to which school year. They also have a list of the comprehension lessons by year available to download in PDF. For each lesson they indicate the types of texts they are working on, lexile level and the comprehension strategy focus.
They also have an Australian Curriculum Correlation chart for F – 2 and 3 – 6 which can be found on their Teacher Guides / Brochures page.
They offer a 2 week trial for ABC Reading Eggs if you want to give it a try. If you use my referral link you will also be helping us out too 🙂
Dreamscape
Years: Year 3 – Year 8
Dreamscape is an engaging reading game aligned to US curriculum. The kids are a Dreamseeker, a fearless explorer who has stumbled into a land of adventure, the Dreamscape. They must defend their dwell – the place where all their dreams live and protect it from invading Reveries (dream creatures). They attack other dwells to gain resources and earn rewards.
Basically they have a piece of land which they make their own with various resources and defensive units. In order to generate resources and train their reveries a certain amount of time must pass. In order to go forward in time they must answer some English questions!
There isn’t much difference between the Teacher account and a Parent account from what I can tell. You can still see their reading level and other skill levels in the parent account. There is also the ability to assign particular genres for them to work on.
We are using it only for fun and a bit of practice for English. They love creating their dwell and completing quests. Just like Prodigy, it is free BUT if they have a membership they get more rewards and can buy exclusive member only items. So expect to be hassled for a membership!
If you want to check it out, please consider using my referral link to sign up for a Teacher account.
English Books
I supplement the online learning with English Curriculum workbooks.
Scholastic Learning Express books
Years: Kindergarten – Year 3
The Scholastic Learning Express book series are available for Preschool/ Kindergarten through to Level 3 ages 8 – 9 years old.
They usually have 2 or 3 English books at each level and cover topics such as Reading Skills, Grammar, Vocabulary, Writing and Comprehension.
My boys have enjoyed these books as they are colourful and fun looking.
I’ve usually picked these up in Aldi during their school sales, otherwise I’ve found them here at Amazon.
Teachers 4 Teachers books
Years: Year 1 – Year 6
When we got to the end of the Learning Express books we still wanted something colourful to use. I looked at a few English curriculum books and didn’t find their format appealing to me, so how could I expect the boys to find them appealing?
So we tried the English curriculum books from Teachers 4 Teachers as we have had lots of success with their Handwriting books and Now series books.
In the Grammar Conventions book, a unit topic is covered on a double page spread. It has a mixture of question types so they aren’t writing for a whole page. Which is great when you have reluctant writers!
The Reading Conventions book also has a unit over a double page spread where the text to read is on the left and the questions are on the right. Questions include both literal and inference questions.
Our English curriculum now comprises of their Reading Conventions and Grammar Conventions books which are aligned to the Australian Curriculum. As well as their NSW Handwriting Conventions book.
Teachers 4 Teachers – Handwriting books
Years: Year 1 – Year 6
For kids that hate writing, finding the right handwriting books for us was a must. I can’t remember how many books I flicked through at 5 Senses Education when we first started out but once I saw the ones from Teachers 4 Teachers I knew they would be a hit.
These books have a theme for each year which means they are also learning some fun facts whilst they practice their handwriting. I think our favourite so far has been Year 3 as it concentrates on the animal kingdom.
They have a NSW Handwriting Conventions book as well as a Queensland Modern Cursive font Handwriting Conventions book if you prefer that style.
Related:
- Maths Resources
- Maths games
- Maths, English and Science Games
- Our Homeschool Curriculum
- Homeschool registration in NSW
- Creating a homeschool plan
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